Gravity's Fallen Angel
by AngelPines
Summary: My first mistake was waking up in the wrong dimension. The next was making a deal with Bill Cipher to get back home. The third mistake? Having the time of my life with the twins while somehow warming up to said demon! Life was suppose to follow a set of rules... good thing I never listened! T for violence, blood, and Bill's shenanigans.
1. Introducing Me

****Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls. I only own Elaine.****

 ** **Now let's get this show on the road!**** ** **Present tense is only present when Elaine writes in her online journal, everything else is past tense. If there is present tense thrown in at the wrong time, it will be corrected.****

"Speaking"

 ** **Edited:**** ** **July 29**** ** **/18****

* * *

This… is me.

A normal, semi-insane sixteen year old who apparently according to her friends tends to bury her nose into danger without really thinking of the consequences. But hey! It's not my fault! You ever try with psycho children with premature white hair, a moody teen with way too tight skinny jeans, and a sadomasochist triangle demon? It isn't fun!

Well… okay, I lied. It's actually pretty freakin' cool.

Most of the time. Other times I'd wish I had had enough courage to punch Bill in the eye besides the last few days of the summer. Ah, sweet, sweet revenge. That was a good moment. The rest of Weirdmageddon... not so much. So, I have a question I wanna ask.

You ever get the feeling… like you were made for something bigger than you could ever imagine? Because let me assure you, waking up in the wrong dimension can certainly make you feel like that. Not that I think it was destiny, but it's a cool thought on its own. One minute you're sleeping in your bed after cramming for first semester finals, next thing you wake up in the Mystery Shack resembling a teenage mummy.

You see, my online journal, Dipper and Mabel had thought that typing in here would be a benefit for my healing psyche. They thought I needed to step away from my beloved book for a while and write out my thoughts in something else. My therapist had also agreed once they told her their idea. I don't exactly see why, but I had no choice. I was forced into it.

… and Mabel kept hiding my pens...

Anyways! With the laptop their dad had bought for me as a welcoming gift, I had begun to write daily entries such as this one. Thoughts about my new friends and family, and all the people I had to say goodbye in Gravity Falls. This entry though, is the start of a much larger collection. I plan on writing out all of my adventures throughout the whole summer. How I had gone from a teen from what I thought was the only dimension in existence, to fighting alongside the townsfolk and saving our dimension!

* * *

"I'm not exaggerating, Dipper!" I glared at the boy, puffing my cheeks in annoyance. "You know he would've moved on to more planets after he was done with earth! Heck, he even told me himself he planned on taking over more dimensions once he was finished with ours!"

"I'm not saying you were," Dipper pointed out beside me. He leaned against my desk in my room, glancing from the words on the document to me with a raised brow. "But why are you making it sound like you're talking to an actual audience? You know you're never gonna post this."

"True. But my journal, whether it's this or the book, is my pride and joy. My entries are composed of my thoughts and feelings about everything. So what if it seems like it appears as if I'm talking to some invisible crowd? I like how it looks." I grinned slyly. "Besides, Ford had even agreed to me during one of our phone chats about my theory. So, HA!"

* * *

Back to the matter at finger tip and mouse arrow. Enjoy, my sweet journal, for I am about to foretell the greatest story you shall ever hold within your mother boarhey! Dipper, what are

Stop telling me not to announce things that one should say out loud! It's we

Stop cutting me

You

Dipergdf

Enjoy, everyone! For I present to you: Gravity's FalleDipper, MOVE! Gravity's Fallen Angel! Ha! I win!

* * *

I laughed as Dipper fought under my foot, which was planted firmly on his back. Who knew simply bending one's arm behind their back would take them down so easily when positioned right? "Let's get this show on the road, eh, Dippin' Dots?"

Brown eyes glared up at me from under his bangs, his face still smashed against the wood floor. "My mate moo."

"Hehe. Love you too, kid."


	2. Welcome to Gravity Falls

****Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls, but that should be obvious. This story takes place before the airing of Dipper and Mabel vs The Future, so Elaine doesn't know about Weirdmageddon yet. That fact is essential to the story, so**** ** **please**** ** **keep it in mind.****

"Speaking"

Thinking

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited**** ** **July**** ** **22**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Darkness, I had come to learn, was a lovely thing. When used correctly, it could be a gentle experience. Soothing, relaxing, and helped ease worries after a long and stressful day. "Step right up to the Mystery Shack, folks!" An old man shouting while one is trying to sleep in said darkness… it didn't help the relaxing thing.

 _ _Oh, for crying out loud! Whoever thinks it's a great idea to yell when someone's sleeping really needs a good whack upside the head.__ I gave a loud groan and roll onto my side, feeling a blanket slide onto the floor. _Whoops._ Reaching down and feeling around for it, I secured it back over my surprisingly sore body once I felt it in my hand. It took a lot of willpower to try and not wince in pain. __Ouch. Ah, wh-what's going on here? Why am I in so much pain?__ After laying there for who knew how long, I chose to listen to the gruff and slightly scratchy voice shout from outside of the room about some sort of 'Sascrotch'. It took a while until I finally figured out who I was listening to, and I scrunched my face up in confusion. __Am I hearing Grunkle Stan? Funny, I don't remember putting on Gravity Falls before falling asleep; or even going to sleep for that matter...__

Deciding I had rested long enough, I cracked open my eyes and got up. The dim lighting from a dusty window shone down on the couch I had woken up on, while I struggled to get myself into a seated position. I trembled as the alarm bells rung in my head, and sat up as best as I could, while keeping my back propped up against the arm rest behind me. Pushing my glasses back up my face, I looked at my surroundings. For starters, I was in a living room; the TV, cozy looking recliner I was on, and coffee table made it obvious. __Why is there a side table created from a dinosaur skull?__ The walls were a combination of stone and wood, with a banner of a fish in a crown hanging up on the wall above my head. The room itself though felt… eerily familiar, as if I'd seen it before. But that didn't make sense. I never had been to a house in my life that looked like this, since a room with a dinosaur skull would have definitely stuck out in my mind. Only, even without the strange piece of furniture, the entire area itself brought on a sense of familiarity.

 _ _But...__ _ _from__ _ _where?__ My ears picked up heavy footsteps coming from far down the hall, and an elderly man in his sixties walked in, sloppily fixing the glasses he had. He wore a black suit with a bow tie that matched his maroon fez, with said mentioned hat bearing a golden crescent moon. He had a large nose and ears, with graying hair and a noticeable slouched posture. However, he straightened up once he came into the room to check on me, his initial grumpy look shifting into one of concern. Why concern? Did something happen? "Finally awake, kid? About time, I've been waiting to see if those injuries didn't do too much damage to you." __Yep, and there's a headache too. The man should really tone down his voice-wait. Injuries?__ I glanced down at my arms, and finally realized why I was in so much pain. Burns and cuts decorated them like a macabre mural, with thick bandages wrapped around the more serious wounds. I… I couldn't tell what had made these. The ravaged skin was-I didn't even know what could have made some of these marks. Last time I checked, I… I… what was I doing before waking up there? __Where__ ** _ ** _is_**_** _ _here? And what caused these?__ It wasn't just the injuries, either. My clothes were ripped to shreds, leaving holes along the fabric to showcase more stained wrappings underneath. "You got a name kid?" He interrupted my train of thought with the question, and I snapped my head back to him. "Or are you just gonna sit there?" His eyes narrowed slightly behind his rectangular, black rimmed glasses.

I stiffened at the sudden harshness of him wanting to get to the point, and nodded. "O… oh." It hurt to talk, almost as if I hadn't used my voice in ages. "I… it's Elaine, sir." __I might__ _ _as well be honest, he might be able to tell me where I am.__ Even if some part of me kept telling me that there was something… wrong there. Something very wrong. "If you d-don't mind me asking, who are you, a-and where am I?" Stuttering couldn't be helped. I was tense, a little on edge, and felt like I had gargled sandpaper.

"I thought you looked new," he muttered, rubbing his chin. I also took note of the perpetual five o'clock shadow that covered his lower face. __Seriously, why does this all seem so-__ "Stanford Pines, and you just happen to be in the greatest tourist trap in Oregon: the Mystery Shack!"

 _ _Mystery Shack...?__ The color instantly drains from my face. The familiar room, the man-Stan Pines… o-oh no. __Oh no, no, no. No.__ _ _No.__

(Time Skip)

Y… yes. Yes to the million. The horrible idea, th-the terrifying conclusion of actually being inside Gravity Falls created a pit in my stomach, and I hadn't calmed down since. After nearly passing out in front of Stan, I quickly requested to know where the washroom was. I-I had to collect myself. I had to see if this was really happening.

Heading upstairs, Stan gestured to the small room to the side, farther down the hall from what might've been the twins' bedroom. I-if it was their bedroom. This couldn't-I couldn't process this. This was madness. Insanity. But staring back at my face in the mirror, seeing a normal realistic face and not some 2D cartoon, and seeing everything else up to this moment… I couldn't deny what was happening. I was really in Gravity Falls. I was a bruised and bloodied mess in the Mystery Shack with Stan Pines.

"Ugh… don't pass out, Elaine. Don't pass out." Turning the tap, I stuck my hands under the faucet and felt the cool water strike my bloodied palms. Bringing it up, I splashed the water on my face. I forgot about the fact I still had my glasses on my face, but the feeling of something cold against my flushed skin felt great. Doing the cupping method two more times, I rinsed my hands with the pump soap and dried them with the towel hanging on the metal rack beside the counter. All that was in there with me was a mirror that held a medicine cabinet, the cupboard under the sink, and a bathtub-shower combo behind me.

"This is… wow. Heh… j-just wow." It was, actually, a pretty amazing thing when I wasn't freaking out. Interdimension travel was a reality. The concept of different worlds was something I found very interesting, and which I had shared my fascination with my sister on multiple occasions. She knew more than anyone how much I'd love to see new places. But this? This was by far what I had in mind, especially considering the reminder I was unconscious when Stan found me, and… possibly close to bleeding out when that happened.

"Hey, kid." A soft knock came from the other side of the door, and it opened just enough for Stan's hand to appear holding a black book bag. It dangled in the air, his hand wrapped around one of the straps before he tossed it in. It slid across the wooden floor, coming to a rest at my feet. "Had one of my coworkers go out and buy some clothes for you while you were out. Came out of her pay to do it, but she didn't seem to mind."

Did he mean Wendy? I supposed that would make sense. If Stan had her go and get me proper clothing, she wouldn't mind having her money go to someone in need instead. She was generous. "Thanks, Stan. I'll be down in a moment." I heard a grunt, and the door closed once again.

I shifted my gaze to the bag, and dropped down in a crouch to check the contents. One thing of pajamas, a set of sneakers, a few pairs of jeans, and… multiple versions of the same top. Was that cartoon physics in a real world setting, or…? "Whatever. Best to get changed."

The old outfit, green shorts and a blue tank top that were stained in red and ripped beyond repair, were exchanged for a dark red flannel button-up and a white tank top, along with the black and white sneakers and one of the sets of jeans that also were shoved inside. The sleeves easily covered the bandages, so it wouldn't look like I had come straight from a war zone. Once the clean and soft clothes were on, and my ruined gear discarded behind me, I turned to the mirror once again. My light brown hair was a rats nest, filled with unsightly tangles. "Ew. What else is in here?"

Wendy, thankfully, was also kind enough to purchase a few other essentials. A toothbrush, hairbrush, and a couple elastics to name a few. Tugging, and wincing at each harsh tug through my thick mane, I dragged my hair up and into a long ponytail. My glasses, a dark blue in color, weren't showing any cracks in their lens over my tired and slightly frightened hazel eyes. "Phew," I sighed. Bringing the bag back up into my arms, I finally exited the bathroom and headed downstairs.

Stan was nowhere to be found, but I could hear his voice from within the Mystery Shack guiding a new group of tourists. Dropping the bag on the couch, I trudged through the main floor. The hall led to a series of doors, some more than likely locked at this moment. Ford's room, or the wax figure room, were out of bounds for now. So, I headed off opposite of where everything else was and ended up in the kitchen. "I really better map this place out. It's huge."

Spotting a trash can by the fridge, I stepped down on the peddle to open the top and dropped my old clothes inside. "There. Much better." I supposed it would be best to wait outside for now. Fresh air might be good for me, and help get my head straight. "Hmm?" Opening the fridge door, I grabbed a can of the popular pop from the show, Pitt Cola, and exited the house. Not through the gift shop, which I still had no clue where it was, but out the entry way that I had to pass through in the hallway.

Finally sitting down on the worn couch on the deck, I cracked open the can and took a long sip… and said the first logical thing that came to mind since this entire mess happened. "Wow. The universe must really hate me." I watched the last of the tourists board the bus ahead of me, eagerly holding merchandise they bought along the way. The deck gave a view of who was coming to and from the tourist trap, as the road could be easily seen from where I was curled up.

How… shocking. Th-this couldn't have been real, right? This had to be a bad dream, that I was just having trouble waking up from. Stan, h-he looked exactly like his animated counterpart, but… real. Live action, just like I was. Th-this wasn't a cartoon. Everything looked exactly the same as when I… I…? "Why am I even here? This is supposed to happen in stories you read online, not in real life," I mumbled. At least I didn't have to suffer through some form of shock at seeing myself as hand drawn. So… that was a plus. "Honestly, I don't even have any memories of arriving here."

"How you feelin', kid? You've been awfully quiet." I snapped my mouth shut in surprise, and looked up to see Stan walking out of the door, a can of Pitt Cola in his hand too. He glanced down at my own drink, and raised a brow.

"Sorry. I was thirsty. But I'm… alright, I guess," I hesitantly replied, now finding the ground very interesting to look at. My shoulders had finally relaxed after straightening up when he came out, not ready for the sudden company. "I wish I knew how I ended up so far from home. You're… actually comfortable with me staying here?" It was such a quick discussion he had with me as I took the bag from him; I still doubted he actually meant it.

"Hey, I'm not that cruel as to leave you alone in your current state. Stan Pines is a lot of things; crook, cheapskate, amateur burglar. But he ain't heartless enough to let some teen die on his watch… plus, y'know, that'd be bad for business. Besides, you owe me for helping you out, and working here is the only thing you're capable of doing until you're healed. Consider it my payment for savin' your butt," Stan said, going inside the Mystery Shack. "Feel free to come back in at any point. I already got your sleeping arrangements set up. The door should be wide open."

That line before brought a small smile to my face. Stan had done a lot over the years, but in the end, he was a good person. Heh, even if he didn't want to admit it. "Still," I sighed, returning my gaze to the scenery. "He's right." I roughly put the can on the deck beside my feet. "I'm stuck here until I can figure out a way home." While I wished to tell Stan the truth, I knew that saying I came from another dimension would end in disaster, and one where they existed as cartoon characters at that. A feeling of homesickness began to creep over me, but I quickly shrugged it off and followed Stan back into the Shack. However, I made sure to grab my can and toss it in the recyclable bin inside.

Heading up to the room Stan mentioned, I dropped my bag at the foot of the bed and fished out the night clothes. The outfit, a dark blue nightgown, fell just below my knees. My bed itself was a mattress shoved up against the wall right under the triangular window. Two beds were also already in the room, one on either side of mine. They pointed towards the door, while mine had the longer end against the wall. Apparently, Stan's niece and nephew were coming tomorrow afternoon, so I would have to share the space. __Wonder who those kids are?__ I smiled for a split second, before frowning. Dipper and Mabel Pines. Mabel, I could possibly handle. Dipper though… how was I going to get around the dimension-hopping problem with him? He would no doubt get suspicious, and not leave me alone about it. He was always so intent on figuring out the mysteries of Gravity Falls and Ford, that there was no doubt in my mind he would be intent on pursuing my mystery. And of course… there was all of adventures they'd go on too. I'd like to live, thank you very much.

I would have to prepare myself for the morning. Now… I was too tired to think straight. The bed wasn't the most comfortable, but it had sheets and an extremely soft comforter and pillow. The moment my head hit the cushion, I was out like a light, and lost in dream land.

(Time Skip)

 _ _You ever wake up, and the first you do is try to recall where you were? Yeah, this is__ _ _one of those moments.__ I woke up gasping, my heart still pumping loudly in my chest as if it were close to bursting through my ribs and skin. I almost threw myself out of the bed, not even recalling what had happened in the last few hours until the moonlight from the attic's triangular window lit up the bleak bedroom, reminding me of where I was. That I-I was still in the Mystery Shack, in Gravity Falls. It… wasn't even morning yet. __How long was I asleep for?__ I thought back to the dream-err... nightmare. I-that wasn't a dream. I-it wasn't pleasant at all. Just… darkness, and fire, and… me screaming. _And who normally enjoys inflicting nightmares on the innocen-no._ N-no. That was just paranoia talking. Bill Cipher wasn't in my head. He didn't appear until the end of season one, and only showed interest in people that either benefited him… or threatened his plans.

"Ah! You have got to be kidding me!" I exclaimed. "Since when do you even have nightmares like that?! You can't even get any sleep! But what do you expect, when you have no freaking clue how or if you'll ever get home again!" Tears had begun prick at the corners of my eyes, but I didn't even notice them. The townspeople couldn't possibly help me; although this show is north of normal, I was pretty sure interdimensional travel was outside of its jurisdiction. Ford… he could-no. __For obvious reasons, there's__ _ _no need to have him get involved__.

I drew my knees up to my chest and sobbed silently, dampening the nightgown pulled over my legs. I hated feeling weak. I-it's not like I wasn't enjoying all of this though; traveling to your favorite show was normally a dream come true, but not if you could be stuck there forever. I liked Gravity Falls as much as the next fan, but this? Th-this wasn't a dream at all. It was a twisted version of a joke. A prank gone horribly wrong. "I would give anything to get back home," I whispered, my voice barely louder than a breeze in the quiet room.

"Really, kid? Are you sure about that?" My head shot up, and I tightened my grip around me instinctively. The last time I had checked, it was only me in the attic, so who was talking? __N-no. Not who. Wh-what.__ That voice… I had known so well in the season two of the cartoon. The same tone of insanity twisted into a geometric shape.

Was I-I really hearing his voice though? Him? "W-who's there?" I glanced around the room, and was horrified when I was finally aware that the color had drained from everything in the room except… me. __Oh no. No, no, no. Not him. Anything but-__

"What's the matter, kid?" My internal panic was cut off as the high pitch voice spoke again. "Not the help you expected?" They laughed mockingly, and I realized how close it sounded. A-almost as if, it was coming from… behind… me…?

I slowly turned myself around and stared, gaping. Bill Cipher, the triangular dream demon himself, floated only a few inches behind me, eye crinkled in what I'm guessing was amusement. His yellow body lit up the room, casting shadows around me. F-forget about the surprise of seeing Stan in real life, this was much more shocking-no. Not shocking. Terrifying is what it was. The demon had much more detail to him; from the finer outlines of his brick-like body, to the velvet texture his black bow tie carried. His top hat was shining in the same golden glow as he was enveloped in, and it reflected light on its smooth surface. Throwing my body backwards to widen the space between us, I snatched up my pillow to throw in case he tried something. I doubted a demon could get hurt with a face full of feathers, but it's not like I had that many options. I watched the show enough to know not to let myself get comfy around the triangle monster. Bill laughed a little at my reaction, kicking his legs and holding his arms over his… chest? "Speechless, aren't you? I don't blame ya, I tend to have that effect on you fleshbags." His limbs… they looked human enough, but were blackened. Charred almost. Like a normal human having been severely burned; deformed, and malnourished.

I gulped, hugging the pillow for dear life. Th-this really was a nightmare, wasn't it? _Well, at least I know who was responsible for those bad dreams._ "I-I'm not speechless. It's just y-you're-"

"Bill Cipher!" He interrupted me. "And you're Elaine Milton!" Bill's eye studied me intently, and I flinched when I made eye contact with it. It was a hybrid between a pale yellow cat's eye, and a human's. Long, thick eyelashes and I could easily make out light blue veins in his cornea.

 _ _How on earth does he know that?! I've never even met him!__ "H-how do you know who I am?" I questioned, voicing that thought with a slight warning tone. __Did he just read my mind? N-no, of course not. He can't do much of anything without making a deal-but he can haunt dreams just fine! Dang it!__

"Oh, I know lots of things!" Bill leaned in even closer, his eye flashed red and voice dropped, " ** **LOTS OF THINGS****!" At the swift change in attitude, I held the pillow even tighter against me. This sadly just seemed to amuse him even further. "Ah ha ha ha ha! You really think that could hurt me, kid?"

I glanced from Bill, to my 'weapon', to Bill again. "Well... it was all I could think of." At least I wasn't stuttering anymore. Seeing how he wasn't going to attack me, I cautiously sat the pillow back down on the bed but left it close enough to grab. __Just in case.__ "And if you know me, then you clearly know my problem. After all, you seem to be taken to haunting my dreams for the last few hours. Why are you here, Cipher? What do you want from me?"

"I just want to talk kid, that's all." __As if! He probably just wants me to make some sort of deal.__ "Yep! Just hear me out kid, I'm sure you'd benefit from this." He summoned a cane beside him, twirling it in his fingers absentmindedly.

"I'd be out of my mind if I were to make a deal with you!" I retorted. "I know enough about how you operate, so what makes you think I'm foolish enough to shake your hand?" I paused, and glared back in annoyance. "And would you stop calling me kid! I'm 16!" Not as if there was that much truth to that either. My birthday wasn't that far off before this mess happened. I would've been 17 not too far from now.

"Compared to me, your age is nothing!" Bill replied, shrugging off my outburst. "As for the deal, do you really think anyone else in this town can help you get back to your own dimension?"

That caught my attention. "You... you can get me home?" __Wait, what am I doing? I can't actually be considering this. Snap out of it, and focus. Don't let him sense that you're swaying.__

Bill 'smirked' down at me, sensing the slight wavering in my confidence. "Sure I can! But I want something from you in return. After all, you said you knew how I 'operate'. I don't do these things for free, pal."

"You are not possessing my body, if that's what you're asking for." I didn't need to end up like Dipper or Ford. I was already battered and bruised enough. I didn't need any more injuries on top of that. "I'm also not telling you where the journals are either."

"Yeesh kid, relax!" Bill said, motioning with his free hand to signal that I needed to calm down. "All I want is your help in some plans of mine for this world, and in return I'll send you back home. Simple as that! Besides," he rolled his eye, the slit pupil rolling freely in the off-white space, "you honestly expect anyone here to help ya? Like you were thinking earlier, no one's going to believe you. They'd just pass you off as another nut job. Me, on the other hand, I'm the only one who can understand the complexities of inter-dimensional travel and who has the power to get you there. So, tell me, shorty, do you really have any other options up your bandages there? Or did I get everything bang on?"

"I-I know what you're planning, Cipher! You seriously think I'm that desperate!? I-I can find a-a way! I don't need your assistance!" My voice cracked, and I gasped for air to refill my sore lungs. "I know what you a-are, and I refuse a-any help from you!"

"O-ho! Really, kid? Are ya sure about that?" Before I could move, the hook of his cane was around my neck, yanking me forward. My hands planted firmly on the floor a few inches below the bed, sending jolts up to my brain from how hard my arms took the impact. "Let me make this as simple as your fragile mind can comprehend. You can say no all you want, but-and you already know this-I **won't** stop. I always get what I want in the end. You make think you're so strong, so strong willed, but you aren't." His hand not holding the cane wrapped around the back of my neck, drumming his fingers against my skin. A shiver of worry, anxiety, and fear built onto my already growing stress and concern. Bill was backing me into a corner, and he wasn't letting me out. Like a predator to its prey, he had me right where he wanted.

I wasn't getting out of this. No matter what happened, with my struggles to understand what was happening around me with the idea of entering a different dimension, I was desperate to leave. I-I needed to get home, b-but was I really that weak to take his hand? "You're weak, kid. No matter what you choose to do, I won't be leaving an opportunity like you go so easily. Say what you want, and do what you will, but I'll keep coming back. Over, and over again, until I get what I want." With that, he removed his hand from my neck and unhooked my necklace, shoving me roughly backwards onto the mattress. The springs squeaked under my weight, and as I took a deep breath to try and steady myself, I realized that… that the demon was right.

 _A_ _s much as I hate_ _d_ _to say it, he's got a point. Bill'_ _s_ _omnipotent, all-knowing being, and he might_ _be_ _my chance at getting my normal life back._ _Back to my home, to my family, to… to my little sister._ But was it really worth helping him? I knew fully well what he's capable of doing! If I did this, I'd be the assistant of an insane, sadistic monster. And would he even fulfill his end of the deal when the time comes? He would have every chance to back out of it, or change the conditions at will. I recalled how he manipulated Dipper into body possession, and how he destroyed McGucket indirectly, and… and Ford. Making this deal would literally turn me into a female him. My mind would be toyed with, and my trust would be put on the line. People if they figured it out would hate me, an-and would never want anything to do with me. Like… like Dipper and Mabel. __But… but I don't have any other options, do I?__ I sighed in defeat, feeling what small shred of hope I had finally snap. __Bill's… he's my only hope...__ I looked back at Bill, wincing at my next words. "What did you… have in mind?"

His eye widened in sick delight, most likely due to how pathetic I probably looked, and wrapped his shriveled arm around my shoulders. I flinched, finding myself reacting to my injuries and his contact. "As long as you promise to stick with me and help me in my plans for this dimension when needed, I'll take you to your family again. Trust me, being stuck in one dimension ain't fun to deal with." He held his arm out, snapping his cane away. "Besides, I doubt you'd be dumb enough to actually try to back out of a deal with me."

I stared at the hand stuck out in front of me. It was my lifeline and my death sentence, all in one. I... I really had no other say in this, did I? Possibly, if I stuck it out long enough, I could have found a way. But with a monster who seemed set on not letting someone as unique as me slip away... I was not going anywhere anytime soon. __The only way…__ "d… deal."

I reached forward and hesitated in grasping the awaiting black hand. That is, until he decided not to wait for me, grabbing my hand before I could take his. Light blue flames lit up my pale face, and I felt his nails digging into my skin. The excited gleam in Bill's shining eye, lit up from the demonic fire, probably should've been a warning that there was something else coming. Immediately, a searing pain shot up from my arm to my brain like a taser, and I shrieked at the feeling of something akin to fire scorching the flesh he held in his palm. The overwhelming feeling proved too much for me to handle, and… I think I passed out again.

How did that work? Falling asleep or becoming unconscious in the Mindscape? Did it-ow-really matter? When I did finally wake up from the demon's unexpected visit, I felt even more horrible than when I had gone to bed. Like all of my energy was drained away, and filled with even more pain than when I first woke up in this bizarre version of a child's cartoon. Gritting my teeth, I struggled to sit upright once again. "O-ow..." Drying the tears from my face, I thought back to Bill and what I had agreed to; the horror settling in on my swift decision, and I felt like I just suffered a punch to the gut. I made a deal with Bill Cipher. __What have I done? What have I just done!?__ I made a deal with a demon of all people. "idiot!" I shouted, put kept myself quiet enough in case I awoke Stan down the hall. "Now what do I-ouch! Gah, what is hurting so much!?"

Rolling up the right sleeve of my arm and turning my hand over, I almost passed out for the third time that day. Burned into the top of my hand was a blackened image of Bill. The skin around it was still sore and blistering, and the hand itself dripped blood onto the blanket under it. "Ah… ah…!" _Th-then where is all that blood on the blanket coming from…?_ The burn showed signs of dried blood, but wh-where was the rest of it coming from?

I inhaled… and flipped it over to reveal my scarred palm. B… Bill had written on my skin, digging hard enough with a fingernail to cut the skin open and let my vital life force drain out.

" ** **WELCOME TO GRAVITY FALLS****!"

* * *

 **And there you go. Next time, we begin the series. The start will follow mostly canon, and as Elaine gets more comfortable, the changes will become more noticeable in the events.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	3. Tourist Trapped Part 1

****Disclaimer: Thanks to everyone who's viewed my story so far. It's nice to see some people are showing an interest in it.****

 ** **To answer reviewer AnnaRooma's question about the story's updating schedule, I plan to do so every weekend unless other things get in the way.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited:**** ** **July 25**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Waking up was terrible. Even after sleeping for half the day to recover from everything, I still felt worse for wear. Pulling myself off the blankets, I trudged to the bathroom to exchange the stained bandages for new ones. Stan didn't say he had any in stock, but my assumption that he had some medical supplies in the medicine cabinet was spot on. "And of course… I got to treat this stupid thing now too."

The burn was just sitting there, with the demon's eye staring up almost mockingly. Washing away the blood was simple enough, but treating it with the rubbing alcohol hurt like a… oh. _Even though this was a world based on a cartoon, and a Disney one at that, would it be alright to swear? Even just a minor one?_ "I'll… think on that later," I decided. Still though, a world based on a cartoon. Everything; every person I met or seen, and the surroundings were real. Real life. No drawings, no weird four fingers on children, and no lines. If it wasn't for the fact everything lined up with the series, I would have thought I was still in my own world _._ It all looked so similar to the show, with the people and the Shack, but yet… everything was so different. It felt as if I didn't know anything anymore.

Dragging myself to the kitchen after brushing my hair, teeth, and throwing on my clothes-was that going to be a thing? The fact my bag held copies of the similar outfit just led me to believe that was going to be my normal look, like Dipper with his vest and hat. _Focus, Elaine. That's not important._

"Morning, kid." I looked up at Stan, who sat down his mug of freshly brewed coffee on the table. "Sleep well?"

"Uh… n-not really. Not that I don't do well sleeping in new places, but everything was just…." my voice died out, and I couldn't find the correct words to finish my thoughts. Stan shrugged, not appearing to be bothered with my avoidance.

"Alright. What's with the extra bandages? Trying to turn into a mummy for the Shack?" I blinked, before realizing he meant my hand. Well, how was I supposed to react to that? My arms, a fair amount of my stomach and back, and my legs were all scarred and burned. My head was in decent shape, but I still had a bit of a headache. Explaining the hand thing? Little more difficult with the fact nothing was injured that far down my arms.

"O-oh, well… I sort of end up with scratches while I sleep from moving around, and already being injured must have caused some damage to the surface." That was… an okay excuse.

Stan shrugged. "As long as you keep those treated. Don't need you getting infected." No kidding. I didn't want to end up going to the hospital. If that happened, people would ask about where I came from, and that would lead to asking why I didn't exist.

Sitting down with a bowl of cereal that looked like cheerios, I slowly ate while Stan read his paper. While we had each other's company, I took the time to think. Think about different dimensions, cartoon physics, and Bill. I couldn't help but wonder what he had in store for me and why he had decided to burn my hand. "Eugh." Shivering at the memory, I stuffed said hand into my pocket as I awkwardly ate with my left hand. _Demon just had to go and ruin my dominant hand_ _._ Real life Bill Cipher... not a pleasant experience.

"The kids will be here soon. Why don't you go up and make your bed, or whatever?" Fine by me. I could do that. Putting my bowl and spoon into the sink to be washed, I returned upstairs to my bedroom. Tidying up the cream-colored sheets and matching blanket was easy enough, though I did wish I had an actual bed frame and not just a mattress.

"Hmm… what else can I do?" Spotting the bag at the foot of the bed, I picked it up and dumped the contents out. The bathroom materials I had already put into the washroom, but all of the clothes could easily be stored in the dresser that was also below the window. Sitting cross legged on the comforter, I began to fold and sort the items into the drawers.

The sound of an engine roared from outside the window, and I closed a drawer to get close enough to see Stan drive off. "Probably going to get the kids." If that was all I could do there, then I could head down to the deck to wait. I didn't know where the bus stop was, but picking the twins up shouldn't take too long.

There was a few things to wonder now, besides the already huge questions and problems I had. What would happen next? Would Mabel and Dipper hate me? What were they like in person? Did they look anything like their cartoon counterparts? "I really need to deal with this," I sighed, dropping onto the couch. Having too many questions was going to be the end of me, and I wouldn't be able to focus.

The car returned not a few minutes later, squealing into what parking space we had-despite not having any clear parking signs laid out. Stan climbed out, and from the backseat came the kids themselves, each carrying their own bags from home. Stan took notice of my presence on the side of the house, and without a word gestured for me to come over.

 _Oh boy._ There we go. First encounter with Dipper and Mabel Pines. This wasn't going to end well. "Elaine, this here's, uh, Dopper and Jenny." Stan gestured to the twins, not really paying attention when they frowned. He… he got their names wrong.

"Dipper," Dipper spoke up with a confused and slightly annoyed look, correcting him. "And Mabel." They looked about as much as I had expected them to be outside of the screen. Chestnut brown hair that curled ever so slightly and brown eyes. There were those few differences between the twins though. Mabel's hair was long and wavier than mine, falling down to her waist. She had rosy pink cheeks, and her braces were very noticeable every time she smiled. Which would probably be like, a lot. Dipper had freckles dotting his cheeks, and bangs covering the birthmark. It probably didn't have the same outline as in the show, but the general idea must still be there. The worn greenish brown hat on his head looked like it was ready to fall to pieces, but he wore it with pride.

"I'm getting close though," Stan said, more to himself. __What, were you practicing before they showed up?__ I stood behind Stan, watching the kids. I wasn't exactly one for first impressions, and I was still sore from yesterday's… events. "Kids, this here's your roommate." He gently dragged me out from behind him, earning a small shout from me. __What the-I don't do first impressions! Stop!__ "Elaine here is bunking with you two until she gets home. Wherever that is." He thumped his hands on my shoulders while I glared at him, before finally turning to focus on the kids.

"Uh… hi?" Mabel's eyes sparkled, widening to an almost impossible size. I could almost smell the sugar and childish excitement radiating from her. Dipper raised a brow, looking at the bandages that peaked out from under my sleeves and crept up around my neck. I guessed as much. My appearance until I got them removed would draw some looks.

"Elaine, you mind takin' them up their room to unpack? We've got tourists comin' in at ten," Stan asked. I had met Stan while he was still wearing his suit yesterday, seeing as how he was still conducting tours through the building. It was a relief. I didn't think it'd be a pleasant experience to first meet the man in his underwear. __It's... gonna happen eventually.__

"Oh. S-sure, Stan. Follow me." Motioning for them to follow, I led Dipper and Mabel into the Mystery Shack through the gift shop. Mabel oohed at the attractions and knick-knacks as I directed them to the stairs. "Up here is where the bedrooms are, plus the bathroom and a storage room." f I was to be living there for a while, I needed to be familiar with my surroundings. I had found a note in the book bag while searching for my brush from Wendy that gave me a brief layout of the Mystery Shack. Stan didn't have the time to do it himself, so I was extremely thankful for this. There weren't that many rooms, but it was easy to get lost. Once we reached the second floor, I stopped and opened the door to our room. "My bed is the mattress below the window in the middle. Feel free to talk to each other about who wants which bed." Mabel dropped her suitcase on the bed on the right, and immediately turned to me. __What is she-?__

"Oh my gosh!" Mabel shouted, the volume making me jump in surprise. "We're gonna be roommates!" The young girl tackled me in a hug, and I glanced down at her awkwardly through a wince as she hugged my mummified body. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, and I could hear her giggling. I… wasn't expecting that. Okay, I sort of was. But she just met me! She couldn't be so attached already!

"Uh... I-I guess so?" My face eased up, and I slowly patted her back. __This is so awkward.__ Looking back up, Dipper was watching me intensely, as if he was searching for something. __He really is just as paranoid as the show made him out to be,__ I thought. Mabel's energy was going to be something I would have to get used to, unless I wanted to suffer more surprises to my already rapidly beating heart.

It would probably bite me in the butt later down the road, his paranoia. Dipper just seemed a little more wary around me than the others, most likely due to the fact I wasn't being so open with them. And by open, I meant refusing to talk unless I had to. As they unpacked, he listened as Mabel would ask me questions. However, I would only answer with only one or two sentences, but anything that revolved around how I got to the Shack I dodged entirely. Hey, I had my reasons! It's not like I planned on staying here for very long. Mabel though, seemed determined to break down my walls. Which… translated to repeating the question of 'why' over and over again when I gave a short answer, trying to pry more out of me.

Speaking of Mabel, the female twin turned around after putting up her posters. She had already set up her bedding, consisting of a light pink sheet, a dark pink blanket, and a pillow. Several stuffed toys sat at the foot of the bed, and she stuck a flower onto the headboard. "This attic is amazing. Check out all my splinters!"

 _ _Is__ _ _that painful?__ I didn't think she registered pain like a normal person should. Whatever, I should probably help her with that. "H-hang on there." I got up and left the room for a moment, only to return with the tweezers from the bathroom. I clipped the ends together, and gestured for her to sit on my bed as I took a seat. "Let me help you with those, Mabel." Mabel hopped over to me, and I began pulling the wood from her fingers. Impressive. She wasn't complaining at all.

Dipper stared at the goat on his bed, and I could only wonder how Gompers got in. I didn't remember him coming up earlier, and the door was still- okay, we left it open, but still. __Did that thing even have a purpose? Why is there a goat on the property in the first place?__ "And there's a goat on my bed," he deadpanned, moving his bags off the roughly made bed and put them beside a broken arcade machine that lay under a tarp. He had chosen to make his sheets before setting up his stuff, but in the time he had left and returned, Gompers had come in and claimed the bed. The goat leaned forward and began eating Mabel's sleeve from her spot on my mattress, making her laugh.

"Hey, friend. Oh! Yes, you can keep chewing on my sweater," she encouraged, earning weird looks from Dipper and me. "Ha ha ha ha!" __I'm gonna be questioning sanity a lot here, aren't I?__ Once Gompers let go, she turned to look at me as I finished picking out the splinters. "Hey, can we check out the woods?"

"Uh, yeah, but-" I didn't finish as Mabel threw herself off the bed, bounding out the door before her brother and I could stop her. Exchanging a look with Dipper, who only shrugged at his sister's antics, we followed after her. It wasn't that I was afraid for her safety, but it was-the forest put me on edge a little. Gnomes, and fairies, and… other things resided in there, and understanding its layout might be beneficial for me in the future. As Mabel came to a stop in front of a small hill, I paused in front of a tree a few feet behind her.

As she got down and began to roll down the grass, I climbed up a few branches to look better. That was not my greatest decision, given my arm strength was still down at the moment. Using my left arm to hoist me through the branches, I kept my right arm hooked around branches while the left was used to grip the wood. Each lift tugged on the skin, threatening to tear it and start the bleeding again. Still, while I knew I wasn't healed, I hated sitting on the sidelines. If I was going to be there for a while, then I wanted to watch the show. Switching my view from Mabel over to her brother, I could see Dipper standing off to the side farther down the hill, a woodpecker pecking at his hat. A pen was stuck in his mouth, and he had a notepad opened in his hands. __I wonder what's in there?__ Perhaps he was writing his thoughts? And where did he even have those stored anyway? His vest?

Dipper chewed on the pen cap, oblivious to the other Pines sneaking up behind him. I leaned forward on my branch and watched as Stan popped up from behind Dipper in a green ugly monster mask. "Boo!"

"Ahhh!" Dipper fell over after jumping in the air a few feet, tumbling onto his back. Stan removed his mask laughing, while I snickered quietly to myself.

Stan slapped his knee, still enjoying the scare he pulled on Dipper until he started choke after a few seconds and went to hit his chest to relieve the discomfort. "It was worth it," he coughed. Lowering his hand, he looked from them to me up ahead. "Now, come on, you three. If you're gonna be staying here this summer, you're gonna be put to work. Hop to it." Rolling my eyes, I carefully dropped back to the ground and walked behind Stan and the twins as we headed back to the Shack. Splitting off to deal with the group of tourists he talked about earlier, he gave us the order of cleaning up the gift shop. No one would be interested in 'wasting money' if it didn't look clean and 'health code friendly'.

Dipper sighed while sweeping, and I gave him a small look while I tidied up the snow globes. Had to agree with him there. Manual labor wasn't exactly the first thing that would come to mind after waking up in the wrong world. Though, I did somewhat expect to get involved with the supernatural within a few days. Just… didn't expect that to be in the form of Bill Cipher. Mabel reached over to touch the giant eyeball beside her, intrigued by its appearance, when Stan smacked her hand away with his cane. __Where did he even come from?__ "No touching the merchandise!" Backing off, Mabel looked around at the tourists as he went on further into the house, before a grin spread over her face. Running to the counter, she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen, writing furiously on it before dropping it by the hat rack and hiding behind a shelf across from us.

"He's looking at it! He's looking at it!" Dipper and I watched along with her as a boy no older than she was picked up the note, reading it aloud.

"Uh… ****do you like me? Yes? Definitely? Absolutely****!?" His voice rose at the very end, looking around nervously. Made sense. Poor Mabel was acting very stalker-like right now, and it wasn't doing anyone any favors.

Mabel looked over at us, winking. "I rigged it!"

Switching from the broom to a cloth and a spray bottle, Dipper began to clean a cloudy jar full of eyeballs. "Mabel, I know you're going through your whole 'boy crazy' phase, but I think you're kind of overdoing it with the 'crazy' part."

I nodded in agreement. While I avoided talking too much to the kids, I felt the need to say at least something to agree with him. "He's right, Mabel. Chasing after boys is perfectly fine, but not if you want to end up with a restraining order." __Is she even old enough to get one?__

"What?" Mabel blew a raspberry at us. "Come on, guys! This is our first summer away from home! Well, maybe not Elaine, but it for you, Dipper! It's my big chance to have an epic summer romance!"

Dipper narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, but do you have to flirt with every guy you meet?" __Kid, just wait until the mattress store. She's gonna scare that guy half to death.__

"Mock all you want, guys, but I got a good feeling about this summer," Mabel declared. "I wouldn't be surprised if the man of my dreams walked through that door right now."

Right on cue, Stan walked through the door, a burp getting caught in his throat. "Oh! Oh, not good. Ow."

Dipper and I burst into laughter at the timing, while Mabel groaned in disgust. "Aw, why!" __Because comedy, dear child.__

"All right, all right, look alive, people," Stan said, walking over to us. "I need someone to go hammer up these signs in the spooky part of the forest." He held up the signs and a bucket of nails in his hands, as they were hanging from the crook of his arms as he tried to fix the pain in his chest from the burp.

My eyes widened. __I'm not taking any chances with this!__ "Not it!" I shouted, and the twins quickly followed my example with the exclamation.

"Uh, also not it." Soos added, fixing a bookshelf off to the side of the room.

"Nobody asked you, Soos," Stan replied as we all turned to look at him.

"I know, and I'm comfortable with that," the handyman said, instead continuing to eat his chocolate bar. Soos looked a lot more normal than his animated form. His brown hair stuck out in places under his ball cap, and the buckteeth were not as hamster-like as they were before. Plus, the few hairs on his face looked more natural. Still, it was just as clear as everyone else I met that he was the real life version.

"Wendy, I need you to put up this sign!" Stan yelled over at the redhead.

"I would, but I, ugh, can't, ugh, reach it, ugh..." Wendy mumbled behind the cash register, reaching lazily over at us. Her skin was pale and decorated with freckles, and her fiery red hair fell to her waist too, just like Mabel. The lumberjack hat was placed casually on her head without a second thought, and I could see the similarities between our outfits. Not that I'm arguing. I had nothing against flannel. __Frankly, I think I look rather cool in it.__ I had never met her or Soos before, so this was my first time to actually see them in person. Wendy briefly looked up from her magazine to me, and gave me a thumps up. Hehe. I waved shyly back. Never did meet in person, but already, it seemed she was going to end up being a… friend of mine no matter what.

Friend. I was… going to have to also think on that while I was there. On what that word meant to me, and how it applied to my situation. "I'd fire all of you if I could," Stan frowned. "All right, let's make it… eenie, meenie, miney… you two." Stan pointed at Dipper and... me? __Wait, what!? But it's supposed to be Dipper who finds the journal! Why am I chosen too!? I was trying to avoid tha-!__

"Come on, Elaine. Let's go." Tuning back into reality as my internal rant had been interrupted, I realized I missed the part about his bug bites spelling out a misspelled 'beware'. I grabbed the nails and hammer from Stan as he held them out, and followed Dipper into the woods, closing the door behind us. It was getting cloudy, and the wind had begun to pick up, blowing my ponytail around and sending it whacking into my face. _Ouch. Yeah, this was p_ _ _erfect spooky, mysterious background theme.__ Smoothing down my hair, and sticking it into the collar of my shirt, I watched the house vanish behind us. The woods were certainly off-putting at first, but it wasn't as different as it was going out into the forest behind my own house. Darker, sure, but plenty of paths and open areas to travel through. After putting up a few signs along a randomly chosen path-which there seemed to be a lot of out there-and moving further into the forest, I heard Dipper start to mutter under his breath. "Ugh, Grunkle Stan. Nobody ever believes anything I say." __Oh, really?__ I smacked my hand against the back of his head, rolling my eyes.

"Hey!" Dipper gave a startled shout, reaching to fix his hat as I had tilted it in my actions while juggling his supplies. "What was tha-?"

"You seriously think no one else believes you're telling the truth?" I asked. "Of course this place is weird, kid. And I find it quite interesting." I grabbed another nail from the bucket, and grinned softly when I caught the beginning of a smile on Dipper's face. Faint, but it was there. __Much better.__ I didn't need him moping while we were out here. I just wanted to get back inside out of the woods. This place was giving me the creeps. However, I did agree with my earlier statement. This place was kind of cool. __As long as one stays away from anything that can cause bodily harm.__

I started to hit a nail into the next tree, when I heard a hollow metallic noise. Wait… hollow? __D-did I just find the tree?__ I tapped the hammer a few more times to check, creating more metallic sounds. __I did find the tree__. __Uh… whoops?__ Dipper walked up, hearing the sound himself and wiped the dust off the bark. Gripping the hidden panel, he yanked it open to reveal the mechanical box inside. We exchanged a look before he fiddled with the two switches on top, making a hole open up in the ground behind us and scaring away the goat. _Where did Gompers even come from?_

Forget the goat. The goat wasn't even important right now. This was huge. W-we found the book. That was... a lot easier than I thought it would be. Gee, Ford. He couldn't have made this a little more difficult? Traps or a monster protecting it or something? "What the?" Dipper reached into the hole and pulled the journal out. Journal three. It had… definitely seen better days. The cover was torn and faded in several spots. The monocle dangled loosely from the binding, but it didn't seem to be chipped or scratched. __There's even a tassel to mark pages.__ He thought of everything when he started this. Wonder why he had the monocle though. Ford already had glasses, so that was a little odd. Was it to be more precise in his drawings?

Dipper turned a few pages before starting to read aloud. " ** **It's hard to believe it's been six years since I began studying the strange and wondrous secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon****." He flipped through the book, mumbling under his breath, "What is all this?" Eventually, he stopped on the page with " ** **TRUST NO ONE**** " on it. " ** **Unfortunately, my suspicions have been confirmed: I'm being watched. I must hide this book before he finds it. Remember: in Gravity Falls there is no one you can trust****." __Three guesses who 'he' is. The first two don't count.__ "No one you can trust..." Dipper looked up at me, and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. There was questioning in his eyes, about the book, and maybe even about me. I was just as new to the town as he was, and having thoughts about my history was natural. Still, the fact the book clearly said not to trust anyone didn't help me in that case. I also couldn't say anything about the contents or F-

"HELLO!"

"Ahhh!" __Oh, there goes my heart!__ Dipper and I yelled in alarm, spinning around to see Mabel behind a log, grinning at our reactions. Oh, she was enjoying this way too much. "What'cha two readin', some nerd thing?"

Dipper jumped, and scrambled to hide the journal behind his back. "Uh, uh, it's nothing!" He stammered, sweat on his forehead.

"Uh, uh, it's nothing," Mabel imitated him, giggling. "What? Are you two actually not gonna show me?" The two of us? Was I now in the same category as awkward and sweaty there?

I glanced at the goat, who had begun nibbling at the edge of the journal. __Seriously, what's with this goat in the first place?__ "Uh, let's go somewhere private," Dipper finally said. I nodded at that, and grabbed the nails and bucket.

"Fine with me. Mabel, can you grab those last few signs? We'll, um, hide them under the deck when we get back. If your uncle asks, just say that the goat got them." Mabel chuckled, taking the last two signs, and followed Dipper as we began the trek back to the Mystery Shack. __Journal__ _ _three__ _ _. The basis of what most of this show was centered around. Ooh boy, this is going to get far worse before it gets better.__

* * *

 ** **And that's chapter 3! Probably should mention this, but the first couple of chapters are just to set things up and get into the flow of the story. Action and the real plot picks up the further we go.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	4. Tourist Trapped Part 2

****Disclaimer:**** ** **W**** ** **ith snow days resulting in no school, I had plenty of time to finish Tourist Trapped, and decided to post early. Also with an exam and two tests coming up, I wanted to post before putting my focus on studying.****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls, only Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited:**** ** **July 25**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

I leaned against the couch in the living room, sipping from a can of Pitt Cola while Dipper paced around the floor. Mabel, who was sitting on the couch's arm, and I watched him patiently. __Kid's gonna wear a hole in the floor if he doesn't stop soon__. He hadn't even had the book for an hour, and already he was getting excited from just the first few pages. "It's amazing!" He exclaimed, his pacing finally coming to a halt. "Grunkle Stan said I was being paranoid, but according to this book, Gravity Falls has this secret dark side." He brought the book over to Mabel and showed her a page. What it was, I wasn't sure, but Mabel seemed humored.

"Whoa! Shut. Up!" Mabel pushed Dipper back teasingly at her exclamation. Dipper quickly regained his footing and flipped to the middle of the book, where he saw the handwriting come to a halt.

"And get this! After a certain point, the pages just… stop, like the guy who was writing it… mysteriously disappeared." Dipper frowned in thought, zooming through the pages once again.

I never exactly knew how the journal ended up there, out in the woods. Or much about Ford's past, actually. A fact I had considered doing, during my many thoughts about this whole mess, was to do some research into this town myself while I was stuck there. There were so many questions that I had yet to figure out, so many answers waiting to be discovered. What was Ford's past in Gravity Falls? What hadn't been shown in the show that she could learn there? "Wonder what happened to him?" I finally said as the doorbell rang. "Who's that?" _As if I don't know._

"Well, time to spill the beans." Mabel knocked over a can of beans on the skull table. __Huh. Prop comedy.__ _ _Where did those come from anyway?__ "Boop. Beans. This girl's got a date! Woot woot!" She fell backwards onto the chair, giggling.

"Let me get this straight: in the half hour we were gone, you already found a boyfriend?" Dipper asked. _Huh. Were we really gone for half an hour?_ Glad he wasn't the only one who could see the warning signs. One did not get a boyfriend so quickly.

"What can I say? I guess I'm just irresistible!" Mabel waved her arms around in her sweater, making derpy eyes.

"Just please tell me he's not some sort of creeper," I added when the bell rang again. __Technically, it'd be creepers, but they'll find out soon enough.__ Norman was what, five gnomes? Six? Even if he was a normal human, the idea of him already being with Mabel just made him feel like a predator.

Mabel rolled her eyes before yelling, "coming," and went to the front door, leaving us alone. I stared at the door for a moment, and sighed with a shake of my head. The boy craziness would be the death of Mabel, **and** me. And Norman was the tip of the iceberg. Just the idea of what was to come with Gideon made me shiver.

With a sigh, I went back to reading the journal over Dipper's shoulder, who sat on the sofa below me. The chapter he opened up to was about cursed doors, and I only read a few sentences before Stan walked in. Nothing registered in my head since he quickly snapped it shut at the sound of footsteps. "What'cha reading there, slicks?"

"Oh!" Dipper stuffed the book under the couch cushion and switched it with a magazine next to him, stuffed in the corner of the seat. __How did he not notice__ _ _the journal__ _ _? It was so easy to see.__ "I was just catching up on, uh… **Gold Chains for Old Men Magazine**?" __You can't catch a break, can you Dipper?__ _I_ giggled. No use having a little teasing internally, was there?

"That's a good issue," Stan commented, taking a sip of his own can of Pitt Cola. Lowering it, the three of us turned to see Mabel return with a tall teen in a black hoodie and jeans. The two stood in the doorway, with the girl giving us a bright toothy smile. The teen's hoodie had a tattered shoulder and a stick protruding from the hood, while his pants had a hole in the knee. A strand of dark brown hair covered one of his eyes, hiding his face in shadows even more than the hood over his head. Yep. All the signs of a creeper, right there.

"Hey family!" Dipper, Stan, and I looked at the boy questionably, making Mabel continue explaining. "Say hello to my new boyfriend!" She squealed in joy at the end, and Norman turned around to face us. For someone who lived out in the woods, you'd expect the gnomes to be more tan than pasty.

"Sup?" He said, giving a small wave.

"Hello." I nodded slowly, leaning back from my spot by the couch. __The way he's staring at me... it's creepy.__

"Hey..." Dipper said, feeling uneasy around the newcomer.

"How's it hanging?" Stan added. __And Stan couldn't care less. Go figure.__ _ _And what short responses too.__

"We met at the cemetery. He's really deep." Mabel felt his arm, and she gasped. "Oh. Little muscle there. That's… what a surprise..." she blushed, looking away.

"Apparently," I muttered, trying not to laugh. __How does a bunch of gnomes replicate muscles, anyway? I mean, aren't they using sticks for arms?__

"So... what's your name?" Dipper asked slowly.

"Uh. Normal… man!" He struggled to say, looking around anxiously. Wow, Jeff. You'd think he'd never done this before. He must have tricked humans in the past, so him struggling right now was funny and sad to watch.

"He means Norman," Mabel clarified. If his words were more rushed together, maybe that would have been believable. But they weren't, so Mabel's choice of words weren't helping.

Dipper narrowed his eyes, spotting the red liquid dripping from his cheek, and seeing the slip in words too. "Are you bleeding, Norman?"

His eyes darted back and forth, and answered slowly. "It's jam." __I think it is. Gnomes don't seem the murderous types-wait. Never mind. This episode contradicts that thought.__

Mabel gasped. "I love jam! Look. At. This!" She gestured between the two of them, smiling.

Norman looked down at her, and I could sense that he wanted to get out of there as fast as he could. Was this a regular thing for them? Tricking humans with a disguise? "So, you wanna go hold hands or… whatever?"

Mabel looked beside herself, an even rosier than normal blush blooming on her face. "Oh, oh, my goodness. Don't wait up," she told them, and ran out of the room giggling. Norman followed her, running into the door frame a couple times. __And he's running on short gnome leg power too.__ Stan got up and left the room once he heard the front door close, and I glanced down at Dipper's determined face. __So it begins.__

"You see something's wrong with this, don't you?" I asked, earning a nod.

"Maybe the journal might hold something," Dipper mused, putting a hand to his chin in thought. I moved to the front of the couch, pausing with my mouth partially open. I didn't want to get involved. If this was really happening, and if this was just like the cartoon, then why would I want to interfere with the flow of events? __Then again... it's Mabel.__ The girl didn't know what she was getting into, and whether I liked it or not, I didn't want to risk seeing her get hurt. Even though part of me knew everything would turn out alright, I also knew that this wasn't like the cartoon. If this was real, then that meant the threat of an army of gnomes was real too. "Do you wanna help?"

And he had to go and ask the question too. "I, uh..."

 _ _Y…__ _ _y__ _ _es. Yes, I wanted to help.__ _Before I knew it, Dipper dragged me to the storage room upstairs. Taking a seat on the cushion below the window,_ I slowly sat down next to him. Laying back against the triangular window, I watched Dipper flip through the journal to get an answer to what Norman really was. I didn't want to assist him so openly, but my curiosity got the best of me and I would point out certain creatures that might be helpful in identifying Norman. Besides, I was also… a little worried. Dipper eventually settled onto a chapter and began reading, while I looked over his shoulder.

" ** **Known for their pale skin and bad attitudes these creatures are often mistaken for…**** ****teenagers**** **!?** " Dipper exclaimed in horror, and I bit back a snide remark. Sure, I was pale, but I didn't have that bad of an attitude! Dipper quickly read the last line, and his face turned white in absolute terror. " ** **Beware Gravity Falls' nefarious**** **",** **he gasped,** **"** ** **zombie****!"

I covered my ears to muffle Dipper's screaming. Man, that boy had some lungs! __Stan should've heard him straight to the bathroom down the hall!__ "You don't have to yell, Dipper! I'm sitting right he-" I paused when I saw Norman approach Mabel outside the window, who sat on the picnic table below. __Oh no.__ "Uh, Dipper?"

He spun around and gasped, pressing himself against the glass. "Oh, oh no! Mabel!" He yelled. "No, no, Mabel! Watch out!" His shouts fell on deaf ears as Norman got even closer. He screamed when Norman put his hands around Mabel's neck, but somewhat calmed down when we saw he had put a daisy necklace on her instead. __Did she even know he was going to do that? Why would she just let the guy put his hands around her neck!?__

"Is my sister really dating a zombie, or are we just going nuts?" Dipper asked me, holding a hand to his chest in an attempt to still his rapidly beating heart. _I never said I believed this theory. Why am I considered insane too?_

"Who knows? But I've got half a mind to punch Norman for putting his hands around her neck," I growled. You didn't just touch a girl like that without her permission. Even if she knew it was him fooling around, others might get the wrong idea.

"It's a dilemma to be sure." Soos stated, screwing in a light bulb. I gave a small yelp in surprise, moving backwards on the seat and smacked my head against the glass. He just-how? H-how did he get in here without us noticing, and with a ladder too? "I couldn't help but overhear you two talkin' in this empty room."

"Soos, you've seen Norman. Do you think he's a zombie?" I questioned him, Dipper and me leaning forward in our seat for a third opinion as I rubbed the back of my skull.

"Hmmm. How many brains didja see the guy eat?" Soos asked. __Is he humoring us, or is he being serious?__

"... zero," Dipper answered sadly.

"Look dudes, I believe you. I'm always noticing weird stuff in this town. Like the mailman? Pretty sure that dude's a werewolf." Well, the guy was hairy enough-wait. Who said I believed in that nonsense too? "But ya gotta have evidence. Otherwise people are gonna think you two are major league cuckoo clocks." Which was exactly what I was trying to avoid when I first woke up. Keeping this to myself, which then lead to horrific consequences with an insane demon.

Dipper nodded, accepting his advice. "As always, Soos, you're right." As always? You didn't even know him for a day!

"My wisdom is both a blessing and a curse." We heard Stan yell from somewhere in the Shack about clogged toilets, and Soos got down off the ladder. "I am needed elsewhere," he informed us, and backed out of the room with his gear. Dipper snapped the journal shut, and stuck it away in his vest. Getting down from the chair, he began to head to the door himself.

"Then let's get some evidence." He made it sound like there was no room for argument, and... there really wasn't. I'd love to to stay behind and play it safe, but maybe if I accompanied him, we could bust Norman sooner. Nodding to myself at the idea, I got up and joined the boy. __Alright, kid. Let's see how this plays out.__

(Time Skip)

After hunting down a recorder from the bag he brought with him, being buried under a pile of socks, Dipper and me took off into town. Gravity Falls, in all honesty, reminded me a lot of home. Small businesses, restaurants that were on the outer edges of the town where there was more vehicle traffic, and tons and tons of trees. Living out in a rural area tends to give you a lot of nature.

I kept a few steps behind Dipper, watching as he would run around up ahead in search of his sister. "Dipper, you don't have to be following them all the time. Just wait until you catch sight of-and there he goes." The boy had run off to a small grassy area behind some houses, and nestled down in the shrubs. Sighing, I walked over and knelt down beside him. Dipper and Norman were throwing a disk around, and we blinked as Mabel threw it right into Norman's head… and caused him to fall to the ground in a thud.

Dipper lowered the camera in surprise, just as the gnomes pulled themselves back up. With a shaky walk, Norman followed after Mabel as they continued along their merry way. "Let's go." Dipper grabbed my hand, my uninjured one, and dragged me towards a restaurant. Greasy's Diner, to be exact. Running along the opposite side of the log building, we dashed inside and took a seat at a booth. "Here. Try to look casual." He snatched a menu off the table, holding it up to block his face.

Hearing the glass shattering as Norman punched the small window of the door, and feeling around for the door knob, I quickly copied his actions. Behind the words of bacon, eggs, and pancakes, I spied Mabel curtsying as he let her in. The two walked past us, with Norman still grunting and stumbling about. Once they were on the other side of the diner, we lowered the menus as Norman crashed into a waitress, making her scream and drop the plate of hotcakes.

"And what would you two kids like?" I looked up to see Lazy Susan smiling down at us, and glanced at Dipper, who still stared angrily at Norman.

"Um… nothing. We're just making sure our friend's date goes well, that's all." She smiled, nodded, and went back to the kitchen. Minutes ticked by, as the two each got a glass of water to enjoy before heading on out again. It made sense they couldn't get any real food. Mabel didn't seem to have any money on her, and Norman was just a bunch of gnomes. What did they have for money anyway, jewels?

"Now this is just getting silly," I mumbled to Dipper. The last stop on their date was the cemetery, where Mabel had said they met. As the two ran laughing through the rows of tombstones, Norman fell right into an open grave, sinking into the mud. Mabel stopped in shock as he brought himself halfway out of the dirt, screaming and grabbing at the air. Once he saw Mabel staring at him, the two broke into laughter, finding the situation hilarious.

"I've… seen enough." Dipper snapped the recorder shut as we stood behind a tombstone up on a small hill behind them. "Let's go back and wait for Mabel."

"Yeah, this was just strange. Who even takes someone on a date to a place with dead people?" I remarked. Exiting past the rusted iron fence, Dipper took the lead in walking back along the dirt road to the Shack. Kicking a small rock, I decided to ask something that had been on my mind since he stepped off the bus. "You don't trust me, do you?"

Dipper almost stumbled at how blunt my question was, and caught himself before he fell over. "What? Who said I didn't trust you?"

"The looks you kept giving me since stepping off the bus? I wouldn't blame you. The strange mummified girl living at your great uncle's house for an undetermined amount of time. I wouldn't trust me either." Dipper's face fell, seeing how I caught him in the act. "But listen. We're going to be living together for the summer, and I would like to not sleep in the same room with someone who holds low opinion of me."

"… you got all that in a few hours?" I couldn't believe it myself either. Apparently I was just really good at reading people. Dipper's face fell for a moment, before he turned back to me. "Yeah. I, uh, it's just… I'm not one to get close to others right away. Usually, it's just me and Mabel, so having someone, a stranger, living in the same space with us is really different."

I hummed in agreement, seeing the Mystery Shack in the distance. "I can relate, actually. Back home, it was always me and my little sister. Even then, I chose to keep to myself because I liked the quiet. People can be so loud, and crazy." I paused to smile at myself. "I happen to be on the crazy side, so that statement's a little redundant." The happy moment between us came and went, when I realized I went against my wish to stay away again. I helped Dipper spy on Mabel. That was it. So then why did I continue to follow along and chat like it was a normal occurrence?

Dipper and me didn't say another word, and I guessed he sensed I didn't want to talk anymore. Once we reached the building, we returned to their-our bedroom. Our… bedroom. __It's__ _ _still__ _ _going to take a while to get used to that idea.__ Dipper sat down on his bed, while I flopped backwards onto my own. Once he was comfortable, I watched Dipper fish around his bag from home for a pen, clicked it open, and turn to an empty page in the journal. "Uh… what are you doing?"

"Writing," came the short reply. "There's all these empty pages that haven't been used, and what better way to use them than writing my discoveries of Gravity Falls?" His movements with the writing utensil were quick, and I could see faint smears of ink on his hand as he appeared to sketch out images, and then repeatedly cross out several lines when he couldn't make up his mind.

"Okay. Why not… make entries on the people you meet? Objects, and locations?" Dipper's head bobbed, indicating he heard my suggestion, but gave no other response. Oh well. It wasn't my problem what he wrote in there. True, I wanted to read the journal myself, but I had standards. I wouldn't violate his privacy on what he chose to write, even if he decided to write about me.

Laying back against the dresser and letting my muscles relax, I listened to the pen scratching and mumbles under his breath. This was… better."Mabel, we've gotta talk about Norman." And now it wasn't. Soothing moment gone out the window. I glanced at the door as Mabel skipped inside, and Dipper stuck the pen away inside his vest.

"Isn't he the best? Check out this giant smooch mark he gave me!" Mabel turned her head to show a giant red mark on her cheek, making Dipper jump off his bed in alarm.

"Ahhh!" I snapped forward to get a better look, now on the edge of the bed.

"Whoa! You are **way** too young to be doing that yet!" I exclaimed, before remembering what caused the red mark. __Wait... it's a leaf blower. Never mind.__ Still, that was a bad idea. And… probably painful too. Could she even lift it up with just her head? Wouldn't that hurt her neck or spine?

"Ha, Ha! Gullible. It was just an accident with the leaf blower." Mabel trailed off, most likely thinking of her failed kissing practice. "That was fun." A leaf blower was not good practice. A pillow, or... something that didn't suck your face into it.

"Listen, Mabel. What Dipper here is trying, and failing, to say is that Norman isn't what he appears to be." Dipper held up the journal to support my statement.

Mabel got even happier, looking from the maroon book to us. "You think he might be a vampire? That would be so awesome!" Heck no. I didn't want a Twilight moment to be happening. Gnomes were… slightly better. At least they had some standards, and won't turn you into the undead with pasty skin and red eyes.

"Guess again, sister. Sha-bam!" Mabel shrieked, inching away from the journal. Confused, Dipper looked to see he was opened to the gnome page by mistake. I giggled behind my hand, gaining a quick annoyed look before he composed himself. "Oh, wait. I'm-I'm sorry… sha-bam!" Flipping forward a few chapters, he finally held up the zombie page.

Mabel frowned, all amusement gone. "A zombie? That is not funny, guys."

"I'm not joking! It all adds up: the bleeding, the limp. He never blinks! Have you noticed that?" Dipper asked, voice rising in pitch. We never decided if it was blood. It clearly appeared to be jam, and we weren't watching him every second, so the blinking thing wasn't fully valid. Limp… hard to argue with that one. Gnomes having trouble walking?

"Maybe he's blinking when you're blinking," Mabel reasoned.

 _Alright, that's enough._ I got up and stood beside Dipper. I didn't really notice it before, but the heights were more natural than in the cartoon. The kids were only a few inches shorter than I was, with their foreheads coming up to my eyes. "Kid, keep in mind, even if he is just a normal boy, you barely even know him. Heck, you barely lived in this town for a day before going out boyfriend hunting. Remember what the book warned about?"

"You've got to trust no one in Gravity Falls," Dipper answered my question, still holding the zombie chapter out for her to see. __And yet... I'm the one who went and made a deal with a demon who can read minds and possess__ _ _people.__ _My face fell at that, but neither twin seemed to notice. They were too wrapped up in Mabel's guy problem._

"Well, what about me, huh? Why can't you trust me?" She paused to put on star earrings. The ones that didn't require actual piercing, and instead had small plastic clips on them to attach to the ear. "Beep bop!"

Dipper was clearly starting to lose his patience, and grabbed Mabel by her shoulders once he stuck the book under his arm. "Mabel, he's gonna eat your brain!" He shouted, shaking her roughly.

Mabel shoved him off and started pushing him out of the room. I quickly followed behind her, as her gaze was angrily locked onto her brother. "Listen you two, Norman and I are going on a date at five o'clock, and I'm gonna be **adorable** , and he's gonna be **dreamy** , and I am not gonna let you two ruin it with your crazy **conspiracies**!" She shoved him out the door, before turning around and pushing me out too. I didn't have time to get my footing down until I stumbled forward and had the door slam shut behind me.

Sighing, we sat down with our backs against the wood, hearing Mabel shuffle around behind us. Dipper slid the journal under his vest, freeing his hands. "What are we gonna do, Elaine?" I turned to look at him, and sighed regrettably. __I wish I could tell you, kid. I really, really do.__ I was going to be lying a lot while I was there, wasn't I? Even if I didn't want to get close, I was gonna get pulled into their adventures no matter what. Even right now, while I was trying to keep to myself, I was getting pulled deeper and deeper into a hole of twin problems.

Dipper was lost. Not as much as I was, but to him, it was almost as if the world was ending around him. He wanted to prove himself right, and to protect his sister. But right now… she wasn't letting him. So there he sat, depressed and confused on what to do next. "I don't know, Dipper," I finally said. "I just don't know." __This is what I deserve. I... I shouldn't have gotten involved__ _ _at the start.__

* * *

 **Here's the end of chapter 4! Nothing else to say here, except stay tuned for the next update. It's coming pretty quickly.**

 **Until next time!**

 **Angel**


	5. Tourist Trapped Part 3

****Disclaimer: I told you I'd finish the episode.**** ** **I don't own Elaine, and Gravity Falls belongs to Alex and Disney.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited:**** ** **Jul**** ** **y 27**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

I left Dipper at the bottom of the door, and descended to the kitchen. I could've kept sitting there, or I could've followed him to the living room to look over the footage of Norman and Mabel. But right now, I wanted to be alone with my thoughts. I pulled out a seat, sat down, and stared at my bandaged hand in almost a daze. I was so wrapped up in thinking on how to keep to myself and away from Dipper and Mabel, I almost forgot about the deal with Bill.

How had I pulled that off? Something so important was just… pushed back the moment those two got into the picture. __I suppose it's a good thing. Dipper and Mabel have made staying here__ _ _more… eventful.__ That was a polite term. Things would get more nuts the longer the summer went on, but those events kept my mind busy. And it's not like Bill said I couldn't speak with- "Elaine!" My thoughts were cut off when Dipper ran into the room, babbling while throwing his arms in the air wildly. __Was I almost about to think of them as friends? We haven't even known each other for a week yet.__ My mind was that close to going down that path, it almost surprised me. If somehow I actually got close to someone, anyone… would I consider them a friend? Wendy, or the twins? "I was right! I was right! Norman's a zombie! We gotta save Mabel from the zombie!" He paused, waiting for my reaction.

 _ _And there's the danger right there.__ _Gnomes, no matter how silly they looked, would prove to be a pain to take down. No harm in… giving him a hand, right?_ _ _Alright. Let's do this, I guess.__ I stood up from the table, nodding in understanding. "Well, what are we waiting for? You got a sister to save, right?" I shoved the chair backwards, hearing it screech against the floor as I got up and followed Dipper as he sprinted out of the room. I chased the disappearing twin out of the house and around the yard, finding him at the back of a crowd of tourists and Stan. Dipper shouted Stan's name, waving his arms in the air, but his height and the noise of the crowd prevented him from being noticed. __Who cares about a rock looking like a face anyway? It's not that cool!__ Stan also wasn't helping to Dipper's cause, too busy arguing that it was a rock that looks like a face. "Ugh, come on!" I looked around the yard, and found Wendy pulling up in the Mystery Cart to the side of the house. _Perfect!_ Grabbing his arm before he could run again, I dragged Dipper over to her.

"Wendy!" He shouted, catching onto my idea and picking up his feet so I wasn't completely dragging him. "We need to borrow the golf cart so we can save my sister from a zombie!" Wendy stared at us for a moment before smirking and casually dropping the keys into his palm. Really? She wasn't going to question anything. She was just letting a boy take a golf cart and speed off into the unknown… I could see why he had a crush on her.

"Try not to hit any pedestrians," she said, walking away. Man, she was chill. What person let a twelve year old drive a golf cart into obvious danger? There was no concern or fret there at all. The two of us smiled before jumping into the cart and backed it up. Dipper was in the driver's seat, and I sat in the passenger side. I stopped him when I saw Soos run up to us, panting. __You just came from the gift shop!__

"Dudes, it's me, Soos," he said. He handed me a shovel, and I stuck it behind my seat. "This is for the zombies." I nodded, faking my understanding. If you were fighting a zombie, normally a shotgun was the preferred weapon. A shovel only went as far as taking their head off. Then it depended on if they could reattach their head or not. "And this is in case you see a pinata," he added as he handed over a baseball bat.

"Thanks?" Dipper said, making it sound more like a question. I added it to the shovel in the back, before tapping Dipper's shoulder.

"Seat belt." He didn't have to actually follow that, but Dipper went and snapped it over his chest. Hey, I wasn't sure of the road conditions. Better safe than sorry, right? Dipper hit the gas, speeding off down the trail with small rocks and a dirt cloud behind us. Soos yelled after us, but we couldn't hear him over the engine. I think it was something about the bat…?

The pine trees were all but a blur as we zoomed through the woods, listening to a sign as to where Mabel and Norman could be. With Dipper at the wheel, it allowed me to actually get a good look of the forest. Trails split off all over the place, leading to new places. Flowers grew up along their edges and around the bases of trees, which towered over our heads. Beams of a setting sun struck down on us as we searched for Mabel, lighting our path and warning us of the time. _We better find her quick. We don't need her being out here at ni-_ "AHH!" A shrill scream finally greeted our ears, and Dipper drove off through an overgrown path into a small sparkly clearing. Mushrooms grew up around the damp pebble path, and condensed, and we passed under through a small hole of trees tightly grown together to make an arch.

"There!" Dipper hit the breaks, skidding until he came to a stop as we saw the lead gnome standing on a moss covered rock, directing orders on the others trying to tie up Mabel. With a good punch to the head, she knocked one of them off to the side, who bent over and vomited… rainbow-okay. Why was that even considered a thing?

"What the heck is going on here!?" Dipper asked as we climbed out of the cart. He dropped the shovel he took out with him in surprise when a gnome hissed at him, revealing surprisingly sharp teeth.

"Elaine! Dipper! Norman turned out to be a bunch of gnomes! And they're total jerks!" Mabel said, trying to pry a gnome off her head. "Hair! Hair!" Gnomes. They all had varying shades of gray for hair, except for Jeff being the exception. Red hats, and different types of blue pants and shirts. Overall, they all looked the same.

"Gnomes? Huh, I was way off." __Yeah, no kidding.__ Dipper flipped the journal open to the correct page. " ** **Gnomes: little men of the Gravity Falls Forest. Weaknesses: unknown****." Lowering the book, we saw that they had tied Mabel to the ground after hearing her exclaim from the lack of weakness part. "Hey! Let go of my sister!" Dipper yelled at Jeff, storming up to him. I stood right behind Dipper, arms crossed and glaring at the gnome.

"Oh! Ha, ha, hey there! Um, you know this is all really a big misunderstanding. You see, your sister's not in danger," Jeff said, trying to play it casual. "She's just marrying all one thousand of us and becoming our gnome queen for all eternity! Isn't that right, honey?"

"You guys are butt-faces!" Mabel shouted before being silenced by a gnome covering her mouth. __Okay, I believe this has gone on long enough.__

I leaned over and whispered to Dipper before he could take the shovel from the cart. "Dipper. I'll drive, you go and get your sister back." His eyes widened before nodding. If we were to do this, we had to be quick. I wanted to gain as much distance from the giant gnome as I could. Slowly, I stepped back and got back into the golf cart as I heard Dipper threaten Jeff, holding the shovel out with the metal end at his face. As I was turning the ignition, I heard Jeff and the gnomes all scream, followed by the twins jumping into the vehicle next to me.

"Drive!" Mabel and Dipper shouted.

"Seat belts!" I responded, watching them snap theirs on. _Here we go._ Smirking, I gunned the gas and sped back along the trail and onto the main road. My back was pressed against the seat as I drove up the hill we had to go down to find the gnome sanctuary, and snapped forward once we were on solid ground. __Thank goodness for driving lessons.__ It might have taken two tries to get my full license, but the experience was definitely paying off right now. At least out there, there was no parking to worry about. "Hurry before they come after us!" Mabel told me, scared to her wits end.

"Don't worry, Mabel. See their little legs? The suckers are tiny." __Way to go ahead and jinx us, Dipper.__ I stopped the cart when I started to feel vibrations in the ground, and I looked behind me to see the giant gnome had approached us; thousands of beady black eyes stared down at us, blinking. It was pure red, due to the hats they wore, with no sign of the blue of their clothes. The pointed teeth were more hats, and while I wasn't sure how they mimicked the eyes, I didn't think I wanted to know.

"Dang," Mabel whispered. __You got that right.__ When had they even had time to practice that? I heard Jeff yell something to the other gnomes in preparation of attack, but by then I had already started speeding back to the Shack. No way was I planning to stay near that thing for any longer.

I swerved to avoid the gnome's fist, and heard Mabel cry out, "it's getting closer!" Yeah, no kidding it was getting closer! Who did you think was driving this thing!?

I glanced over at Dipper, equally panicked. "Can't this thing go any faster!?" Of course it couldn't! It's a freaking golf cart! It didn't help when Jeff started firing gnomes at us, sending them flying overhead and making me swerve in an attempt to avoid them. However, a few lucky ones managed to grab hold of the told of the cart. The twins looked up as I kept my focus on the road, seeing the canopy roof being torn apart by tiny but extremely sharp fangs. Satisfied with their work, they began to climb down and attack, sharpened nails at the ready. Mabel and Dipper fired back with punches of their own, knocking them away before they could latch on. A gnome popped his head down from the top of the Mystery Cart to shriek at me, but I quickly grabbed his head and brought it around to bash into the steering wheel. The horn gave several loud honks before I let my grip loosen, sending him flying behind us. _Wasn't Dipper suppose to do that?_ Whoops.

It was also, despite the danger we were obviously in, quite funny seeing Mabel punch a gnome and the hat off her brother's face. Just like the gnome, his hat went flying off and vanished into the trees. "Thanks, Mabel…" Dipper said woozily, head bobbing side to side, his hair tossed about with small claw marks on his cheeks.

"Don't mention it. Look out!" I looked up and saw a tree fly over us. __You have to be kidding me!__ "Ahhh!" We screamed as I spun the vehicle out trying to avoid the tree, having us crash in front of the Mystery Shack. The ride slid on the dirt until coming to a stop. The tracks I made when the wheels flipped over were all over the place, and I hoped Stan wouldn't notice or care about them too much. Unbuckling myself, I hurried to help Mabel climb out of the wreck, just as Dipper grabbed the shovel that fell out beside him.

"Stay back, man!" He threw the shovel at the approaching monster, seeing it lumber towards us, only to have the weapon get punched in mid-air.

"Ahhh!" I was stuck in the middle of the twins suddenly clinging to each other, my arms being pinned to my sides. If this was a normal occasion, I could safely say Dipper wouldn't willingly hug me. But when you're facing down the mega gnome, all normal thinking goes out the window. "Where's your Grunkle!?" I asked Dipper, but all he gave me was a hopeless shrug.

"It's the end of the line, kids! Mabel, marry us before we do something crazy!" Jeff yelled down at us from somewhere at the top of the hat.

"There's gotta be a way out of this!" Dipper told us, reaching for the journal in his vest. I saw the golden hand peak out, the sunlight bouncing off its foil.

Mabel stepped forward, eyes focused on Jeff at the top. "I gotta do it."

"What!?" We stared at her, Dipper's hand freezing as the vest swept back over the journal again. "Mabel, don't do this! Are you crazy?" He whispered. Well, that was up for debate, but now wasn't the time.

"Trust me."

"What?"

"Dipper, just this once. Trust me!" Her face was hopeful that he would agree; that he would stop arguing and go along with her plan. Dipper opened and closed his mouth, before darting his eyes to me. _Please, listen to her!_ He must have seen something in my face, something that I wasn't sure I was showing-expectancy and anticipation-and nodded slowly. Dipper and I looked up to the gnome's giant shadow, and backed up closer to the house, stepping away from Mabel. "All right, Jeff. I'll marry you."

"Hot dog! Help me down there, Jason! Thanks, Andy! All right, left foot there we go. Watch the fingers, Mike." I watched Jeff pop out of the giant gnome's leg and run over to her, and held up a diamond ring from a small box he kept hidden. "Eh? Eh?" Jeff slipped it onto Mabel's finger, as the girl held her hand out shyly "Bada-bing, bada-bam! Now let's get you back into the forest, honey!"

"You may now kiss the bride," the twin stopped him, and I cringed at the idea of her actually doing so. It was just… ew. J-just ew.

"Well, don't mind if I do." A smile crept over his face as he replied, and leaned in on one foot, eyes closed. Mabel smiled sweetly, and before anyone could react, she reached into the bushes and took out the leaf blower. _Guess she stored it back there after the failed kissing practice._ When she turned it on, Jeff's eyes widened at the trick, only to get sucked into the hose.

"That's for lying to me!" She yelled, cranking the lever to increase the power. "That's for breaking my heart!"

"Ow, my face!" He cried, his mouth and noise getting sucked in and eyes bulging.

"And this is for messing with my brother and Elaine! Wanna do the honors?" Mabel asked us. _Oh, heck yeah!_ Grinning, Dipper and I joined her behind the leaf blower and pointed it at the gnome monster. As one, all of the small creatures exclaimed in shock. They knew they were beat. And while I knew I didn't have to help with this part, as the two were perfectly capable of doing it… who would pass up an opportunity to explode a gnome monster?

"On three!" I shouted. "One, two, three!" We counted down together, and shot Jeff towards the monster. The leader gnome soared through the air, and struck the giant straight in the chest. As he pierced it, the monster burst into hundreds of gnomes, raining down over the yard. We fell backwards from the momentum of the leaf blower, but still smiled as we saw Jeff soar over the treetops and back into the woods.

"I'll get you back for this!" He shouted, voice getting quieter the farther he went, until we no longer could see him.

The gnomes grumbled to themselves as they hit the dirt, tired and unsure of what to do next. Without Jeff, they weren't much trouble, and seemed to not function so well without a leader. Seeing that, Mabel got up and took the leaf blower, and started to blow any ones close to us away. "Anyone else want some?" Dipper asked smugly, crossing his arms. He and I stood up behind her, watching the rest run off.

"Hehe. Not so tough now, are you?" Taking the baseball bat that fell out of the cart, I batted three gnomes off into the bushes. Not hard enough to send them flying, but enough for any slow ones to pick up the pace. A lone gnome got tangled up in the plastic for a six-case of Pitt Cola, and Gompers made off with him before he could try and pick himself up. The goat bleated happily, and ran off around the edge of the house.

Once we were alone, and satisfied that there was no more danger around, Mabel turned to her us. Her eyes shifted to the side though, and she shuffled her foot in the dirt. "Hey, Dipper, Elaine? I, um… I'm sorry for ignoring your advice. You two really were just looking at for me."

"Oh, don't be like that. You saved our butts back there," Dipper said.

"I guess I'm just sad that my first boyfriend turned out to be a bunch of gnomes," she frowned, kicking a pebble. Well, it wasn't like her progress would improve over the summer. Mermando was the best, but he still had to leave. Honestly though, the gnomes were still better than Gideon.

"Maybe the next one will be a vampire," I said, slightly hesitantly. I patted her back, earning a small smile from her.

"Oh, you're just saying that!" Mabel giggled softly.

"Awkward sibling hug?" Dipper held his arms out, ready in case she said yes. _Awkward… sibling hug?_ Sibling, huh…?

"Awkward sibling hug," she agreed. They hugged, and I had to agree with the name; it did look fairly awkward. "Pat, pat." I gave the twins a sad smile. I was thankful to have gained… gained… huh. Maybe I could call them… friends? Maybe. I didn't want to get close to anyone, but it looked as if that... like that idea's gone down the drain. While I was stuck there off to the side watching them, I couldn't but think of how their make-up reminded me of how much I missed my own family. Exhaling, I turned around and began to head towards the entrance of the Shack. _Best to get ready for be-_

"Hey, Elaine." I spun around, hearing my name being called, and saw Dipper smiling at me. What did he want? I didn't want to interrupt this personal moment between them.

"Get over here." Mabel yanked me over by my good hand, making me stumble forward and into their arms. I froze, looking down at their faces. Mabel was still extremely happy, and Dipper had a small smile on his. He was… happy for me. Even with all of the distrust he had at first, he was trying. __Okay, okay. They're… friends,__ I relented, letting myself melt enough into the hug and patted their backs. I couldn't hug back. Not just because I still felt odd around them, but because my arms were pinned again.

We stood like that for a minute, before the kids finally let me go. "Let's get to bed," Dipper said. Mabel and me nodded, completely on board with that suggestion. I was definitely up for a good night's sleep, especially after yesterday. Walking up the steps, he opened the door to the gift shop and we headed inside. I closed the door behind me, and we trudged across the floor to the main living area. Stan looked up at us from behind the counter, counting his money from today's sales.

"Yeesh! You three get hit by a bus or something? Ha!" We ignored him, and continued across the gift shop towards the stairs. I wasn't in the mood for sarcasm anymore today. I just wanted to go to bed. I was running on fumes by this point, and my legs felt close to falling off. "Uh, hey!" He shouted, making us stop in our tracks. "W-wouldn't you know it? Um, I accidentally overstocked some inventory! So, how's about you three each take one item from the gift shop? On the house, y'know?"

"Really?" Mabel said, her eyes shining.

"What's the catch?" Dipper asked.

"The catch is do it before I change my mind. Now take something."Yeah, sure it was. Dipper might have thought otherwise too, but I knew why he was letting us take something. He just wanted to cheer us up, after seeing how worn down we were. Mabel and Dipper split off, running around to look at the selection of merchandise, as I headed off to a rack of jewelry. I spun the stand around a few times before my eyes locked onto a silver chain with an angel wings pendant, swinging back and forth between a necklace with a red phoenix pendant, and a necklace with a light blue dragon. "I'll take this, Grunkle Stan!" I declared, holding the necklace up to show him and Dipper, who was now wearing the pine tree hat and standing by the counter. _Wai-did I just call him that!?_

I had referred to him as Grunkle Stan for the longest time back home. It was always some sort of instinct. But there I was, letting it slip out without biting my tongue. Stan seemed to realize how horrified I was at my mistake, and waved his hand. "No need to be apologizing, kid. Look, if you wanna call me that, go ahead. If it makes you comfortable, I ain't stopping you. Besides, it's nice to know you trust me enough to call me that." I… trusted him?

 _ _Really? He's actually okay with that?__ "Okay, then… Grunkle Stan," I replied, smiling nervously. Trust. I… did I trust him? Compared to the twins, Wendy, and Soos, I guessed… that my trust in him was stronger. He didn't turn me in after finding me in front of the Mystery Shack, and let me stay there with his distant family. He held some sort of trust for me, and somewhere deep down, I held trust for him. "I'll keep that in mind."

"And I will have a… grappling hook! Yes!" Mabel shouted, twirling on her heels. The girl was off by several shelves, an open box by her feet from where she retrieved the tool. The guys and I shared a look, wondering if she was being serious or not. Even though I knew she was, it was still a weird thing. I mean, if they had any food treats like chocolate, or… a head piece, then wouldn't she like that better? Why the grappling hook?

"Wouldn't you rather have, like, a doll, or something?" Stan asked, equally confused.

Mabel fired off her toy above her, and used it to hang off the rafters, knocking over the closest shelf of gear and sending a few snow globes shattering to the floor below.. "Grappling hook!" She announced, swinging a few feet in the air.

"Fair enough!" Stan shrugged. Laughing, I moved away from the jewelry display over to where she hung. Holding my arms up, Mabel seemed to get the hint to retract the device. The brunette came falling into my arms from above, and knocked me to the floor. I laid on my back, with Mabel half sprawled out on my legs. Stan and Dipper laughed from the side, and Mabel giggled as I pushed myself up.

"That could have gone better."

"Yeah, yeah it could've."

(Time Skip)

I sat on my bed, picking leaves out of my hair. Mabel was bouncing on her bed laughing, while Dipper wrote in the journal with the pen I gave him earlier. Brushing our teeth and getting ready for bed was an odd thing, since there was one boy and two girls, yet one of those girls was several years older. We took turns changing in the bathroom, with Dipper only switching into a clean pair of the clothes he already had on, and Mabel putting on an oversized purple shirt with a logo from a computer store. When she saw my raised brow, she explained that it was from her dad. Never knew their father worked with computers.

My nightgown, having been scrubbed clean of any blood from last night, draped over the newly supplied bandages. Every morning and night, they were going to have to be changed. Once the kids were done brushing, I had to push them out to do so. I-I didn't need that; the idea of Mabel's face seeing my scarred arms… I couldn't have that happen.

Right now though, was just about wrapping up today. Dipper looked up at his sister, who fired off the grappling hook to bring a stuffed toy over to her from her suitcase on the floor. Stifling a laugh, I got up from my bed and sat next to Dipper, half under his blanket already. "Can I borrow that for a moment?" He looked at me, before handing over the pen and journal. Turning from where he had begun writing to the gnome page, I scratched out the question mark next to " ** **weaknesses**** " and wrote in " ** **leaf blowers**** ". We smiled at each other before I got back up and tucked myself into bed. I had a lone mattress, Mabel had a headboard, and Dipper had legs on his mattress. All different, and in itself, a very unorganized bedroom. But it was our shared home for the next couple of weeks. My… my home for an undefined amount of time. It still hurt, but… the pain itself wasn't as bad as it was in the last few hours. Chasing around Mabel, and running off from gnomes with them was… fun.

"Hey, Mabel. Could you get the light?" Dipper asked.

"I'm on it!" She aimed at the lamp, only to knock it out the window with the grappling hook. "It worked!" She screamed, sending all three of us laughing. "Ha, ha, grappling hook." Rolling my eyes at her antics, I nuzzled into my pillow, and let my thoughts wander. I heard the grappling hook retract back through the window, dragging the broken lamp with it.

 _ _Nice one, kid.__ _ _So…that ends the first episode. I wonder though… about what's to come in the future. Will me being here affect anything else in the show? And why would Bill want me to help him? It's not like I'm anything special… oh, well. It's too late to think about life's choices.__ I passed to yawn, and heard Mabel shuffle around in her bed. __I__ _ _'ll worry about it in the morning.__ I opened an eye and smiled at the twins darkened shapes on either side of me. "Goodnight, Dipper and Mabel."

"Goodnight Elaine," their voices echoed. Rolling over to let my back face the door, I let sleep take me away. Things would be rough, yes, but maybe… maybe they wouldn't as bad as I thought. I would get through this. Just because I made a deal with Bill, didn't mean I wasn't weak. I was stubborn, and if he thought I could be bossed around, well… he had another thing coming.

* * *

 ** **And done! I hope you're enjoying the story. Next week, we begin episode 2: Legend of the Gobblewonker.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	6. Legend of the Gobblewonker Part 1

****Disclaimer: Thanks for the views everyone!****

 ** **I do not own Gravity Falls in any way, shape, or form… except for the various merchandising I had bought online.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Editing:**** ** **July 29**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Sleep was a welcoming thing, especially after a long day of running for your life and pondering life's decisions. My first night in Gravity Falls was terrible, with Bill's unexpected visit and destroying my hand's surface. I had awoken before he showed up, and had watched the color drain away from the world as he entered my mind. So, it's a weird thing when you open your eyes… and there was already a distinct lack of normalcy to the room.

I frowned when I saw the room was once again in gray-scale. Mabel and Dipper were still fast asleep, not even aware of what was happening around them. Were they even in my mind right now, or was this some weird state of what I had seen right before I went to bed? Whatever it was, I didn't want to risk them waking up. This was the Mindscape, and I knew at the moment I was the only one aware of it. "May as well see what he wants." Sitting up in my bed, I gave an annoyed sigh. "Bill, I know you're here. Come out."

"Did you miss me, kid?" The demon appeared in the room in front of me, eye expressive clear excitement. "Admit it, you missed me."

"Hardly," I muttered, crossing my arms. "I miss you like I miss the plague." I would've loved to avoid all contact with him, but that didn't seem to be a possibility. "Why would I miss the guy who potentially scarred me for life? And what the heck is with this sadistic tattoo, anyway?" I gestured to my wrapped hand, and the blood stains discoloring it. "You have any idea how weird it felt to explain to Stan about this?"

"Well, I gotta keep in contact with my new puppet, don't I? Most deals I just go about with shaking the sucker's hand. You though? You're a special case. And besides, what's better than a picture of me burned deeply into your flesh?" Bill taunted, popping his cane into existence. He tapped the end on my hand, and I winced at the strike. It was still sensitive, which was why Mabel and Dipper kept avoiding grabbing it when going to drag me somewhere or pull me into a hug.

"I can think of a few ideas…" I muttered. This meant that I basically had a GPS branded into me. Maybe not a window, but having his image on my hand meant that no matter where I went, he would find me. He would… always… find me. _Man, I hate this guy._ "You still gonna keep calling me kid, too?" If he was going to stay here, then I may as well… try, to be civil and make a somewhat decent conversation.

"Yep! But it looks like you already gave me another name to call you… Angel." Bill 'smirked' at me and yanked on the necklace still around my neck with his free hand, causing my body to fall forward and off my bed. __Angel, huh?__ I rubbed my neck, giving a harsh cough from the slight choking. It was a repeat of last night, with him trying to choke me. _ _Well… at least it's better than being called 'kid' all the time. Ironic though… an angel making a deal with a demon. My neck hurts now too. Perfect.__ The room started to fade from existence as I crawled back onto my bed, rubbing the back of my neck. Why didn't I take that off last night anyway? "Looks like you're starting to wake up, kid. Shame we couldn't chat more, but we'll continue our conversation later. Until then, I'll be watching you, Angel!"

Waking up in reality was also a weird thing. One moment, the world melted around you, and then you are thrown out of your dreams and find yourself in a brightly lit room with birds chirping out your window. "And a lack of twins to boot," I mumbled. Dipper and Mabel were already gone, probably having gone downstairs for breakfast.

I ran around upstairs, throwing on my clothes in the bedroom since I knew they weren't coming back up, and going off to put my hair up and brush my teeth. "Time to start the day." After buttoning up my flannel shirt over my tank top, since I only threw it on before getting the rest of my clothes on, I headed down the stairs to the kitchen and found Mabel and Dipper in the middle of a syrup race at the kitchen table.

"Go, Sir Syrup! Go, Mountie Man!" They cheered, and I grinned at their silly challenge. "Almost… almost..." Mabel tapped the bottom of her bottle, causing the syrup to drip onto her tongue. "Yes!" She cheered, coughing from the maple going down her throat. "I won!"

"So... this is what happens when I sleep in?" I spoke up, leaning against the door frame.

Dipper turned to face me, and waved. "Morning, Elaine. Sorry we didn't wake you. You seemed like you were knocked out cold."

 _ _Well, if you had an insane demon running around in your head, you'd be tired too.__ "It's okay, Dipper. Just please don't let me sleep in often, I try to be an early riser." Why was I defending myself? It was sleep, for crying out loud. Did it really matter what I said?

Dipper nodded, satisfied with my strange-in my opinion-answer and picked up the newspaper on the table. No doubt, it was left by Stan from earlier. "Ho ho, no way! Hey Mabel, Elaine, check this out." I grabbed a muffin out of a box on the counter, and made my way over to the two. Standing in between Dipper and Mabel, I watched him pass the paper over for us to get a better look.

"Human-sized hamster balls?" Mabel gasped as I peeled the muffin wrapper off, taking a bite out of the blueberry baked good. "I'm human sized!"

"I think he meant that, Mabel." I pointed at the monster contest ad, reading it over her shoulder. "Monster photo contest, huh? That shouldn't be too hard for us."

"She's right, Mabel. We see weirder stuff than that every day! We didn't get any photos of those gnomes, did we?" Dipper asked hopefully.

"Nope." Mabel answered. "Just memories. And this beard hair." With that, she proceeded to stick her hand in a pocket in her sweater, pulling out a tuft of matted gray hair.

Dipper gave her a disturbed look, while I shied away from it. "Why did you save that?" She shrugged, and stuffed it back away. __Yeah, that's not creepy at all.__ _Forget why she kept it, focus on why it was on her right now. Why would she keep that in a different sweater, when she could've… I dunno, put it in the scrapbook or something._

"Good morning, knuckleheads." We turned to see Stan walking into the kitchen, wearing his underwear and fez. _Stan, do you ever take that hat off?_ "You three know what day it is?"

"Um… happy anniversary?" Dipper said.

"Mazel tov!" Mabel said. Stan shook his head and hit Dipper on the head with the paper.

"It's Family Fun Day, genius!" He went to grab the milk from the fridge. 'We're cuttin' off work and having one of those, you know," Stan sniffed the milk. "Bonding-type deals."

"Grunkle Stan, this won't be like your last family bonding day, right?" I asked. __Why he thought money forgery was a fun activity is beyond me.__ It turned out it wasn't on a separate day that this happened. When I went to the bathroom, I had found a note stuck on the mirror about taking the kids out. In the middle of the night. To some disclosed location at the edge of the forest.

Mabel shuddered, reflecting back on the last few hours. "The county jail was so cold."

"So that also explains why you guys left me to sleep," I added. "Either you were still away by the time I woke up, or passed out in the vehicle before you could get back in the house."

"Both are right," Stan said. "We didn't bail out until four. And maybe I haven't been the best summer caretaker. But I swear, today we're gonna have some ****real**** family fun. Now who wants to put on some blindfolds and get into my car!?"

"Yay!" Dipper and Mabel cheered, before the boy twin registered what his uncle said. "Wait, what?" Stan turned to me, and handed me a black cloth.

"You want me to come too?" I wasn't family. I was the random teen hiding out until she found a way home. __How much am I breaking the guidelines that I set up? That I didn't want to get involved in their activities__ _ _if I could help it__ _ _?__ "I'm not a Pines, Grunkle Stan."

"Kid, if you're gonna be stayin' here with us for a while, you're takin' part in the fun too." Blindfolding is fun? With that, he took the blindfold, tied it around my head, and shoved me towards the front door. "Now try not to fall on your face and get to the car." Having me put it on ****in**** the car might have been a better and safer idea! The kids followed behind me, probably holding their clothes in their hands. I heard the door open, and was pushed inside by Stan. Inching until I figured I was in the middle of the backseat, I felt around to buckle myself in. Mabel and Dipper got in on either side of me, and once Stan buckled himself in and checked that we all had our blindfolds on, he drove off.

No. Not drove off. More like gunned it. Gunned it with enough force to push us against our seats and earn shouts of surprise and panic.

The car hit a bump along the road, and Dipper slammed into me. With the cloth tied tightly around my head and glasses, all I could see was the lights and shadows of objects. I had more vision than Dipper and Mabel, since their blindfolds went right against their faces, but that didn't help. "Whoa! Whoa! Blindfolds never lead to anything good." With the sound of his voice, I could determine he was on my right.

"You got that right, Dipper." I inched back away from him. "I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die. I'm gonna die," I repeated quietly to myself, gripping the seat's edge for dear life.

"Wow!" Mabel exclaimed. "I feel like all my other senses are heightened. I can see with my fingers!" Dipper started laughing when she began touching his face, leaning over me to do so, only for all three of us to slide into the door on Dipper's side.

"Whoa! Grunkle Stan, are you wearing a blindfold?" Dipper's worry crept into his voice, making me even more nervous. Yeah, was he? Driving this bad couldn't be a normal thing, right!? Because I certainly wanted to not get into a crash while I was there!

"Ha, ha. Nah, but with these cataracts I might as well be. What is that, a woodpecker?" Stan asked before driving through a guard rail, making the three of us scream. Several minutes later, and maybe a small heart attack from me, Stan finally stopped the car and had us get out. __Sweet stable ground, how I've missed you!__ "Okay, okay. Open 'em up!" he said eagerly. Once we took off our blindfolds, letting the blinding summer sun stun our eyes for a moment, the twins and I saw we were at the Gravity Falls lake. "Ta-da! It's fishing season!" Stan shouted.

"Fishing?" Mabel asked.

Dipper looked suspicious. "What're you plain' at, old man?" Was there really some plan every time Stan got excited? I mean, yeah, he had a questionable background, but he wasn't all bad.

"You're gonna love it! The whole town's out here!" Stan said, genuinely excited. The four of us looked at all the townsfolk on the lake, seeing Wendy's family wrestling with a fish, and a fisherman getting knocked overboard after getting his picture taken, having been blinded by the flash. "That's some quality family bonding!" I could hear the birds chirping through the pine forest surrounding us, and the water was crystal clear. The lakefront shop was perched on the waterfront by the docks, where families were boarding or getting off of their boats.

"Grunkle Stan, why do you wanna bond with us all of a sudden?" Dipper asked, as I continued to look around. I had gotten my first good glimpse of the town yesterday during Mabel's gnome escapade. The lake wasn't overly special, but it was a new location. A new place to see, and to explore.

"Come on, this is gonna be great! I've never had fishing buddies before. The guys from the lodge won't go with me: they don't 'like' or 'trust' me," Stan explained, putting in finger quotes at the end.

Mabel looked at Dipper and I uncertainly. "I think he actually wants to fish with us."

"Hey, I know what'll cheer you sad sacks up! Pow!" Stan said, slapping hats onto our heads. "Pines family fishing hats! That-that's hand stitching, you know." I took my hat off and examined it. In mismatched colored fabric, Stan had sewn " ** **Ellie"**** instead of " ** **Elaine****." Ellie? Why did that seem so familiar? And he made a hat for me? "It's just gonna be you, me, and those goofy hats on a boat for ten hours!"

"Ten hours!?" Dipper asked incredulously.

"I brought the joke book!" Stan grinned, holding up " ** **1, 001 Yuk 'Em, Ups****."

"No! NO!" Dipper cried, terrified.

"There has to be a way out of this!" Mabel whispered to us. While the two were panicking, I kept staring at the hat. He stitched me a hat…

"I SEEN IT! I SEEN IT AGAIN!" An old man shouted. He ran through the crowd, crashing into various objects. He was maybe around my height, but he was hunched over. Spotting the long white beard, floppy brown hat and overalls, I knew that the newcomer was none over than Old Man McGucket himself. __Not that different than his animated version, just like the others.__ "The Gravity Falls Gobblewonker! Come quick before it scrapdoodles away!" He shouted before doing a dance, slapping his knee.

"Awww, he's doing a happy jig!" Mabel said, tugging on my sleeve to point him out.

"Nooo!" He said, grabbing her shoulders. "It's a jig of great danger!" __Give the girl some space, McGucket. You're freaking her out.__

"Hey, hey!" A young man with brown hair covering his eyes ran up to McGucket, and sprayed him with a spray bottle. "Now what did I tell you about scaring my customers? This is your last warning, dad!" I watched in pity as the old man cowered from the water spray. Shame no one took him seriously until the second season. Guy didn't need this type of treatment, especially from his own son.

"But I got proof this time, by gummity!" Old Man McGucket said, showing everyone his boat, which was snapped in half. "BEHOLD! It's the Gobble-dy-wonker what done did it! It had a long neck like a gee-raffe! And wrinkly skin like… like this gentleman right here!" He pointed at Stan.

"Huh?" Stan asked, picking his ear.

"It chawed my boat up to smitheroons, and shim-shammed over to Scuttlebutt Island! YOU GOTTA BELIEVE ME!"

A police boat with two officers in it pulled up. "Attention all units! We got ourselves a crazy old man!" Sheriff Blubs said, causing everyone but the Pines family and I to laugh. McGucket's son frowned and shook his head, walking away as the crowd left.

"Aw, donkey spittle! Aw, banjo polish!" McGucket said, also leaving.

"Well, that happened. Now let's untie this boat and get out on that lake!" Stan exclaimed, stepping into a rowboat with the name " ** _ ** _Stanowar"_**_** written on the side and untying it from the dock.

"Mabel, Elaine, did you hear what that old dude said?" Dipper asked.

"Aw, donkey spittle!" Mabel said, mimicking McGucket.

"Aw, banjo polish," I drawled. Both of us did a little jig, and I chuckled at the goofiness. I didn't have to do that, but the idea just popped into my head before I could stop it.

"The other thing! About the monster! If we can snag a photo of it, we can split the prize between the three us!" He said, reminding us about the prize of one thousand five hundred dollars. "Imagine what you could do with five hundred dollars!"

I closed my eyes, but… came up blank. That money would be great in making my own personal library, but what was the joy of getting all excited when I knew this was gonna fall apart at the end? Then again… monster hunts ****were**** pretty cool. I really enjoyed the gnome fight yesterday, and going all Fast and Furious in that golf cart. A boat chase and Loch Ness Monster could be pretty fun too.

"Dipper, I am one million percent on board with this!" Mabel said as I nodded in agreement.

"I'm in. Let's go tell your uncle before we take the boat, okay?" Her brother beamed at us, and we walked over to Stan. The man was setting up the fishing poles, checking that the twine was all untangled and ready to go.

"Grunkle Stan! Change of plans. We're taking that boat to Scuttlebutt Island, and we are gonna find that Gobblewonker!" Dipper told him. "Monster hunt! Monster hunt!" Dipper started the chant, and Mabel and me joined in. "Monster hunt! Monster hunt!" The moment died out as we heard another voice join in, and we looked beside me to see McGucket standing there.

"Monster hunt! Monster..." the old man stopped when he saw we were staring at him. "Eh… I'll go." He wandered back off the dock, leaving our sight as he went around the side of the tackle shop. Once he was gone, we turned around to our boat again.

"You dudes say somethin' about a monster hunt?" This time, Stan turned around to see Soos pull up in his larger boat, blaring his horn at the cabin on board. Unlike Stan's rickety wooden boat, Soos' was more built together. Sure, it had a few metal panels and wooden boarded patching up some holes, but it had guard rails up front at the bow, spotlights on top of the driver's cabin, and two large fishing poles mounted on the back.

"Soos!" Mabel said.

"Wassup, hambone!" The two did a fist bump, making explosion sounds as they backed away. "Dudes, you can totally use my boat for your hunt," he volunteered. "It's got a steering wheel, chairs, normal boat stuff." Soos patted the side of the boat, smiling. I didn't get how he even had a boat. Did he afford it with the money from working at the Shack? Buy it second-hand and fix it up? Because it looked like it wasn't brand new, and had seen a few better days.

"All right, all right, let's think this through. Ya kids could go waste your time on some epic monster-finding adventure, or you could spend the day learning how to tie knots and skewer worms with your Great Uncle Stan!"

The twins and I looked at Soos, doing a robot dance in his boat. _Interesting._ We looked back at Stan in his leaky boat and smoking engine, waggling his eyebrows before stopping and sniffing his armpit. Then we looked at Scuttlebutt Island in the far distance, fog shrouding it. I could feel the adventure and excitement building up around the twins, eager to jump on that boat and set sail.

I also couldn't wait to get out on that boat. But there felt like something was… holding me back. I thought back to the other part of the episode, where Grunkle Stan was by himself for the whole day until Dipper and Mabel got some sense knocked into them. It didn't seem… fair, you know? After all he did for me so far, it was the least I could do for him. __I…__ _ _I__ _ _know what I have to do.__ "You two go… go ahead without me."

"What? Elaine, aren't you interested in the prize money?" Dipper stared at me in surprise. He had received a positive answer from me not a few minutes ago, and there I was changing my mind.

"I am. It's just..." I threw a glance at Stan, who watched me explain myself to the kids pitifully. "I owe it to Stan for allowing me to stay at the Shack." __Well… it's not like I'm completely lying to them.__

Dipper seemed to buy it, but looked disappointed none-the-less. "Oh! O-okay, Elaine. We'll, um… we'll let you know how the hunt goes then." I nodded, and watched the kids climb into the boat and take off with Soos towards the island. Their cheers faded away in the distance, leaving me be with Stan. Spinning around, I stepped into the boat and sat opposite of him.

"Thanks, kid," Stan smiled. I could tell he was touched I stayed behind. Out of the three of us, he obviously expected his own niece and nephew to stay behind. Not the girl living there temporarily. He turned his head to look at the disappearing boat, and shook his fist angrily. "Ingrates! Aw, who needs 'em? I got you, and a whole box of creepy fishing lures to keep me company." We looked down at the open lure box, flies buzzing around them. Cringing in disgust, Stan quickly closed the box for our comfort.

 _This is… gonna be a long day._

* * *

 ** **Boom! Plot twist! Didn't see that comin', did ya?****

 ** **Don't worry, I plan to have Elaine participate in Dipper and Mabel's adventures, but I've wanted to write this chapter focusing on how Stan had felt when Dipper and Mabel left him, especially since we now know how important family is to him.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	7. Legend of the Gobblewonker Part 2

****Disclaimer: Merry Christmas, everybody! I hope you're all having a great holiday!****

 ** **I would love to own Gravity Falls, but Santa probably wouldn't give me that for a present...****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 ** **Edited:**** ** **July 30**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Traitors!" Stan grumbled. We watched the twins and Soos retreat back to the tackle shop's dock, exiting and returning with armfuls of sunscreen and disposable cameras. The large boat sped past, sending a small wake and making us bob up and down against the dock we were still stationed at. Grumbling, I swiped at the water that splashed onto my glasses, and turned to Stan who started up the engine. The old thing sputtered for a moment, letting out a blast of dark fumes before sending us off into open water.

"I wouldn't call them traitors, Stan," I tried to reason. I pulled out a life jacket, throwing it on over my flannel. Stan's vest seemed to double as his life vest, having several pockets and being swapped out for his normal suit jacket. He still the rest of his usual attire though. It was a little strange, seeing him in just the white shirt. "They're just all hopped up on adventure-itis. Um… s-so, how do you fish exactly?"

"Never did before?" I shook my head. I was disappointed that I hadn't gone on the hunt, even though I knew it wasn't going to succeed in the end. It might have been fun to get chased by McGucket's robot... n-no. No, that would have been downright terrifying. Though, I didn't mind keeping Stan company until the others joined them later. __I'm gonna give Dipper such an 'I told you so'.__ He should get it through his oversized head that ditching family was a no-go before he returned to us. "Ah, we'll find our own fishing buddies!" Stan said, going back on the previous topic and fiddling around with the two fishing poles under his seat.

"What's wrong with-ugh-just the two of us?" I asked, struggling to adjust the straps of the life jacket. This thing was too small! "Stupid… life diaper!" __Now I know how Pearl feels.__

Stan chuckled at my choice of words. "Nothing. Just thought it'd be more fun with a few extra people." I shrugged at his response. Well, if that was what he wanted. If he wanted to make this more difficult for himself, then I wasn't going to stop him. Stan looked around before spotting a couple in a boat up ahead, and grinned. "Ah! There's our new pals!" He started up the engine and drove the boat over. "This will show those kids," I heard him mutter under his breath. Oh. So it wasn't just being lonely. He wanted to get back at them for ditching him. That… I knew he was happy I was there with him, but it still bothered me knowing he was focused on Dipper and Mabel.

After I realized that, I saw an engagement ring behind the man's back as we drove closer. I could see the glint from within an open black box, and looked back at Stan. Should I say something? While it was funny on TV, it seemed more awkward and weird in person. A moment like this was special, and having it be ruined by a crude joke was uncalled for. "Um, Grunkle Stan? Maybe we shouldn't...?"

"Wanna hear a joke?" __Oh no, here we go.__ "Here goes. My ex-wide still misses me… but her aim is gettin' better!" He paused, waiting for a reaction. "Her aim is gettin' better! ... y'see, it's-it's funny because marriage is terrible." The couple glared at Stan before the man rowed their boat away, the woman looking away from Stan with her arms crossed in a huff. I gave a heavy sigh, slapping a hand over my face. __Stan, why? Why with this?__ "What?" Stan asked, not getting a reply from me.

 _ _Just... deep breathes.__ "Stan, wh-why don't you show me how to cast a line?" Avoid the topic. Avoid the topic! "I've never been fishing before, and I'd rather not skewer myself by accident." Having a hook get stuck under my skin was something I really didn't want happening. Stan seemed to buy my excuse, and fished out a lure from the box under the seat where the poles were. Gesturing to one of the rods, I moved closer so he could attach it to the line.

"Now, you say you're a beginner, right? Then let's start you off easy. Try to cast side arm, like you're skippin' a rock." He adjusted my hands on the rod, showing me through the instructions. "Bring the rod back to your side, and bring it smoothly to the front in the direction you want to cast. Try not to hit me in the head, okay?" Nodding with a slight smirk, I mimicked the movements and sent the line several feet away in the water. The bobber floated atop the crystal clear body, and I laughed in victory. Stan patted the top of my head, pushing around the hat he gave me. "Not bad, kid. All that's left to do is see if you get a bite."

"Okay. Thanks, Grunkle Stan." Stan smiled back, before turning to see a boat across from us. A boy perhaps a year or two younger than the twins was sitting in the back, watching his parents fish. Beaming as an idea popped into his head, Stan sat back down in his seat, and soon began to have a one-sided conversation with him about tying fishing knots. __Wonder how long this will go before the parents notice.__ Shrugging, I turned back to the line, and began to reel it in slowly. Fishing: I found it tedious and boring. Stan, while I had yet to see him cast, probably wasn't too bad at the activity. If he knew how to cast a line, then he'd probably caught several fish himself. Not as rusty as I was, but he knew what he was doing.

"Look, when you're threadin' the line-lot of people don't know this- but you wanna use a barrel knot." He leaned in and whispered to the young boy. "That's a secret from one fishing buddy to another! Heh heh." __This doesn't look concerning at all. Sarcasm, thy name is Elaine.__

The boy stared nervously at Stan, looking from his parents behind him-who were still in a conversation and unaware of what was happening-to me behind Stan. "Uh, I, uh, who are you, exactly?"

"Just call me, your GRUNKLE STAN!" He declared loudly, making me jump while reeling in her line. I scrambled to catch the pole before it slipped into the water, having the front of it dip into the lake by surprise.

"Sir, SIR, SIR!" The child's mom shouted at Stan, finally noticing his presence once her husband tapped her shoulder, alerting her of what was happening. "Why are you talking to our son? If you don't leave right now, I'm calling the police!"

Stan shifted his eyes from the family to me, who only shrugged in amusement. Hey, he got into this mess. Let's see him get out of it. "Ha, ha, you see, the thing about that is..." He started up the motor as fast as he could, speeding away to the other side of the lake. I gripped my rod in one hand while holding onto the boat with the other, making sure it and myself didn't go off into the wake behind us. Quickly, I put the pole between my knees and reeled in the rest of the line until the hook was finally out of the water, having been dragging along the surface. The mom's voice disappeared once we got farther away, and Stan finally let up on the motor, letting us come to a stop. Once there was a safe distance between the two boats, he sighed and turned to me. "Look, Elaine. I know you wanted to go with the kids on that monster huntin' adventure."

My eyes widened, shocked at how blunt the statement was. "What? Hehe. Wh-why do you assume that?" __Casualty is not my specialty. He's gonna suspect something.__

He did. Of course he did. Stuttering always gives away lies. "I'm not an idiot, kid. It was obvious you wanted to tag along with them." My gaze fell into my lap, a bit of red in my cheeks from embarrassment. __Guess I was pretty obvious.__ "But I'm glad you decided to stay with me," he added, patting my shoulder. Lifting my head to face Stan, I gave him a small thankful smile. _Thanks, Stan. That… that means a lot._ "And don't think that isn't a big deal, either. You chose to avoid a monster hunt to stay in a leaky boat with me for several hours with an old fossil. You barely know me, and yet here you are sticking your neck out for me." He narrowed his eyes for a moment. "And don't think this gets you out of any shifts at the Shack." I laughed at that. I did think it was a big deal, but he was right. How many people would stick their neck out for Stan? "Now, how 'bout we do some real fishin'? You still need a bit more practice with lettin' it run."

 _"_ _Got it, Sta-_ _oh no._ _I_ saw the police boat speeding towards our little watercraft, lights flashing and Blubs and Durland shouting at Stan over a megaphone. "You gotta be kidding me." __Well, at least I know why he ended up with the ankle brace.__

(Time Skip)

Some time after the police finished talking to Stan about the fiasco with the boy, and giving him that tracker to wear for the rest of the day, we got our fishing poles back out again. That wouldn't be too hard, except that the chase across the lake resulted in his pole entangling with my own once my lure was close enough for me to grab it. It had fallen into the boat, being ensnared with his own pole and leaving a tangled mess. Stan frowned, picking up the crossed twine and began trying to untie the lines. "Er, ugh, gah! Mollycoddling..."

"You do know you could just cut the lines, right?" I suggested, snickering. Stan sent me a glare, but stubbornly shook his head.

"Didn't bring any scissors out here." Sure you didn't. He obviously must have had some either in one of his pockets or in the tackle box. He just didn't want to admit defeat and be forced to thread the line through the hoops.

"Can you pwease tell me mo'e funny stories, Pop Pop?" I turned to the voice, catching sight of a grandfather fishing with his own identical grandchildren. The two looked like younger, more adorable versions of Mabel and Dipper. _Well… the boy is more adorable. Mabel has her beat._ Same curly brown hair, except more freckles and the girl didn't have rosy cheeks like Mabel. The boy was looking up at the older man, and I guessed that he was the one to ask the question.

The grandfather laughed and patted the boy on his head, squishing his hat. "Anything for my fishing buddies!" Stan growled at the sappy display, and I shook her head sadly. No matter how much I tried to cheer him up, it still boiled down to what Dipper and Mabel did: ditching him for a phony monster.

"Pop Pop? I just weewized dat..." the boy's eyes grew huge, resting a small hand on his grandfather's knee as he looked down fondly. "...I wuv you."

"Aw, come on!" Stan exclaimed, jumping to his feet and throwing the pole down. I held onto the sides of the boat as it rocked from the motion, hoping he didn't tip us over by accident. "Boo! Boo!"

The older man also stood up, glaring at him. "Hey, now! What's the big idea?"

"Maybe he has no one who wuvs him, Pop Pop," the boy stated, as his grandfather frowned sadly at the child's words. __Ooh, that one had to hurt.__

The comment caught Stan off guard too, and he stumbled backwards before regaining his footing. "Yeah, well, I… I…" before Stan could say anything else, Soos, Dipper, and Mabel sped past in their boat. The mechanical Gobblewonker chased after them with a roar, causing a giant wave to rise up and crash down on the two of us and the family in the other boat. I wiped the water off my glasses for the second time that day with an annoyed groan, while Stan threw his hat to the ground in frustration. He sat down beside me, sighing as water dripped down from his chin. __Stan, you... really can't win today, can you?__

I gazed at him in pity, and patted his leg. This whole day was just being there for Stan, and trying to cheer him up. I didn't accomplish that, but still… I had fun. We had fun. "We can call it a day, if you want? I won't be upset if you do." Stan shared with me a sad but appreciative smile, and drove back to the edge of the lake. We had fun. Not a particularly normal day, but it was more calming than the gnome event earlier that week. If he wanted to call it quits, I wouldn't argue. Besides, now I could finally say I've been fishing.

"Hey! Over here!" Stan let up on the gas, letting us drift to a stop. Looking behind us, we saw the twins and Soos pull up in the destroyed S.S. Cool Dude. The ride was half sinking in the water, the entire top missing and the engine sputtering on and off. Dipper took a picture of us, having pulled the cmarea out of his life vest, and grinned sheepishly as he lowered it. __Looks like someone finally figured it out.__

"What the-kids? I thought you two were off playing 'Spin the Bottle' with Soos?" Stan asked mockingly, to which I gave a split disturbed look.

"I seriously hope they weren't," I muttered. Didn't need that image scarring me for life.

"Well, we spent all day trying to find a 'legendary' dinosaur..." Dipper began, rubbing his arm and avoiding my 'I told you so' look.

"...but we realized, the only dinosaur we wanna hang out with is right here," Mabel finished, gesturing to Stan.

"Save your sympathy! Me and Elaine have been having a great time withoutcha'! Makin' friends, talkin' to ourselves-we had a run-in with the lake police! Guess I gotta wear this ankle bracelet now, so that'll be fun." He showed them the beeping ankle bracelet with a red light. He only had a few hours left before we had to take it off, so that was a good thing.

"So… I guess there isn't room in that boat for three more?" Dipper asked hopefully. "Not sure how much longer this boat's going to stay afloat." Seeing that they were all standing in water, with the lowest of the water level going up to Soos' waist, I could agree with that.

Stan glared at the twins, but his expression softened when they put their hats back on. Elaine giggled as Dipper deliberately put the fishing one over his pine tree hat, making the blue brim stick out from under the brown fabric. "You knuckleheads ever seen me thread a hook with my eyes closed?"

"Five bucks says you can't do it!" Dipper said.

"You're on!" Dipper climbed down into the boat, and Elaine shuffled over to let him sit down beside her.

"Five more bucks says you can't do it with your eyes closed, plus me singing at the top of my lungs!" Mabel added.

"I like those odds!" Stan declared. She and Soos climbed into the boat, and the boat dipped for a moment from the added weight. "Whoa! What happened to your shirt?" He asked Soos. Forget the shirt, there's a piece of his life jacket missing there too.

"Long story, dude," he replied. Yeah, I didn't think I wanted to hear it either. Beavers, I was assuming, were the probable cause.

Dipper turned to face me after getting himself comfortable, and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Hey, um, Elaine? I, um, wanted to tell you that..."

"I was right in choosing to stay behind? Ha ha. I know, Dipper." I lifted his two hats and ruffled his hair. "I'm just glad you and your sister finally realized your mistake. Better late than never, I suppose." I dropped the hats back onto his head, letting a sly grin match his abashed yet relieved one. He brought the camera out of his vest and held it up. "Thanks, Elaine. All right, everybody get together. Say fishing!"

Mabel, Stan, Soos, and I got in close, and the boat tipped backwards from having everyone shuffle to the back. "Fishing!"

"Dude, am I in the frame?" Soos asked. _No, Soos. I'm pretty certain your stomach is only in the frame._

The afternoon went on, and I was certainly pleased with the change the twins made. Them and Soos made the last few hours seem much more enjoyable. Not that they weren't with Stan, but the more the merrier, and the less chances of getting arrested. Stan had lost the bet of threading a hook with his eyes closed as Mabel had to cover his eyes, yet he could still see through her fingers. Though, I had to retreat to the tackle shop for medical supplies after he stabbed his fingers trying. Everyone but Dipper had enjoyed the joke book, and I even helped Dipper catch his first fish with the learned skills from Stan earlier. That was, until it got off the hook, slapped him in the face with its tail, and dove back into the water.

 _Ah, memories. I should've taken a picture of that with the camera._ Stan had helped Mabel steal a fish from the twins and grandfather we ran into earlier, to try and make it up to Dipper, which resulted in a chase around the lake by Blubs and Durland in their boat.

 _ _Family Fun Day,__ _I_ thought as we drove back towards shore, sun starting to set over the treetops. The lake was almost empty, as we stayed right to the bitter end, letting us freely pilot back to the docks without fear of running anyone over. __I-I'm not family. By no means am I related to them, or even that close to being considered close friends with them. Yet... this was nice.__ _I_ liked hanging out with them, and it helped keep my mind off of Bill the entire day. __Maybe... maybe I should keep doing__ _ _thi__ _ _-__ "whoa!" I exclaimed out loud as the boat hit a bump, making me fall backwards against Stan.

"What was that?" Dipper asked, only to get a shrug from Mabel in response. __Maybe it was for the best not to mention the camera that fell off the boat to them.__ It wasn't like it was an important part in the series, whether they knew it was real or not. I glanced over the edge of the boat, spotting a large and dark shadow swiftly swimming far below them. __The Gobblewonker eating the camera, huh?__ Some things were... best kept a secret. __Yeah... some things.__

* * *

 ** **Ta-da! The second episode is finished! Next week: Head**** ** **h**** ** **unters!****

 ** **Merry Christmas, readers! Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	8. Headhunters Part 1

****Disclaimer: Happy new year,**** ** **everyone!****

 ** **AnnaRooma: Thanks! I look forward to seeing what you write in the future.****

 ** **Redwolf177: Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying it. I plan on carrying this story straight to the finale, so there will be no lack of updates. Merry Christmas to you too!****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls, only Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: July 31/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"I'm afraid your services won't be required here, sir. My men have examined the evidence, and this is obviously an accident." Dipper, Mabel, and I were sitting in front of the couch watching Duck-tective. Why we weren't on the couch itself, I wasn't sure. But it did let us get closer to the TV and prevented the bowl of popcorn me and Dipper were splitting from falling over. Mabel was knitting a new sweater, somehow keeping up with her knitting without glancing at her fingers.

Duck-tective began quacking, subtitles showing up at the bottom of the screen. " ** **Accident, constable? Or is it… murder****!?"

"What!?" The police man gasped. _You know, this show would be so much more interesting if it wasn't a duck._ I mean, it's clever, yes, but why a bird? Wouldn't a dog be more fun? That's what they did with all those sports movies.

"Duck-tective will return after these messages," the TV announcer said, as the show's logo was slapped across the screen. The commercials began to play, and Mabel dropped her knitting with a gasp.

"That duck is a genius!" She said, holding her cheeks with huge eyes.

"Eh, it's easier to find clues when you're that close to the ground," Dipper replied, folding his arms.

"Besides, this show is obviously fake. No duck is that smart," I added. "Besides, a duck couldn't be a detective." __Yeah, only a mouse can. Then again, his nemesis was a rat...__

Mabel put her hands on her hips and squinted at her brother and me. "Are you saying you two could outwit Duck-tective?"

"Mabel, I have very keen powers of observation. For example, just by smelling your breath, I can tell that you have been eating..." Dipper paused to sniff in her direction and looked at her in confusion. "An entire tube of toothpaste?"

Mabel looked away guiltily, and I could see the remains of sparkling toothpaste around her mouth. Was that a health hazard? "It was so sparkly..."

"Hey, dudes, you'll never guess what I found!" We saw Soos slide to a stop in the entry way, holding a broom in his hands.

"Buried treasure!" Dipper and me shouted, the boy throwing his arms in the air. He looked at me in surprised, and I averted my eyes quickly. __Whoops.__ _ _Got too excited there for a moment__.

"Buried-!" Mabel stopped and pushed him playfully. "Hey, I was gonna say that!"

Getting up off the floor and leaving our popcorn behind, Soos lead us through an area of the Shack I hadn't seen before. The house itself was a maze. There was the space for the attraction and gift shop, and then there was the living quarters upstairs. The hallway we were in right now, judging from the glimpse into a partially open door on my right lead towards the parlor room and other storage areas. Soos stopped in front of a hidden door behind ripped wallpaper, and an old grandfather clock standing beside it. "So, I was cleaning up, when I found this secret door, hidden behind the wallpaper. It's crazy bonkers creepy!" He opened the door, earning a loud creaking of old hinges. As the cobwebs fell from the other side, we slowly entered to check it out ourselves.

"Wow! It's a secret wax museum!" I said, before biting my tongue. _Curses, I did it again. There wasn't any harm in saying their lines, right? As long as I don't say anything stupid, there isn't any harm._ Nodding at my sound advice, I continued to examine the statues while Dipper shone a flashlight on them, having picked it up from a shelf off the wall.

"They're so lifelike." Mabel poked the wax Sherlock Holmes. Those brows… Sherlock wasn't happy when he ended up in there, and I doubted he enjoyed being prodded at by Mabel. I tapped her shoulder, gesturing to where Dipper was walking.

"Except for that one," Dipper complained, pointing the flashlight at one of the statues.

"Hello!" The wax figure said.

"Aahh!" Everyone but me screamed, while I rolled my eyes. Little bit of an overreaction there, guys. Chuckling, Stan stepped closer so they could see him better.

"It's just me, your Grunkle Stan!"

"AAAHHH!" With that, Dipper dropped the flashlight, and the three dashed out of the room. Stan picked up the flashlight, and raised a brow at me.

"I'll go get them, Stan." _Honestly, I'd have run off screaming too. This was the second time I've seen him in his underwear, and it's still as bad as the first._

(Time Skip)

It took a while for me to calm everyone down, finding them back in the living room. Gaining a good laugh from Dipper, who couldn't believe he thought his uncle was that terrifying-and that he got scared y him twice in one week-we all headed back to the wax room. "Behold the Gravity Falls Wax Museum!" Stan announced as we stepped inside. He had turned on the old light fixture overhead, letting us see everything more clearly. "It was one of our most popular attractions… before I forgot all about it. I got 'em all! Genghis Khan, Sherlock Holmes." He paused at the wax statue of Larry King, squinting at him and scratching his fez. "Some kind of, I don't know, goblin man?"

Dipper shivered. "Is anyone else getting the creeps here?"

"We're in a small, enclosed space, with a bunch of inanimate statues staring at us. I'd say it's pretty creepy." __And evil, but they'll find out about that later.__ _I leaned against the wall, sneezing. "Man, it's dusty in here."_

"And now for my personal favorite: wax Abraham Lincoln, right over-" Stan looked at the pile of melted wax on the floor, which was directly under sunlight from the window above it. "Oh! Oh no! Come on, who left the blinds open? Wax John Wilkes Booth, I'm looking in your direction!" _You had a wax president… and a wax figure of the man who assassinated him?_ That was… an interesting combo. Bending down, Stan put his finger in the melted wax and sighed. "How do you fix a wax figure?"

"Cheer up, Grunkle Stan. Where's that smile?" Mabel asked him, wandering over.

"Egh," he muttered.

"Beep, bop, boop!" She cheerfully poked him in the face.

"Ow," he said, eye twitching from accidentally being poked.

"Don't worry, Grunkle Stan. I'll make you a new wax figure from all this old wax!" Mabel announced, grinning.

"You really think you can make one of these puppies?"

"Grunkle Stan, I'm an arts and crafts master. Why do you think I always have this glue gun stuck to my arm?" She tried to shake it off of her arm, and I saw the various pieces of crafting material also stuck to it. _You could have washed that sweater to fix that, Mabel._ "Eugh, eugh!"

"I like your gumption, kid!" He said.

"I don't know what the word means, but thank you!"

(Time Skip)

I wasn't entirely sure how she managed to put all of that melted wax into the parlor room, or how she reshaped it into a giant cube. But it was Mabel, so… some physics were left forgotten. Watching from the side of the room as Dipper walked up to his sister, I took a long sip from my can of Pitt Cola. I didn't really want to be in here, but before I could sneak out of the wax room, Mabel had launched herself at me and asked to watch her work her magic. How was I to say no!? _And the instant I returned from asking to get a drink, I find the giant wax block!_ "Dipper!" Mabel shouted, surprising him and making him choke on his own drink. Curious as to what had her so excited, I got up off the ground and joined them.

"What do you think of my wax figure idea?" She showed us a drawing she sketched in her sketchbook. Mabel sat on a small wooden stool, with various carving tools laid out at her feet. "She's part fairy princess, and part horse fairy princess! Elaine, what do you think?"

"I think maybe something that could stand without too many poles." It was the first thing out of my mouth. "Something simple, but different. Your idea seems a little… complicated."

"M-maybe you should carve something from real life," Dipper suggested, clearing his throat.

Mabel retracted the book and sketched another idea. "Like a waffle, with big arms!" She said, turning the book around to show us.

Dipper and I exchanged a look. _Uh… no._ "Y-okay… or, you know, something else. Like-like someone in your family."

"Kids!" Stan yelled, walking into the room. He had his suit jacket and shirt on, but was still lacking the dress pants. "Have you seen my pants?" He stepped with one foot onto a briefcase, looking around with his hand above his eyes. The light from one of the windows shone down on him, and Mabel gasped softly.

"Oh, Muse. You work in mysterious ways," she breathed, turning around and looking up.

"Why's your sister talking to the ceiling?" Stan asked Dipper, only to get a shrug in response. Grumbling, Stan left the room again in search of his pants.

"Well, I'm gonna go back up to the attic while Mabel works her magic," I informed Dipper. "Dipper, is it okay if I borrow the journal for a little bit"

Dipper raised an eyebrow at my question. "Uh...sure, Elaine? Just remember to give it back when you're done, alright?"

I chuckled. "Don't worry, Dippin' Dots. I'm a slow reader, and I try not to drown myself in a book too quickly. And I won't read whatever you've put in there either, alright?"

Dipper squirmed at the nickname, but was satisfied with my explanation. "Alright, then," his voice cracked. I took the journal from his hands, and left the room smirking. W _ _ho knew it was this fun to embarrass Dipper?__ _I had to remember that nickname, no doubt about it._

I waltzed into the open attic space from where we-meaning Dipper and I-first read about zombies, and curled up on the window seat. From what I could recall, Dipper didn't go up there that often, so it would be a decent place to read without fear of interruption. "Now let's see here..." I flipped the book open to the first page. "Might as well start at the beginning."

" ** **It's hard to believe it's been six years since I began researching the strange and wondrous secrets of Gravity Falls, Oregon.****

 ** **In all my travels, never have I observed so many curious things! Gravity Falls is indeed a geographical oddity.****

 ** **But the strangest thing about this town is the question: WHY? Why is it that this one remote location houses more paranormal, alter-average, and super-usual phenomena than any other location on Earth? There must be a hidden law of nature, a "Grand Unified Theory of Weirdness," which explains how everything in Gravity Falls is connected. My benefactors trust that I will use their grant money to discover something incredible, and I believe this Theory could be it.****

 ** **MY CONTINUING MISSION: Investigate the Oddities of Gravity Falls, Discover the GRAND UNIFIED THEORY OF WEIRDNESS, Publish theory and join the ranks of Newton, Tesla, & Einstein in the pantheon of science!****

 ** **Some of my recent investigations include****... _ _"__

The following pages had research on floating eyeballs, giant vampire bats-the author had tasted human blood in an attempt to figure out why the bats went after humans-cursed doors that lead to another plane of existence or death, and the gnome page.

I occasionally looked out the window to watch Grunkle Stan set up the wax statues for the open house on a roughly thrown together stage. It'd be at least half an hour before Dipper would come and get me, so I had some time to myself. __Or maybe not…__ I examined the colorless attic. How was he so sly at that? "Hey, Angel!"

I frowned at Bill, and leaned back in my seat. "Isn't it a little early to be paying me a visit? It's not even dark yet." Did he have a reason for coming there?

Bill drifted over to me, his eye never straying from the journal. Noticing this, I tightened my grip on the worn cover, holding it close to my chest. "Relax, kid. Did you forget that you specifically said not to include the journal in our deal?" __Maybe…__ "I wanted to see what you thought of good ol' Sixer's handiwork."

"Well… it's pretty thorough." I glanced from him to the book warily, and then back to the demon. "Um, Bill? You're not gonna be checking up on me all the time, are you?" __Please say no. Please say no.__ _I would really enjoy not having the triangle figuratively breathing over my shoulder. I couldn't say literally. I didn't think he had lungs._

His eye crinkled in a grin. "Why? Are you admitting you would miss me, Angel?"

"No!" I shouted, my want for this conversation to end sneaking into my voice. "I'd just appreciate getting some actual sleep for once!" I didn't think I could handle nightly visits, let alone being in the same room as him. Sure, he could tag me and locate me anywhere, but I refused to see him every day.

"And you'll get it. I only plan on checking on you when I feel like it. You are my puppet after all." He closed his eye in thought, before opening it again. Oh, what did he want now? "Oh, right! I've got something for you!" __So the 'tattoo' wasn't enough!? What's next? Deer teeth and dismembered body parts!?__ "Ha ha ha ha! Sorry, kid, but those gifts would be too good for you. I got you this, instead!"

Bill snapped his fingers, and an object wrapped in yellow and black striped paper fell into my lap. _Where did that come from?_ Hesitantly, I sat down journal three and slowly undid the wrapping, not trusting whatever he was giving me willingly. __Bill Cipher giving me a 'gift'? That just screamed danger-huh?__ My eyes widened when I found myself holding yet another journal. Unlike the one off to my side, the one in my hands was a midnight blue with silver metallic pieces and golden binding. The thing that caught my attention was the pair of silver angel wings decorating the cover. The exact same symbol as my necklace. _He planned that, didn't he?_ "You're giving me a journal?"

I expected a response from the demon, but I realized that the room had gone back to color, and I was alone once again. _Why? Why did he have to be so good at that? I didn't even know I was awake or asleep during all of that!_ I looked around suspiciously, and jumped when I heard footsteps run up the stairs. "So this is where you were. Grunkle Stan had been calling for you the past ten minutes," Dipper said, walking over to me.

"Oh! Uh, s-sorry, Dipper. I guess I was so into the book, I didn't notice how fast time flied by." Really though, how did time fly by in the Mindscape. Getting to my feet, I looked at the blue journal still in my grasp. Shrugging, I decided to just leave it in the room for now. I could figure out a place to store it later.

"It's okay, Elaine. Can I have the journal back now?" Reaching behind me, I grabbed Ford's journal and placed it back into his hands. "Come on, we have to help Wendy at the admissions table."

We were almost out of the room before Dipper turned to me. "By the way, Elaine. I never knew you had your own journal. Are you planning on writing about Gravity Falls too?"

I closed my eyes, and chuckled. Not because of the question, but more on who gave the book to me. Strange that the kid would suggest that, despite the person not wanting him to dive deeper into the town handed it over to me as a 'peace offering'. "Maybe, Dipper. Maybe."

(Time Skip)

Dipper, Wendy, and I were working the stand while Soos was directing people to the Mystery Shack with corn dogs. I observed the long line in front of us, from the steady and controlled adults to the two boys fighting each other under a woman's watch. _Stop paying attention to the guy next to you and straighten that out!_ "Man, I never thought wax statues were that popular," I muttered, propping my head up with my hand and letting my elbow rest on the table.

"I can't believe this many people showed up," Dipper added. He looked over at the line of cars parked, and back to Wendy.

"I know, right? Your uncle probably bribed them or something." Yeah, that did seem like something Stan would do.

"He bribed me." Dipper held up a five dollar bill that was tucked away in his vest, unfolding the paper for her to see.

Wendy copied the action with a smirk, the two sharing a chuckle until she saw I didn't take any money out. "He didn't bribe you?"

"Please, Wendy. The only way Stan would have to bribe me is if I had to do something life-threatening. That, and I want to see this train wreck in motion." This was gonna be a disaster, and I was gonna enjoy every bit of it from a respectable distance.

Stan finally went up to the microphone, as Mabel already took her place beside the covered wax Stan statue. The girl slapped her cheeks, excited to show her work to the town. "You all know me, folks! Town darling, 'Mr. Mystery.' Please, ladies, control yourselves!" Three women in the audience stared blankly ahead, flies swarming around them. _E… ew._ "As you know, I always bring the people of this fair town novelties and befuddlements, the likes of which the world, has never known. But enough about me. Behold… me!" Stan uncovered the wax Stan, letting the blanket fall to the floor. Soos mimicked a fanfare sound on his keyboard, then went on to make an odd vocalization sound. _Didn't he get that for his birthday as a kid, from that time travel episode?_ Two people in the audience clapped politely while someone coughed, the rest not sure if he was being serious or not. "And now a word from our own Mabelangelo!"

"It's Mabel." She took the mike from Stan, and walked to the edge of the stage. "Thank you for coming! I made this sculpture with my own two hands! It's covered in my blood, sweat, tears, and other fluids!"

"Ugh! Eww!" The crowd exclaimed in disgust, while I smothered my laughter behind a forced cough. Dipper and Wendy had looks of disgust and amusement respectively, watching the show unfold.

Mabel chuckled, not bothered by the reactions in the slightest. "Yeah. I will now take questions! You there!" She pointed at McGucket in the far back. As I looked over at him, and I didn't think Dipper noticed, I could see Blendin walking around. He stopped to pick up a shoe before running off again. As he went into the treeline, a flash of light followed. _He was cleaning up Dipper and Mabel's time travel fiasco, wasn't he?_

"Old Man McGucket, local kook. Are the wax figures alive? And follow-up question, can I survive the wax-man uprising?" Hopefully, that was a mess I wouldn't get dragged into. Right now, I had to focus on the wax figures.

"Um… yes! Next question!" Mabel pointed to Toby in the front room, holding a newspaper and a cooking utensil.

"Toby Determined, Gravity Falls Gossiper." He turned the paper around to show the town's paper. "Do you really think this constitutes a wonder of the world?" He asked.

"Your microphone's a turkey baster, Toby," Grunkle Stan deadpanned.

"It certainly is..." Toby looked down in shame. I mean, yeah, it was the town's paper, but couldn't the guy get actual gear for reporting?

"Next question," Stan said, pointing to another reporter, who sat beside McGucket. The woman stood up, holding an actual microphone.

"Shandra Jimenez, a ****real**** reporter." The comment was narrowed at Toby, who shrunk in his seat in shame. "Your fliers promised free pizza with admission to this event." She held up a poster, letting everyone get a good look at it. "Is this true?"

"That's what I heard! Come on! What a rip-off! Pizza? I want my pizza!" The audience shouted angrily at Stan, standing up from their seats.

Stan shifted his eyes. "That was a typo," he said abruptly. I cracked a grin. How's that for a turn for the worst? "Good night, everyone!" Stan took a smoke bomb out of his jacket, throwing it on the ground and creating a wall of fog as the crowd advanced towards the stage. Leaping off the side, he ran past Wendy, Dipper, and me, snatching the admission fees up and scattering into the woods to hide until they all left.

A guy in a pizza shirt sighed sadly and left, while the rest of the audience stormed off. One lady threw her chair behind her in a rage, while Manly Dan, Wendy's father, furiously punched a pole. "IN YOUR ****FACE****!" As the cars sped off from their parking spots, and other residents walking home in various states of anger and disappointment, Mabel walked over to us.

"I think that went well," she smiled, leaning on the table. _Yeah! Yeah, it did!_

(Time Skip)

Dipper and I sat on the arms of the couch, watching Stan count the money. In between us, Mabel had the wax statue laying on the couch upright, polishing its shiny surface. _How much sparkles did she add to that thing?_ "Hot pumpkin pie! Look at all this cash! And I owe it all to one person, this guy!" Mabel jokingly punched him as Stan gestured to wax Stan, and he looked down at her. "Ooh!" Stan knelt down to give her a noogie, chuckling. "Yeah, you too, ya little gremlin. Now you kids wash up. We got another long day of fleecing rubes tomorrow. Go, go!" He pushed Dipper and Mabel out of the room, while I walked along behind them.

We went upstairs and changed into our pajamas; the twins went to the bedroom, while I went to the washroom. This changing system really wasn't that hard. "I wonder…." once I was in my nightgown, I opened the door to let them in to brush our teeth. "Hey guys, you wanna do a toothbrush race?" I asked, squeezing out the toothpaste onto my brush. Mabel was the one to ask that, but if I was to continue saying lines accidentally, what was the harm of taking one for myself? Besides, this world wasn't the cartoon. Not everything was the same.

"Okay," Dipper said, pausing with a mouthful of blue foam.

"I'm up for it," Mabel replied in the same state. Before I could prepare my own toothbrush to join them, a desperate and terrified cry rang up from below us. The twins wiped away the toothpaste from their mouths, put down their brushes, and we ran downstairs to the living room.

Stan turned to look at us in horror when he saw us standing in the doorway, sweat pouring down his face and eyes wide. "Wax Stan! He's been… m-murdered!" He cried, pointing to a headless wax Stan on the floor. The clocked bonged three times, the noise echoed around us and bouncing off the walls. Mabel fainted dramatically, and I grabbed her before she hit the ground.

"Oh, boy," I said exasperated, looking down at Dipper. "Here we go."

* * *

 ** **In my possession is a perfectly good**** ** **j**** ** **ournal 3, I thought it'd be pretty weird not to put that knowledge into this story.**** ** **Also, now that I'm incorporating the real life journal into the story, you can expect these chapters to get much bigger.****

 **Until next time!**

 ** **Angel****


	9. Headhunters Part 2

****Disclaimer: Hello everyone! Hope you're having a great new year so far.****

 ** **AnnaRooma: Happy New Year! Elaine having equal time for herself and the twins is my plan, mostly because Bill won't interact with anyone else until Dreamscaperers. I've also heard that the new journal is gonna be expensive, but I'm willing to spend the money.****

 ** **redwolf177. Thanks. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. As for Bill's next appearance, well… I won't be a spoiler, but try to imagine his reaction to Elaine getting herself thrown off a cliff by a psycho psychic.****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls except for Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: July 31/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Stan wrung his hands as he explained the situation to the police officers. The moment the immediate shock wore off, and Mabel awoke in my arms, Stan ran off to call the cops. Once the flashing red and blue lights pulled up, Stan went and dragged Blubs and Durland into the house, almost making Blubs spill his coffee. "I got up to use the john, right?" He began. "And when I come back, blammo! He's headless!"

Durland nodded to himself, writing down the information on a notebook. "My expert handcrafting… besmirched," Mabel moaned, falling to her knees next to the statue. "Besmiiiirrrched!" Dipper and I patted her back in empathy. I wasn't overly fond of the statue, but it hurt to see her so distraught.

"Who would do something like this?" Dipper asked the officers, kneeling beside Mabel.

"What's your opinion, Sheriff Blubs?" Deputy Durland asked, looking up from his notes.

"Look, we'd love to help you folks, but let's face the facts… this case is unsolvable." He took a sip of his coffee, not even remotely bothered by how blunt his statement was.

"What!?" We all cried, Dipper and Mabel jumping to their feet and startling Blubs enough for him to gag on his drink. "You take that back, Sheriff Blubs!" Stan threatened, pointing a finger at him.

"You're kidding, right? There must be evidence, motives. You know, I could help if you want," Dipper suggested, rubbing the back of his head.

"If anyone could solve this, it'd be Dipper," I said in support, leaning around Dipper to look at the officers.

"He's really good. He figured out who was eating our tin cans!" Mabel added.

"All signs pointed to the goat," Dipper concluded.

'Yeah, yeah! Let the boy help. He's got a little brain up in his head," Stan agreed.

"Oooh! Would you look at what we got here?" Blubs said in amusement, nudging Durland. "City boy thinks he's gonna solve a mystery with his fancy computer phone!"

 _ _Computer phone…?__ "City boooy! City booooooy!" Durland hollered.

"You are adorable!" Blubs said.

"Adorable?" Dipper said, his voice cracking at the end. His face turned into a look of confusion, but switched to anger when the officers started laughing at him.

"Look, P.J.'s, how about you leave the investigation to the grown-ups, okay?" Blubs said. __How 'bout I kick you where the sun don't shine?__ _ _How 'bout that?__ I glared angrily at them. Durland managed to catch my heated look, and jumped back with a small yip.

"Attention, all units. Steve is about to fit an entire cantaloupe in his mouth," a man's voice echoed through Blub's walkie-talkie. "Repeat, an entire cantaloupe!"

"It's a 23-16!" Deputy Durland shouted in excitement.

"Let's move!" Blubs ordered, equally thrilled. They ran out of the room, pushing past the twins and I while giggling like schoolgirls. Stan and Mabel had looks of confusion about what just happened, while Dipper and me continued to glower at where the police went. I heard the car pull away from the open door, and Stan walked off to close it himself.

"That's it!" Dipper shouted, still ticked at the officers' comments from earlier. He rested a hand on his sister's shoulder, who held her hands together pitifully. "Mabel, Elaine, we are going to find the jerk who did this, and get back that head. Then we'll see who's adorable." He turned away, thinking back on that word, only to give a small sneeze.

"Awww, you sneeze like a kitten," Mabel marveled. _Sorry Dipper, that sneeze isn't helping your cause there._

(Time Skip)

The next morning, the three of us were back in the living room, studying the crime scene. Dipper had a board set up with pictures of everyone who came to the open-house, and Mabel was taking pictures of wax Stan. I had a set of nails and a hammer, pinning up sheets of toilet paper saying not to enter our crime scene. So… a criminal didn't have the tape himself? _Don't question it. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't like me asking anyway._

"Wax Stan has lost his head and its up to us to find it. There were a lot of unhappy customers at the unveiling." Dipper turned to look at the board. "The murderer could have been anyone."

"Yeah! Even us!" Mabel said, looking up from her camera.

"I highly doubt that, Mabel." I put the tools down on the couch, and sat down on the single step going into the living room.

"In this town, anything is possible." Dipper pulled out his journal, and began to flip through the pages. "Ghosts, zombies-" _p_ _ _sychotic triangle demons__ "- it could be months before we find our first clue."

"Hey look! A clue." Mabel said, pointing to the floor where wax Stan's head was supposed to be.

"Footprints in the shag carpet!" Dipper said, examining the footprints.

"Thank you for that wonderful observation, Sherlock," I commented, smirking.

"That's weird. They've got a hole in them." _And there goes Watson._

"And they're leading to..." Dipper climbed onto the arm rest while Mabel followed the prints to behind the couch. There, laying right behind the seat, was an ax. The two gasped, and I got up from my feet to pick it up.

"Maybe Soos would have an opinion." Not sure why I even suggested that, but he grew up in the town. If anyone knew the people there yesterday, and would have a clue who's ax it was, he would. Walking into the gift shop and finding him behind the counter, I handed the weapon over to him.

"So, what do you think?" Dipper asked.

"In my opinion: this is an ax." __Really? Gee, I never would've guessed.__

"Wait a minute, the lumberjack!" Mabel said, having an epiphany and turning to her brother.

"Of course!" Dipper shouted, saying the sentence the same time as Mabel. "He was furious when he didn't get that free pizza."

"Furious enough for MURDER!" I added dramatically, wiggling my fingers.

"Oh, you mean Manly Dan. Yeah, he hangs out at this crazy intense biker joint downtown," Soos said.

"Then that's where we're going," Mabel announced.

"Dude, this is awesome. You three are like: The Mystery Kids!" Soos said. _ _The what?__ _I changed the name. That was… oh well. I didn't want to get close, and that obviously failed. If I changed it from Mystery Twins to Mystery Kids, then who was I to correct it?_

"Don't call us that," Dipper deadpanned, not pleased with the name. "See ya, Soos." He took the ax back, and stuffed it away in a bag that was also behind the counter. "This will work." Keeping the blade inside so as to not slice the fabric, he quickly zippered it shut and nodded at us. _That's a go._ Flinging the door open, we ran out of the house and jumped off the deck.

"Hey. Give me a hand with this coffin, will ya? I'm doin' a memorial service for wax Stan. Something small, but classy." We paused as we went past the car, seeing Stan unloading said coffin from the trunk.

"Sorry, Grunkle Stan, but we have got a big break in the case!" Dipper said.

"Break in the case!" Mabel shouted.

"We're heading to town to interrogate the murderer," I informed Stan.

"We have an ax!" Mabel took the ax out of Dipper's bag and showed it to him, mimicking a horror movie screeching sound. "REE, REE, REE!"

"Hmmm, it seems like the kind of thing that responsible parents wouldn't want you to do… good thing I'm an uncle!" He gave us a grin before crying out in 'sorrow'. Planting one foot on the coffin as it fell to the ground, he held up a fist in the air. "Avenge me kids! AVENGE MEEE!"

As the 'Mystery Kids', we trekked into town along the edge of the road, while Mabel trailed behind to work on the IDs needed to get into the biker joint. It was a warm, sunny day, with clouds drifting aimlessly in the sky. Once we got close to the location, Dipper gestured us to duck into an alleyway and behind a dumpster. "The biker joint's right around the corner?" I asked quietly.

"Yeah. This is the place," Dipper said, gasping when the guard almost saw him peaking around the corner. Snapping back behind the trash, he looked at Mabel. "Got the fake IDs?" She grinned, showing him three cards. Dipper giving a quick once-over before sighing. "Here goes nothing." I unconsciously grabbed my necklace as we watched a miner walk up to the guard. The guard looked over his ID, before narrowing his eyes at the man himself.

"Sorry, but we don't serve miners," he said, crossing his arms.

"Daaaannnnng'nab it!" The miner shouted, spitting on the ground and walking away. _Okay… here we go._

Together, we walked out from behind the dumpster and up to the guard. "We're here to interrogate Manly Dan the lumberjack for the murder of wax Stan," I said, gulping at the start from nerves. We held up our fake IDs. Mabel killed the serious mood by shaking the cards, which she for some reason glued googly eyes to our pictures. _Where did she get a picture of me anyway?_

The guard didn't seem to either care if we were of age, or if the IDs were fake, and shrugged. "Works for me." He looked away while opening the door, letting the loud sounds of the patrons fill our ears. Once we were inside, the door closed behind us, and the smell of sweat, smoke, and alcohol hit me hard. Coughing, I followed Dipper and Mabel, trying to avoid the violent patrons. Paint was peeling off the walls revealing the wooden boards underneath, and shattered pictures hung crookedly on the walls.

Dipper gestured for us to follow, and carefully, we began to walk around the towering men. Broken glass bottles laid on the floor, making it clear why some people wore large boots. As we passed by the bar, Mabel stopped at the feet of a man's still body on the floor. She stared at him before looking up. "He's resting," she said, but I doubted she truly thought that.

"Alright, let's just try to blend in okay?" Dipper said nervously, going off towards Manly Dan.

"You got it, Dipping Sauce," Mabel said before sitting on a chair next to a biker. The man's arm muscles were as big as her head, if not bigger. "Hey there, fellow restaurant patron! Bap!" She lightly whacked his arm, making the biker growl at her. _This girl really needs to learn fear._ I walked away from Mabel, hoping that she would be fine, and leaned against the wall.

"Man, I have to reevaluate life choices one day," I sighed, looking down at my feet.

"Hey." I snapped my head up, and looked to the side. A man, probably a few years older than me stood there. His black hair was slicked back and tied in a small low ponytail, a bright purple button-up shirt, two silver studs on his upper left ear, jeans, and the same type of working boots Wendy had.

"Uh... Hi?" Was he… talking to me?

"So, you new around here?" He continued, gaze sweeping over me.

I nodded slowly. Did he have to look at me like a piece of meat? What was his deal? "Ye… yeah?"

He leaned against the wall beside me, smirking. _Okay, pal, you are way too close there._ He was inside my personal bubble, and obviously didn't care or see the uncomfortable look on my face. "How 'bout I take you on a tour of the town later? You look like you need some company. After all, can't have some pretty little thing all alone in a dark place like this."

"I-what? I'm not alone here, okay? I'm here with friends." He waved his finger in my face, stepping even closer. At that point, I had stood up from the wall and backed away.

"Hey there, don't need to be putting on a brave face, sweetheart. I know you're just dying for an intellectual conversation, rather than these drunkards, so here I am." He wrapped his arm around me until I was inches from his face. So this guy wanted to play this game, huh? Alright. I'll have some fun with this.

"Oh, I don't know if you wanna do that, sweetheart," I mockingly said, fake sweetness dripping from my words. "Not that I'm one to pass up an opportunity like this, but there's one small thing that could break this little game." I grinned, flashing my teeth. "I'm a high schooler, and I mean..." I paused to chuckle darkly. "You, a twenty-some year old, me a teenager…" _To be fair, I'm almost 17, but I'm not telling him._ One more year, and then I'd be considered legal in my area, but still. I had some standards I'd like to uphold.

The man's eyes widened, mouth gaping like a fish before stumbling away and out the main door. The bikers and lone waitress at the bar snickered, and I gave a small salute. "Hope you enjoyed the show, folks." The woman handed me a bottle of beer from her workspace, laughing.

"Not bad, kid! About time someone put him in his place!" I raised the bottle in recognition, and slid the glass inside my flannel, having to unbutton it to do so. The drink awkwardly stood out under my shirt, having nothing to hold it upright, but it seemed it was going to stay in one place. I wasn't sure how Dipper could hide the journal in his vest, but if he could do it, why couldn't I hide alcohol? _Not like I can drink, but I'll think of a good use for it._ I could get arrested for possession though, but with the 'genius' police force and the ridiculous laws in this town, I doubted anyone was going to stop me.

"Elaine, Mabel, big break in the case!" I heard Dipper yell as he ran past and out the door. Mabel jumped off the chair and joined me in chasing after her brother. The bikers and waitress shouted their farewells as I held the door open for Mabel as she ducked out, and gave one last wave as I closed it. _I think I'll head back there in the future,_ I grinned. _Place seems like a good time._

"It's a left handed ax," he said as we began to walk down the street. He pulled out a notepad with a list of suspects, and a checklist of right or left opposite of the names. "These are all our suspects. Manly Dan is right handed, that means all we have to do is find our left handed suspect and we've got our killer."

Mabel grinned at Dipper, who marked down the right hand for Manly Dan. "Oh man, we are on fire today! Pa-zow, pa-zow, pazow!" She fired finger guns in the air as we came to a stop.

"Let's find that murderer," I laughed, wrapping my arms around their necks and pulling them close.

The rest of the afternoon was spent running around town looking for left handed people. We went to visit Old Man McGucket first, but eliminated him when he waved back with his right hand encased in a crocodile's mouth. I… I didn't think I wanted to know where he got the crocodile. Next was the fat guy in the pizza shirt, who Dipper had to trick into signing a paper for pizza with a mustache, a grumpy woman who crushed a baseball in her right hand when Mabel threw it at her, and a man with casts on both arms.

Dipper gasped. "Guys, there's only one person left on this list." He showed us the last person on the list.

"Of course! It all adds up!" Mabel said. "Let's get to the police!"

(Time Skip)

It was late at night when we went to the small business, the cops and us running up to the closed door. The only light guiding us was the street lamp right outside the door. "You kids better be right about this or you'll never get the end of it," Blubs warned us. He and Durland both held flashlights, but the taller officer also had a baton at the ready.

"The evidence is irrefutable," Dipper said.

"It is so irrefutable," Mabel repeated.

"I gonna get to use my match stick!" Deputy Durland shouted excitedly, waving the wand around.

"You ready? You ready little fella?" Blubs asked. "Woo, woo!" They poked each other with their police batons, eager at the raid about to happen.

"On three!" Dipper shouted. "One, two…" Durland kicked in the door on an unsaid three. "Yaaaahhhhh!" We rushed in, shining our lights around the room.

"Nobody move! This is a raid!" Sheriff Blubs declared. Toby Determined jumped and fell out of his chair at his desk, knocking several sheets of paper over with him.

"What is this?" He asked the officers. "Some kind of raid?"

Deputy Durland smashed a lamp off the desk with his match stitch. "Derp!" The item fell over, shattering on the wood below.

"Toby Determined, you're under arrest for the murder of the wax body of Grunkle Stan," Dipper said, leaning over him as the twins moved in.

"You have the right to remain impressed with our awesome detective work," Mabel added, high fiving Dipper.

"You may now bask in our intelligence." I stood by the officers, hands on my hips and puffing out my chest.

"Gobbling goose feathers! I don't understand!" Toby said.

"Then allow me to explain," Dipper began. "You were hoping that Grunkle Stan's new attraction would be the story that saved your failing newspaper. But when the show was a flop, you decided to go out and make your own headline." Mabel held up a newspaper with a picture of wax Stan's head. "But you were sloppy, and all the clues pointed to a shabby shoe reporter who was caught left handed."

"Toby Determined, you're yesterday's news," Mabel said. I crumpled up the paper as it was given to me and threw it over my shoulder.

"Boy your little knees must be sore… from jumping to conclusions!" Toby said, doing a dance. "Ha cha cha! I had nothing to do with that murder."

"I knew it!" Dipper started before stopping. "Wait, what did you say? Nothing? You say nothing?"

"Huh? Could you repeat?" Mabel asked.

"Then where were you at the night of the break-in?" Blubs asked, the question we were all wondering hanging in the air. Toby gulped nervously, tugging at his shirt collar before putting in a tape of his security footage from last night.

In the video, Toby looked around before opening a closet and taking out a large cardboard cutout. "Finally, we can be alone, cardboard cutout of TV news reporter Shandra Jimenez!" He said before he started to make out with the cutout, practically laying on top of it as it bent under him.

"Eeeewwww! Yuck!" We exclaimed. I couldn't unsee it! I couldn't unsee it!

Blubs examined the timing. "Time state confirms. Toby, you're off the hook. You freak of nature."

"Hooray!" Toby cheered.

"But, but it has to be him!" Dipper argued, still determined. "Check the ax for fingerprints!"

Blubs checked the ax, dusting it over while Durland held a black light over it. "No prints at all."

"No prints?" Dipper asked, not believing it himself.

"Hey, I got a headline for you: city kids waste everyone's time," Durland said. All the adults laughed, while Dipper and Mabel looked away in embarrassment. I gave a weak glare, but I felt equally humiliated. I had gone along with them, and while I could have just gone back and done away with the wax figures myself, I didn't want to stop the flow of events. They were so determined, and excited, I-I couldn't crush that.

"Boy, I'd be pretty embarrassed if I was you three," Toby said, the video of him kissing the cutout continued to play in the background.

"Grrr…" I sighed, and trudged over to the door. "Come on, dorks. Let's get back to the Shack." Dejected, the twins followed suit out the door and off to the house. The moon shone bright overhead, casting our shadows over the ground. As the lights of the building appeared in the distance, Mabel picked up her speed and dashed into the house. Dipper kept beside me, head down and muttering under his breath. "Hey." I nudged his shoulder, making him look gloomily up at me. "You'll figure it out. Just… try and think over the clues some more, okay? Look at it not only from a detective's point of view, but also from a paranormal point."

"Paranormal?" Dipper repeated as we entered the gift shop. I lead our way to the parlor for the 'funeral', nodding back at him.

"We're in Gravity Falls, Dipper. Nothing in this place is normal. Try looking at it from a different angle." He seemed to understand my choice of words, and I could see the gears start to work in his head as we took our seats. Wax Stan laid in his box, with a picture of it and Stan together hanging overhead. In the room along with us and Soos, were the large collection of wax statues. Soos blew his nose into a tissue, while the twins and I watched in confusion.

"Kids, Soos, lifeless wax figures, thank you for coming," Stan began. "Some people might say it's wrong for a man to love a wax replica of himself."

"They're wrong!" Soos shouted, jumping from his seat and pointed at Stan.

"Easy, Soos. Wax Stan, I hope you're picking pockets in wax heaven." He looked down, wiping a tear from his face. "I'm sorry, I got glitter in my eye!" Stan ran out of the room, crying into his hands.

"Awwww! Dude!" Soos cried as well, running after him.

I heard Dipper say something beside me about the cops, but I was more focused on the real reason why Stan was so upset. __It's not just because it's a replica of him though. Stan's upset because the wax twin reminds him of Ford. The funeral's a way to remember his brother…__ _ _a way of… saying goodbye.__

I-I didn't want that to be me. I wanted to go home. I wanted to hug my sister, smooth her hair down as I reminded her everything was alright. I wanted to return to my own time, and my own dimension. "Oh..." I got up off the chair and joined Dipper and Mabel, as they discussed the hole in wax Stan's foot by the coffin itself.

"Wait a minute, what has a hole on its shoe and no fingerprints? Guys! The murderers are-!"

"Standing right behind you," a deep British voice said behind us. Turning around, we watched in horror as the wax figures came to life, stretching and moving closer. _Okay, Elaine, you can be all depressed later! Time to focus!_

Dipper gasped. "Wax Sherlock Holmes! Wax Shakespeare! Wax Coolio?"

"Wha' s'up Holmes?" Coolio said to Sherlock.

Wax Lizzie Borden grabbed her ax from Mabel; the latter jumping behind me, afraid of the statue's creepy grin. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!"

"Congratulations, my three amateur sleuths, you have unburied the truth, and now we're going to bury you," Sherlock said, pointing his magnifying glass at us. "Bravo, Dipper Pines. You've discovered our little secret." He took wax Stan's head out of his cape. "Applaud, everyone, applaud sarcastically." The wax figures clapped happily. "Uh, no that sounds too sincere. Slow clap." They slowed their clap, frowning. "There we go, nice and condescending."

"But… how is this possible? You're made of wax!" Dipper asked.

"Are you… magic?" Mabel asked, her eyes widening.

Wax Sherlock laughed. "Are we magic? She wants to know if we're magic!" He immediately stopped laughing. "We're CURSED!" He slammed his hand holding his pipe down on the coffin, making us all lean back as he towered over us. _Curse my short height! Curse it!_

"Cursed! Cursed!" The other wax figures cried.

"Cursed to come to life whenever the moon is waxing. Your uncle bought us many years ago at a garage sale."

"A haunted garage sale, son!" Wax Coolio added, jumping in close and making Dipper bump into me.

Wax Sherlock told us the story of how Grunkle Stan stole the statues from the yard sale, which was happening at an old building beside a cemetery, and the months that followed. "And so, the Mystery Shack Wax Collection was born. By day, we would be the playthings of man."

"But when your uncle went to sleep, we would rule da night," wax Coolio said.

"It was a charmed life for us cursed beings… that is, until your uncle closed up shop. We've been waiting ten years to get our revenge on Stan for locking us away… but we got the wrong guy." Mabel wrapped her arms around my waist, shying away from the murderous detective.

"So, you were trying to murder Grunkle Stan for real!?" Dipper shouted.

"You were right all along, guys! Wax people are creepy!" Mabel said, looking around me at her brother.

"And evil, too," I remarked. _Called it!_

"Enough!" Wax Sherlock shouted. "Now that you know our secret, you must… DIE." All of the statues growled at us, their eyes rolling into the back of their heads. With a sickening cracking noise. As a unit, they began to advance forward, forcing us into a corner by the food table.

"What do we do, what do we do?" Mabel and I said, panicking.

"I don't know!" Dipper told us.

"Just, throw random stuff!" I shouted. We started chucking food, plates; practically anything we could reach. Dipper grabbed a pot of coffee and threw it at wax Genghis Khan. The wax figure screamed as his face started melting in a brown ooze. He stumbled backwards through the crowd, his hand not holding his sword grabbing at what was left of his face.

"That's it!" Mabel said, releasing me. "We can melt them with hotty melty things!"

Dipper and Mabel grabbed the electronic decorative candles from the table and grinned at the wax figures, as I yanked the beer bottle out from underneath my flannel. Smashing it over the edge of the table and letting the liquid stain the floor, I held the sharpened points outwards with a shaking hand. _Guess it did come in hand after all._

"Anyone move and we'll melt you into candles!" Dipper said.

"Decorative candles!" Mabel added. They both held their candles in front of them like swords, while I gripped my weapon like a fencing sword, ready to stab forward. _This is about to get worse before it gets better._ I just hoped I could actually take down something without using heat.

"You really think you can defeat us?" Sherlock asked. Our smiles faltered.

"I-I don't really know. I'm not-I'm not really sure," Dipper stuttered, glancing at us.

"It's worth a shot I guess," Mabel replied as I gave a little shrug behind her.

"So be it. ATTACK!" The wax figures ran forward, and we readied ourselves. Wax Lizzie Borden swung her ax at Mabel, but decapitated wax Robin Hood by accident, making the redhead scream. I tackled wax Shakespeare as Mabel cut his hands off with her candle, his legs stumbling about as he tried to get away. With my bottle, I stabbed his side repeatedly until I got thrown to the floor. Each pierce left a deep hole in the wax, slowing his speed considerably. I picked my bottle up as it fell out of my grip, and went to rush wax Coolio, slashing his head off and grabbing his dreadlocks. Noticing the advancing statues, I ditched my bottle and started spinning the severed head around, knocking them back.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow! What's up with that?" Coolio asked, looking up in annoyance.

'Dipper! Watch out!" Mabel shouted. I saw wax Sherlock approach Dipper from behind as he kicked a wax figure out of the room.

"Alright. Let's get this taken care of," Sherlock said, sticking wax Stan's head on the horn of a rhino head on the wall and grabbed a sword hanging next to it. He swung at Dipper, smacking the candle out of his hands and breaking it. He raised the sword above his head, ready to bring it down on his head.

"Catch!" Mabel yelled, throwing a hot poker to him from the fire place. Wax Sherlock brought down his sword, but Dipper blocked with the caught poker. The statue kept attacking, forcing Dipper to continue blocking and get pushed back. I watched the two leave the room, and turned back to Mabel.

"I… I'm sure he'll be fine," I told her, examining the room. My use of Coolio's head had damaged the rest of the statues, so we were no longer in any danger. Either they were dismembered, or knocked out. "With the sun coming up soon, Sherlock will melt if Dipper tricks him towards a window or outside. He's clever enough to think of that. Best we start cleaning up though." I reached for a severed arm and threw it in the fire, watching the limb melt over the logs. _Ew._

Mabel seemed to be in agreement of my explanation, and went to join me in tossing the remaining parts of the wax statues into the fireplace. The last identifiable figure was Shakespeare's head, which I scooped up and brought over to her. "Though our group be left in twain, man of wax shall rise agayn!" He cried.

"Y'know any limericks?" Mabel asked.

"Uh… there once was a dude from Kentucky..."

"Nope!" She interrupted, singling me to throw his head into the flames. As the screaming died down, Dipper walked in. "Dipper! You're okay! You solved the mystery after all."

He pulled up a chair to get wax Stan's head off the wall, pulling it up off the horn. "I couldn't have done it without my sidekicks," he said.

I cocked my head. "Really? I always thought that the youngest kid was the sidekick."

"She's right. No offense Dipper, but you're the sidekick," Mabel agreed.

"What? Says who?" He hopped off the chair. "Have people been saying that? Have you heard that?"

"Hot Belgium waffles! What happened to my parlor!?" We turned to see Stan had returned to the room, and he stared around in horror. The wallpaper was torn, food and chairs were thrown around, and there was melted wax on everything. Not to mention the shattered window and broken drapes… I think we went overboard.

"Your wax figures turned out to be evil, so we fought them to the death!" Mabel declared happily.

"I decapitated Larry King," Dipper said.

"I used Coolio's severed head as a flail," I added. "Not long after using a beer bottle to stab Shakespeare in the side."

"Ha ha! You kids and your imaginations!" Stan laughed. He glanced at me for a split second, and shrugged. "Though, I probably should ask about the beer thing."

"You don't want to know," I giggled. "Just know I put a guy in his place today and got it as a reward."

"On the bright side though, look what we found," Dipper said, handing wax Stan's head over as his uncle turned back to him.

"My head! Ha ha! I missed this guy!" He examined the head, checking for any nicks and cuts. "You done good kids! Alright, line up for some affectionate noogie-ing."

"Uh, is that really necessary…?" I asked.

"Oh uh… I'm not so sure..." Mabel murmured.

"Oh I'm not so sure about that. Is there any other alternative…?" Dipper suggested.

Stan ignored our protests and brought us together, noogie-ing our heads. We struggled to get out of his grip, but eventually gave up and laughed along with him. We stopped though when we saw Deputy Durland and Sheriff Blubs stop their cop car outside of the broken window, possibly to see how we were doing.

"Solved the case yet, boy? I'm so confident you're gonna say no, that I'm gonna take a long sip from my cup of coffee," Blubs said, taking said long slow sip.

"Actually, the answer is yes," Dipper said, showing them the wax head after taking it from Stan.

"Blu blu blu-" Blubs stuttered, and did a spit take into Durland's face.

"Aaah!" Durland screamed and spat coffee back into Blubs' face.

"Aaah!" The cycle continued two more times until they started shouting in pain and drove away screaming.

We all laughed at the officers' misfortune, pointing at where they last were. "They got scalded!" Stan said as we heard a crashing sound in the distance. _Hehe. Whoops._

Dipper turned to face me and Mabel. "So, did you get rid of all the wax figures?"

"I am ninety-nine percent sure that I did!" She replied.

"Good enough for me!" Dipper said. I laughed, and patted the twins on the back.

"Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm going to bed. Being in a life-or-death situation really takes a tole on a girl. You two coming?"

"Are you kidding me? We just fought living wax figures and you want to sleep?" Dipper asked incredulously.

I shrugged. "I know, Dipper. But I'm running low on energy." _ _Mostly because Bill prevented me from getting__ _ _some good night's sleep.__

Mabel smiled at me. "It's okay, Elaine. We'll wake you later."

"Alright. Night guys," I said, walking back up to the attic, and immediately passed out on my bed. No change of clothes or brushing of hair or teeth. My legs gave out on the bed, and I planted my face, glasses still on, into the pillow. _Ugh… everything is sore and tiring._

(Time Skip)

I woke up around 2 am, hearing a… voice in the air vents? Lifting my head up off the pillow, I noticed Dipper was missing and Mabel was fast asleep. "Wh… what?" I quietly got up and crept downstairs to investigate, sneakers creaking on the steps. I walked over to the vent in the living room and listened to the voice, knowing I would hear it the best there.

"There's nothing funny about the funny bone," it said. It took me a moment to remember that at the end of Headhunters, wax Larry King's head was still in the house. He was most likely the voice I was listening too. _How did he get in there?_ There were multiple loud thumps, like there was a fight going on in the ducts, until he spoke again. "Have a great week everybody! Goodnight!" I could hear the quieting thumps of the head moving deeper into the vents, until it was quiet on my end once again.

"Well… that was odd."

"Hello? Who's out there?" Another voice echoed from the vent, and I blinked in surprise.

"Dipper! Wha-what the heck are you doing in there?"

"Oh, it's you Elaine." He sighed. "I heard a voice coming from the vents in the afternoon, and Mabel wasn't going to help. She was lost in her new crayons made from the leftover wax and a copy of Dream Boy High 2, so I jumped into the vents myself. Now I'm tired, covered in peanut butter, and stuck at the bottom of a narrow duct." Dipper paused. "Larry King's smarter than he looks."

"How long have you been in there?" I asked, pressing the side of my head to the grate to hear better.

'About thirteen, maybe fourteen hours," came the sad reply.

"Well Dipper," I chuckled, straightening back up. "Looks… looks like you better get'cha head in the game then."

Even though he wasn't anywhere near me, I could feel Dipper's glare through the walls, making my chuckles turn into outright laughter. "Not helping, Elaine. Not helping."

* * *

 ** **The part of Dipper getting stuck in the vents was one of the funniest parts of the real-life journal. I just had to throw it in... along with the High School Musical reference. It suited this situation so well.****

 **I've been looking ahead to future episodes-specially Double Dipper-and my plan's to introduce a new character to be someone Elaine can discuss her feelings and problems with other than the twins; basically a friend the same age as her. If anyone happens to have an OC they'd like to submit, I'd appreciate it. If there's more than one submission, I'll chose one, and incorporate the rest in future chapters.**

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	10. The Hand That Rocks the Mabel Part 1

****Disclaimer:**** ** **Thanks for the views, favorites, and follows so far!****

 ** **1ToasterKitty: Well… I wouldn't say I'm awesome. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story!****

 ** **Gravity Falls is not mine!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 4/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"The tiger was badly injured in the explosion, but we repaired him with a fist!" Soos, Dipper, and Mabel cheered while I gave an unimpressed yawn. We were sitting in the living room, with the twins on the floor while Soos and I sat on the couch behind them. Frankly, I didn't understand how we got bored enough to be willing to watch Gravity Falls television. The programs were absolutely terrible. "Tiger Fist will return after these messages," the narrator said again. It switched to a commercial of a hand releasing a group of doves into the air before I could reach the remote to change the channel. Soos took it away, preventing me from doing so.

"Hey, look. It's that commercial I was telling you guys about," he said, leaning forward and pointing at the screen.

"Are you completely miserable?" The narrator, an unseen Bud Gleeful asked. Of course, neither kid knew him yet.

The actor in the ad started crying. "Yes!"

"Then you need to meet..." Bud whispered the next part. "… Gideon." __Ooh__ ** _ ** _boy_**_** _ _. Here we go,__ I thought miserably. Besides Bill, Gideon had to be the second worst person in this town. At least he couldn't kill you with a snap of his fingers... at least, I think I was right.

"Gideon?" Dipper repeated, raising a brow.

"What makes him so special?" Mabel asked, looking back at Soos for a moment.

"He's a psychic," came the commercial's response.

"Aroo?" Mabel tilted her head to the side as she turned around. The sound she made earned a small laugh from me, but I was still too focused on the commercial. Gideon… eugh.

"So don't waste your time with other so-called 'man of mystery'." The screen changed to a video of Stan coming out of the outhouse, the word " ** **fraud**** " stamped on it. "Learn about it tonight at Gideon's Tent of Telepathy."

"Wow, I'm getting all curiousy inside!" Mabel said, clapping her hands together as she turned to Dipper.

"Well, don't be getting too curiousy," Stan said, walking in. He growled at the TV, where the ad began to quickly display warnings of ill effects from attending a show. "Ever since that monster Gideon rolled into town, I've had nothing but trouble." Rolled into town? Wasn't he born there?

Dipper turned to me, wanting a second input. "Do you think he's really psychic, Elaine?"

I shrugged. "With everything we've seen so far this summer, anything's possible." Except me getting any logical answer as to why on earth I was in Gravity Falls. Bill might have known something, but if he did, wouldn't he have already let me know? _Hmm… best keep that in mind._

He thought over my answer and then turned to face Mabel. "I think we should go check it out."

"Never! You're forbidden from patronizing the competition. No one that lives under my roof is allowed under that Gideon's roof!" Stan stormed out of the room, muttering angrily under his breath.

"Do tents have roofs?" Dipper asked, once he was certain his that his uncle wouldn't hear him.

"I think we just found our loop hole… literally!" Mabel held up a string with a loop in it. "Mwop, mwop!" How did she get that? Was that another thing like the beans, where it was prop comedy that appeared when she needed it? _Strange… cartoon physics in real life, how I hate you so._

"So come on down folks," Bud continued in the commercial, just as it was coming to an end. "Gideon is expecting you."

"Don't worry, dudes. I can drive you down there. Heck, wouldn't mind checking out the show for myself," Soos said, and headed on out the door. The twins got up and followed suit, but Dipper paused to look back at me, still on the couch.

"Elaine, do you want to come too?" I glanced at him in confusion and shrugged. While it would be wise to keep an eye on them, especially in this case where it involved Gideon, would they really be in harm there? Besides, Soos had volunteered to take them. They already had an adult-like figure. _But, you know… it doesn't hurt to check out the enemy._ Gideon would be a problem down the road, and while I hated to admit it, it would be wise to understand how he operated before I got pulled into a situation.

"Eh. Why not? It might be fun." Getting out of the house with Dipper, we jumped into Soos' truck and took off into town. The tent was located in the parking area of Bud's business, where people were walking up to it. The tent was lit up from the inside, giving the blue drapes around it an intense glow. Soos took the lead, leading us over and past Bud himself, who stood outside with a small blue bag bearing the Tent of Telepathy's symbol. "Step right up there, folks. Put your money in Gideon's psychic sack." The crowd put their money in, murmuring positive things about the sack's credibility while I shook my head. Stan did that exact same trick, and some people still fell for it. _How smart is this town?_

"Whoa, this is like a bizarro version of the Mystery Shack. They even have their own Soos," Dipper said, pointing to a maintenance worker who looked similar to Soos with a name-tag that read " ** **Deuce**** " as we took our seats. A tall pole stood in the center, with a speaker system hooked up to it. Off to the side of the stage, another speaker, this one more built for entertainment systems, and an electronic piano was set up. Soos glared at the lookalike while eating an empanada, as I turned my attention back to the front.

"It's starting! It's starting!" Mabel shouted, tossing a few pieces of popcorn out onto the floor.

"Where did you even get that?" I asked. I didn't remember her buying anything coming, but I did remember Soos having the snack he had in a bag back at the Shack. He had said he was saving it for later.

"From the floor," she replied happily. "Someone just left it there." _Uh…_ I had to keep in mind, this was the kid who ate tacos that were hidden in the folds of a car's seat.

'Let's see what this monster looks like," Dipper said, leaning forward in his chair. Gideon's shadow appeared behind the curtains, making him look huge and threatening. I frowned when the curtains opened to reveal the little monster himself, standing below the iconic symbol his business was known for.

"Hello America!" He greeted. "My name is Li'l Gideon." He clapped once and doves flew out of his ginormous hair, the crowd cheering him on as the lights died down around us and focused on him.

"That's Stan's mortal enemy?" Dipper asked incredulously.

"But he's so wittle!" Mabel said. His height wasn't as short as it was shown in the show though. While his outfit was the exact same as the cartoon, same as everybody else, his hair wasn't nearly as high as it was before. Tall, yes, but it wasn't as exaggerating as I was ready to see.

"Don't judge too quickly there, guys," I warned them. An uneasy feeling sat in the pit of my stomach, and I shuffled my chair back a little.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is such a gift to have you here tonight! …such a gift." Gideon put a hand behind his back, while point a figure in the air. "I have a vision. I predict you will all soon say, 'awww'." He turned around, and as he came back to face us, he struck a pose. His eyes were impossibly huge and sparkling, complete with rosy freckled cheeks, and the crowd said the same line he earlier said.

"It came true," Mabel said in awe.

"What? I'm not impressed," Dipper said.

"Same here," I agreed, crossing my arms and glaring.

"You're impressed!" Mabel pressured us, shoving me lightly.

"Hit it, dad!" Bud winked at Gideon before starting to play the piano. He tapped his foot to the beat and took his white cape off, throwing it into the audience. A woman caught it, only to get attacked by other women trying to get it, including an elderly woman with a walker. _Yikes. That's a little much._

"Oh I can see, what others can't see," Gideon sang. "It ain't some sideshow trick, it's innate ability. Where others are blind, I am futurely inclined. And you too could see, if you was widdle ol' me!" He walked up to the front of the stage. "Come on, everybody, rise up!" Gideon lifted his hands. "I want y'all to keep it going!"

Row by row, everyone stood up, the crowd clapping along to the beat. I winced as I felt an unseen power try to force me to stand. The magic felt raw against my healing wounds, even though they were wrapped in bandages and covered by my sleeves. I grimaced, biting down hard against my cheek. I struggled for a few seconds, my mind almost fighting against it until it relaxed all of a sudden, and I sprung up without another thought.

"Wha-? How did he-?" Dipper started. I rubbed my arms in a miserable attempt to sooth the pain. I did NOT like being controlled. __Ya hear that, Cipher!?__ I mentally shouted. But… was he also why I stood a chance against Gideon's powers, even for such a small moment. I could almost feel the amulet's power prodding some sort of wall, a barrier, inside my head. Eventually, he broke through, but that was just minor magic. Small, whispers of commands. Larger stuff, like entering minds and seeing memories was Bill's domain. Since I made a deal, I willingly let him enter. He could come and go inside my head as he pleased, but could not posses my body.

 _So then… was it Bill that put up that small wall to try and keep Gideon out, or was that all me?_ "Keep it going!" Gideon continued, while I snapped back to reality. "You wish your son would call you more." He pointed to an old lady in the crowd with a cat on her lap.

"I'm leaving everything to my cats!" She protested, her cat meowing angrily.

'I sense that you've been here before," he referred to Sheriff Blubs who had a Gideon t-shirt and merchandise.

"Oh, what gave it away?" Blubs asked.

"Come on," Dipper said exasperated. Gideon came over to Mabel, and I noticed very briefly, and I could have almost mistaken it for my eyes not working right, but he stared at me hard. He-did he notice my resistance? Those few seconds of trying to break through to my will?

"I'll read your mind if I'm able. Something tells me you're named Mabel." Gideon left, and I noticed that Mabel's sweater had her name sewn onto it.

"How'd he do that?" She said, mystified.

"So welcome all ye… to the Tent of Telepathy. And thanks for visiting… widdle ol' me!" The song ended with a huge neon blue sign saying " **Gideon** " come down from behind him, and blue flames shooting up from the sides. The crowd erupted into more applause as Gideon stood there panting. "Oh… oh my goodness." He took out a water bottle and gulped it down. "Thank you! You people are the real miracles!"

"Woo! Yeah!" Mabel cheered as Dipper and I rolled our eyes. Yeah… this was a waste of time. Getting up, we trailed behind the rest of the crowd as we exited the tent. Soos moved on ahead to get the truck ready, since he knew as well as we did that Stan shouldn't be kept waiting. He didn't need to find out about the unexpected trip.

"Man, that kid's an even bigger fraud than Stan! No wonder our uncle's jealous," Dipper said.

"I still think Stan's overreacting a bit," I said. "He has absolutely no reason to be jealous of a ten year old with premature white hair and can't handle five minutes of activity without dying of exhaustion."

"Oh, come on. His dance moves were adorable! And did you see his hair?" Mabel shouted. "It was like, whoosh!" She imitated the shape of his hair, swinging her arms over her head. Dipper and I couldn't help but laugh, finding her enthusiasm entertaining.

"You're too easily impressed," Dipper said.

"Yeah, yeah!" She laughed along with us as we pushed each other playfully. I paused as we headed back to the truck, and I threw a glance behind me. I didn't know if this was me being paranoid, or the small reminder of what happened in the cartoon, but I could swear I saw Gideon watching us from behind the tent.

(Time Skip)

Next morning, Dipper and me were curled up on the couch, reading the journal. I had an arm wrapped around the young boy, my head propped above his. He was flustered when I got close, but I replied with that it was easier to read. Still, I really did enjoy seeing his stuttering reactions. "Check it out, guys!" Mabel announced, walking into the room. "I successfully bedazzled my face! Blink," Mabel said as she blinked, making sequins fly off her face. "Ow."

"Is that permanent?" Dipper asked. Mabel sighed in pain.

'I'm unappreciated in my time..." we all looked up as the doorbell rang, and Mabel kicked the few jewels that fell off under the couch.

"Somebody answer that door!" Stan yelled from somewhere else in the building.

"I'll get it!" Mabel shouted, wiping the sequins off her face as she ran to the door.

"Who do you think that is?" I asked Dipper. "And should I get a broom for all that?" I gestured to the floor, and the trail of sequins that showed where his sister went.

Dipper shrugged. "I don't know. Why don't you go check it out? And, uh, I'll ask Soos to get it later."

I pulled myself off the couch. "Okay. But I want to borrow the journal again afterwards, alright?"

His response was cut off by Stan yelling again. "Who's at the door?"

"No one, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel shouted from outside.

"Sure, Elaine. I'll be here when you're ready to give it back," Dipper said.

Nodding, I went to the door and found Mabel and Gideon talking. "Hey, Mabel. Hello, Gideon. What brings you here?" __As if I d__ _ _id__ _ _n't already know, you freak.__

Mabel turned around to face me, grinning. "Elaine! Gideon just asked me to come check out his dressing room! Can you tell Dipper I'll be back in a while?"

 _ _Ugh…__ I put on a fake smile. "Sure, Mabel. It was nice to meet your acquaintance, Gideon." __Easy, Elaine. Just… try to get on his nice side instead of the one that wants to kill you.__

Gideon held out his hand and we shook. "Why, it's a pleasure to meet you too, Elaine." __Eugh__ _…_

"Bye, Elaine!" The two left the deck, and I released the sigh I unconsciously was holding.

"Phew," I sighed, watching the kids disappear down the road. Once I was sure they were gone, I retreated back to the living room, picked up the journal from Dipper, and went back to the attic open space. Before returning to the page I had left off however, I knelt down and reached behind a cardboard box in the corner.

"I know I shouldn't be writing in this, but at least it gives me something to vent to." Ever since the wax figure fiasco, I had given into the temptation of having something to say my inner thoughts to without getting into trouble, and had begun writing in the blue journal Bill granted me with. It allowed my thoughts to run free, and allow me to write about my adventures with the twins and stuff I'm learning from the journal. It's not like I had access to the author's journal when I was back home in my dimension, so every new bit of information was a blessing.

 _ _Bet Bill's happy that I'm using his gift.__ I opened to a fresh page and began writing. " ** **It's been one week since I've experienced the comfort of home. So far, I've been hanging with a demon, mauled by gnomes, and fought cursed wax statues.****

 ** **Mabel and Dipper have really grown to like me, despite the latter not fully trusting me at the beginning. I understand though.**** ** **I**** ** **f your friend made a life-or-death deal at the cost of theirs, and possibly your safety, I wouldn't be so trusting either. It's probably due to being such a recluse when we first met.****

 ** **I tried, really I did, at keeping my distance. At not wanting to get close, in fear of hurting myself… and I guess, them too. But that failed, obviously. Mabel has a way of getting people to like her, even if it's a little aggressive.****

 ** **Of course, I don't want**** ** **Dipper**** ** **or anyone else**** ** **to find my journal. Who knows what would happen if they discovered what I'm from another dimension where they don't exist.**** "

I examined the paragraph, and closed the book. I put it to the side and opened journal three, and started reading today's chapters. I only managed to get through two chapters though, mostly because my mind kept on replaying what I had read.

The first was Ford talking about himself in a mini-autobiography. He described himself as being 'born strange, attracted to the strange, and the strange always being attracted to him'. As a child, he was mocked for his six fingers, and dreamed of a place where people like him belonged. Ford called Gravity Falls 'my own personal Bermuda Triangle', as it was the only place where he fit in.

I paused for a moment, writing my thoughts about the passage in my journal. In the show, it never showed much about Ford's past. Yet there I was, finally learning about the man this cartoon was built upon.

The next chapter on the other hand…

I remembered how Ford had said in The Last Mabelcorn that Bill had tricked him into believing he was a Muse, but that was all he said about it. The following chapter, called " ** **My Muse**** ", told of how Ford was contacted by 'a strange being from a higher plane', and took pity on him. Bill would end up giving Ford insight into mathematics and science that was thousands of years ahead of his time.

I closed the book, my mind swimming. __Wow… I never knew Ford looked up to Bill that much.__ I gave a curious glance to the journal in my lap. __I wonder… what else I'll find… no. I'm not reading the whole thing yet. Space it out, and wait until the portal's finished. When Ford__ _ _returns, that's when I'll have finished reading.__

I turned to look outside and saw Mabel had come back. Closing both journals, I slid mine back into its hiding spot, and ran downstairs. "Hey, catch!" Dipper looked up as I chucked journal three at him, quickly having to catch it before it hit him in the head.

"Whoa!" He straightened himself out and gave an unamused look. "Was that really necessary?"

"All things are necessary, Dipper. Especially the things that are random, as they make life way more interesting."

Dipper looked baffled by my answer, but managed to put on a straight face when Mabel walked into the room. "Hey guys. What's goin' oooon?" She waved her manicured nails in front of her Dipper's face.

"Whoa, where have you been? And what's going on with those fingernails, you look like a wolverine."

"I know, right? Rahhh!" She roared, pretending to claw something. "I was hanging out with my new pal, Gideon. He is one dapper little man."

"Mabel, I don't trust anyone who's hair is bigger than their head," Dipper said.

"Oh, leave him alone!" Mabel glowered. "You never want to do girly stuff with me, neither does Elaine. She's the complete opposite of girly and outgoing!" I frowned at that comment. Hey, I liked some girly things! I wear jewelry, and enjoyed having my hair done-wait. What did she mean by I wasn't outgoing? "You and Soos get to do boy stuff all the time!"

"What do you mean?" Dipper asked. Clearly he had no idea what 'girly' even meant.

"Hey dude," Soos said, walking in. You ready to blow up these hot dogs in the microwave one by one?"

"Am I!" Dipper said excitedly as they both ran out, leaving Mabel and I. "Ha ha!" They laughed. "One-at-a-time! One-at-a-time!"

"Hey. What did you mean by I wasn't going? Haven't I been going out on all of these crazy adventures with you and Dipper?" I asked.

Mabel looked at me frowning, but softened her expression when she saw how curious I was. "Well, yeah! But you always seem to hide yourself when you get the chance. Dipper and I know almost nothing about you." She dropped down on the couch where her brother once sat, and put her head in her hands, elbows on her knees as she stared at me. "You've been with us with the gnomes, and the fishing trip, and the murderous wax figures trying to kill my uncle… you barely interact with us unless you have to. Heck, I tried to ask you questions, and all I get is small, short answers. You just… shut down, and let your mind go somewhere else." Her hands fell to her sides, and she looked down at the floor. "I wanna be friends with you, Elaine, but… but you don't seem to feel the same way."

I thought about what she said, and sadly, I knew Mabel was right. It hurt. It hurt to admit it, but everything she said was right. Although we lived in the same house, she, Dipper and practically everyone else I've befriended know nothing about me. I could've at least said stuff about where I'm from; interests, hobbies, anything! Had I really been that scared about revealing myself that I just… put up a huge mental blockade? _I had started letting myself close, I had. In our adventure with the wax murder, I got closer. But… but I still didn't interact as much as they would've liked._

"Listen, Mabel." I knelt down in front of her, resting a hand on her knee. Her head lifted up to meet mine, and I saw the hurt and sadness on the make-up covered face. "I'm sorry I've made you feel like this. Trust me, I hate it when people I know are sad. I'm… awkward. I don't have that many friends at home, and my best friend is my little sister. She reminds me a lot of you, actually." The last part was almost a whisper to myself, and I wondered if Mabel could hear it. "It takes me a while to truly warm up to someone, and to have their trust. I-I just don't want to hurt anyone if I do something wrong. But I promise you I'll make it up to you, and that I'll be more open about myself." I straightened up, getting off the floor. "I promise I won't let you down."

She smiled at me, wiping at the small tears that had appeared on her cheeks and got off the couch. I felt the long red manicured nails dig into my back as she hugged me, and I gently patted the top of her head. "Thanks, Ellie." _There's that nickname again._ If she liked it, then she could keep calling me it. I didn't mind. I-I didn't mind it, or this slow-building friendship at all.

(Time Skip)

The next day, Mabel, Dipper and I were playing a video game in the living room. The console reminded me a little of a n64, and the game was old school multiplayer shooter. Mabel talked to us about her trek with Gideon to the top of his factory a few hours earlier, and her thoughts about it. Thank goodness for Dipper, since she didn't mention the part where he sniffed her hair. _As a cartoon, that creeped me out. Now, it's even worse to think about it._

"It's not a date-date, it's just, you know, I didn't want to hurt his feelings and so I figured I'd throw him a bone."

Dipper shook his head, eyes not leaving the screen. "Mabel, guys don't work that way. He's gonna fall in love with you."

"It would be best to tread lightly, Mabel. Don't lead him on, and make sure you don't do anything you're uncomfortable with." This was mostly from experience. I have had a boyfriend in the past, and… I just didn't like it. Not him entirely, but how cocky he was and how he always talked down to me hurt. I didn't want something like that happening to Mabel. Gideon was younger, yes, but he was more mature than a lot of the people in this town.

Mabel scoffed. "Yeah right. I'm not that lovable." She said, grinning as she and me shot Dipper in the game, killing his character.

"Kaboom! Yes!" Mabel exclaimed, turning and giving me a high five.

"Okay, we agree on something here," Dipper deadpanned. The doorbell rang and Mabel ran to answer it, knowing it was Gideon coming to get her. Dipper paused the game when we heard a crash and a scream.

"I'm on it." I ran to the door to check on Mabel, only to find a horse was in the doorway. Gideon sat on top in fancy riding gear.

"A night of enchantment awaits, m'lady!" He said to Mabel, bowing down to her.

"Oh boy," Mabel said, breathless from the surprise.

 _ _Not if I have anything to say 'bout it.__ _This night wasn't going to go well for Mabel. She would get pressured into another date, and eventually dive into Sweater Town. The idea of her all balled up inside of that pink sweater, barely responding to Dipper hurt._ No way was I letting him be alone with Mabel, and… if I had to suffer hanging out with Gideon, then so be it. "Um, Gideon…?"

(Time Skip)

 _ _Let me establish that going along as a chaperon for Mabel and Gideon's date… not my greatest idea. At all. It's almost as bad as dealing with Bill__ _ _and getting into a car blindfolded by Stan.__

Gideon was surprisingly okay with me joining them, which slightly concerned me. I didn't know why, but it's almost like he knew something I didn't. _Not a good thing. Not a good thing at all when it concerns him._ We were all seated in a booth at a fancy aquatic-themed restaurant. Mabel watched the horse eating from a plant before turning back to Gideon. "I can't believe they let us bring a horse in here!"

"Well, people have a hard time sayin' no to me," Gideon replied, putting his feet up on the table. My lip curled slightly in disgust, but he didn't notice.

"Ah, Monsieur Gideon!" A waiter said, walking up to us to refill our glasses. "Ze feet on ze table! An excellent choice!"

"Jean Luc, what did we discuss about eye contact?" Gideon asked disdainfully. The waiter immediately diverted his eyes.

"Yes, yes, very good!" He shouted as he backed away.

"I've never seen so many forks!" Mabel said, completely unaware of Gideon's behavior. "And water with bubbles in it? Ooh lala, oui oui!"

"Oh! Parlez vous francais?" Gideon said. Mabel gave a blank smile, trying to decipher the simple question.

"...I have no idea what you're saying." I do. But he didn't need to know that. The menus came, and as the two ordered the lobster-well, it was more like Gideon ordered for Mabel before she could get a word in-I ordered the breaded haddock. The food looked amazing, except for the small fact that Mabel's dish was still very much alive.

"So, tell me, Elaine. Where did y'all come from? You're obviously not Mabel's sister." Oh, so we were asking questions about me?

"Oh, well… I'm just staying at the Mystery Shack for the summer." _Maybe longer, but I refuse to say that to him._ "He's letting me live there in exchange for work." I cut into the fish, dipping it in the tarter sauce before taking a bite. Just focus on eating, and avoiding questions should be easy.

Gideon nodded slowly, and Mabel looked from my food to her lobster. Seeing the unsaid question, I cut my fish in half and slid the upper part onto her plate. The lobster snapped its claws at me, but left the haddock alone. "Nice, nice." I knew he could have gone more into questions, but with Mabel there, he couldn't. He wanted to play it cool around her, and win her over. With ease, the young boy ate his lobster, while the two of us continued with our fish. Shell fish. Had to say, I was a little impressed he knew how to take it out of its shell without making a mess.

As the food finally disappeared, Gideon began to spin some tale about photography. I had blanked out most of it, and Mabel was mostly distracted with her lobster, so we only caught the tail end of it. "… and so I said, 'autograph your own head shot, lady'," Gideon laughed gleefully.

Mabel laughed nervously. "Yeah..." She poked her lobster, causing it to pinch her fork.

"Mabel, tonight's date was a complete success. I also enjoyed your company, Elaine." Gideon said after he calmed down.

I gave a smile. "Thank you Gideon. It's been a while since I've been treated out as nicely as this."

"And tomorrow's date promises to top this one in every way!" Gideon continued. Mabel froze.

"Whoa whoa, you said just one date, and this was it," Mabel protested.

"Hark! What a surprise! A red crested South American rainbow macaw!" Gideon shouted as the large bird flew in and landed on his arm. Mabel screamed at the bird and grabbed the lobster.

"...two, three, four..." Gideon whispered to the macaw.

"MABEL!" The bird shouted. "WILL YOU-ACCOMPANY-GIDEON-TO-THE BALLROOM DANCE-THIS-THURBDAY!?" Gideon shook the bird violently, scowling. "THURSDAY!" The bird corrected its mistake before coughing up a letter and flying away.

"Oh, so adorable," a woman said from her chair, looking at us.

"Gideon's got a girlfriend," a chef agreed.

"They're expectin' us. Please say you'll go. Gideon said. "And you're welcomed to join us again too, Elaine. After all, I'm not done asking my questions yet."

 _ _Please don't drag me into this.__ Mabel caught my discomfort and disturbed look, despite how faint it was, and answered for the both of us. "Oh, Gideon, I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to say-"

"I'm on the edge of my seat," Sheriff Blubs said, getting up. A crowd of people had surrounded our table, choosing to leave their own food behind in exchange for what was going on there. So what? An unknown teen's and little girl's personal lives are suddenly more important than a fancy dinner?

"This is gonna be adorable," Tyler Cutebiker said.

"If she say's no, I'll die from sadness," an old woman said, hands over her chest.

"I can verify that will indeed happen," a doctor remarked, looking down at her. The excited chattering of the people's expectations started to get Mabel, and she started to visibly cave. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, and saw me discreetly shake my head. Gulping, she turned to face Gideon.

 _ _Like I said, I regret every minute of that decision.__

(Time Skip)

We trudged into the living room, and walked by Dipper reading the journal. "Hey. How'd it go?" He asked us, noticing our depressed faces.

"I don't know..." she dropped the lobster into the fish tank. "I have a lobster now."

"Well, at least it's over and you'll never have to go out with him again." Dipper said in relief, but started frowning when he saw Mabel's and my guilty looks. "It's over, right? Mabel? Elaine?"

"BLAARRGG!" Mabel exclaimed, flailing her arms. "He asked me out again and I didn't know how to say no. And now Elaine's sucked into this too!"

"Like this: no." He looked at me, the unsaid question of how I got involved hung in the air.

"All I did was join them as a chaperon. I don't know why he wants me to tag along." Oh, I think I did, but I really wanted to be wrong about it. "Now we're going out again tomorrow for dancing. It's like we're digging our own grave here, kid."

"And it's not that easy, Dipper! And I do like Gideon, as a friend slash little sister, so I didn't want to hurt his feelings! I just need to get things back to where they used to be. You know, friends." I dropped beside Dipper, and shook my head at Mabel.

"You can say that all you want, Mabel. It isn't going to work. Things are going to get worse before they get better."

(Time Skip)

The following evening, Gideon had brought Mabel and I down to the lake after dancing. The high school was used as a hall for the community dance, which looked awkward for me and Mabel. I sat on the sidelines the entire time, watching her try and slow dance with the short boy. Even before that, Mabel was trying to avoid the flashes of cameras from photographers chasing after Gideon. No doubt, these would end up in the paper, and Stan would see them too. _Poor Mabel. If I wasn't already so frazzled, I'd punch Stan for selling out his niece._

Now though, McGucket was rowing the boat we were in as we went along the still water. "Boat in the night! Boat in the night!" He cackled. Thank goodness Gideon didn't have the strength or stamina to row the boat, and had to get someone to do it for him. Otherwise, the questioning would have continued. His focus had been on Mabel all day, but every small chance he had, he would keep pressuring me about anything unusual I'd seen since my arrival in Gravity Falls. Mabel's patience was wearing thin, and so was mine.

"Hah, you know I thought dancing was gonna be the end of the evening, right?" Mabel asked, seeing me visibly distressed.

"Don't you want this evenin' to last, my sweet?" Gideon leaned in.

"NO!" Mabel recoiled. Seeing Gideon's hurt face, I quickly responded, letting my discomfort hide away for a moment. I didn't need him doing anything rash, especially since we were out in the middle of the lake. There was still the real Gobblewonker swimming far below us, and I didn't want to be monster food.

"She means yes. Mabel is always happy to hang out with a friend, buddy, pal, chum, other word for friend…" _I'm repeating lines again. Ugh. Why can't I stop doing that?_

"Pal?" McGucket suggested.

"She already said pal, uh, mate?" Mabel asked nervously.

"How about soul mate?" Gideon asked slyly. Fireworks shot up into the air above the trees spelling out " **Mabel** " in a pink heart.

"Well, you can't say no to that." McGucket stated as Mabel and I frowned. __No, no you can't.__

(Time Skip)

The moment we stepped back into the Mystery Shack, I split from Mabel and went straight to our bedroom. I flopped onto my mattress face first, my glasses squished against my face. I was done playing nice to Gideon, but I had no heart to be mean to him-okay. It wasn't heart, as it was I was terrified of the tiny psycho. And I couldn't do anything until Mabel broke up with him. And besides that, why did he want to hang out with me? Does he suspect I know about the amulet? The journals? The author!?

"Curse my paranoia. I'm turning into Dipper," I muttered into the pillow. I could make out footsteps come into the room and someone sitting down on the floor. I lifted my head to see Mabel at the foot of her bed, tucked inside her sweater. Dipper walked in and looked at us.

"Oh no. Guys..."

"Mabel's not here. She's in Sweater Town,' she murmured as I responded with a muffled groan. I failed. I failed trying to keep Mabel away, and now she's moved to Sweater Town. _Add insult to injury;_ _I'm in a similar position too… eugh._

"Are you gonna come out of Sweater Town?" Dipper asked, only to get a whine and a head shake. "Alright, enough is enough. If you can't break up with Gideon, I'll do it for you."

"You will?" Mabel pulled herself out of her sweater, peeking out from the collar.

Dipper nodded. "And Elaine, if you're worried, I'll tell Gideon that you don't want to be around him anymore too."

Mabel and me grinned before tackling Dipper in a hug. I literally threw myself at the preteen, knocking him to the ground. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" We cried. I knew Mabel was thankful for this, but so I was. I didn't want anything to do with him, and if the kid was willing to say something for me, then I wasn't stopping him.

(Time Skip)

Mabel and me stood outside the restaurant, waiting for Dipper to come back. It felt a little weird to little a 12 year old boy go and deal with Gideon when it was me he was focused on, but I knew better to get more involved with his creepy obsession. __Then again, what do you call Bill's checkups on his newest 'puppet'?__

"How'd it go?" Mabel asked Dipper when he exited the building. "Was he mad? Did he try to read your mind with his psychic powers?"

"Don't worry, Mabel, he's just a kid. He doesn't have any powers." Dipper told her. __Oh, how wrong you are, Dipper.__ _I gripped both of their hands, and Dipper looked up as my bandages rubbed against his palm._

 _"S-sorry. Just… needed some comfort." This wasn't going to end well, but I didn't want to say anything. I couldn't. Yet, even if I didn't, they seemed to sense my worries. As we walked home, Dipper and Mabel let me hold their hands, not saying anything else._ _ _Thanks, dorks.__

3rd POV

Gideon breathed heavily, pacing around his room. "Dipper Pines, you don't know what you've done!" He didn't. Not by a long shot. Gideon was obsessed with the dark arts, ever since he discovered that journal around his elementary school three years ago. It was buried off in the woods, and after a large hurricane rolled through, the dirt covering it was washed away to reveal the metal compartment it was stored in.

How interesting, he had thought. Though, despite his fanatical-he wouldn't choose that word, he heard it from someone else-attention in what the contents held, he wasn't overly fond of his brown hair turning white. Not sure why that happened, but he figured it was an affect of the twisted spells and supernatural items found within.

Gideon grabbed his amulet, one of the first items he had found with his treasured book, and started to levitate the objects and furniture around him, bathed in a the same bluish green glow as his amulet. The light bulbs on his boudoir exploded over his head, sending small fragments of glass onto the floor and counter-top. "You've just made the biggest mistake of your life!" He threw the levitated dresser at the bedroom door, splintering it beyond repair as the rest of his furniture came crashing down in a loud bang.

"Gideon Charles Gleeful." Gideon seethed, staring down at the floor as his father opened the door. "Clean up your room this instant!"

Gideon turned to face him. "I CAN BUY AND SELL YOU, OLD MAN!"

Bud paused. "Fair enough," he said and closed the door, going back to his drink still in his hand. Gideon looked at the picture of Mabel, Dipper, and Elaine on his side of the door. Ever since he first saw the young girl, he managed to create a wonderful collage of pictures, but the one in the middle, right underneath the switched letters spelling her name and felt hearts was a group photo of her, her brother, and that strange teen. Wrapping his around around the amulet one last time, he burnt away Dipper's side of the picture.

Gideon glared at Elaine's shy smiling face, arm wrapped around Mabel. Though, it did look a little forced. __I know you're hidin' something, girl,__ _He scowled. Nobody just showed up in Gravity Falls without a good reason, and with those injuries, it wasn't anything normal. There was something paranormal at work there._ _ _And I plan on finding out what it is.__

* * *

 ** **Oooh! Gideon is suspicious of Elaine! I wonder how that's gonna play out. (Just kidding.**** ** **Hello,**** ** **I'm the author, I know everything.)****

 ** **I also know that there was a lot of time skips in this chapter. It's not like I can help it. That's just the way the show works, by skipping multiple days in a single episode.**** ** **Though, I think I did a good job of expanding those scenes out.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	11. The Hand That Rocks the Mabel Part 2

****Disclaimer:**** ** **Exams are starting next week, so I went ahead and typed this chapter far in advance. Pre-cal and psychics on the same day? Ugh, horrible. I can't wait for this to be over so second semester can start.****

 ** **1ToasterKitty: Thanks! I'm having a lot of fun typing this episode.****

 ** **Guest reviewer: You see, Bill doesn't exactly understand 'love'. In the Reddit A.M.A, he said that 'love is your sick raw biological urge to reproduce'… so… yeah. As the first season continues, we'll see Bill start to develop an attraction to Elaine, and it'll take a while for him to realize why. You're right in the idea of him giving hints and Elaine believing that it's just normal behavior. I'll do a Bill POV once we're further into the story, once Elaine stops being so terrified and angry at him all the time.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thank you! I've actually had this account for years, and only just started using it for real, so I'm really glad you're enjoying the story. And thanks for your OC request!****

 ** **Gravity Falls is Alex Hirsch's property, not mine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 4/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

I relaxed on the couch on the deck of the Mystery Shack, watching Dipper and Mabel play with Soos just off the deck. The man-child tucked a pillow under his shirt, and checked to see if it was secure. "Hit me, dudes!" He shouted. The twins charged at his stomach and bounced off, laughing as they landed on the grass. "Feels good," he chuckled.

"I'm so glad everything's back to normal!" Mabel said.

"Same here," I agreed from my seat. "I'm just glad to spend time with my favorite twins."

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Um, Elaine? We're the only twins you know."

"That's what you think," I replied, smirking. Truthfully, I knew several sets of twins. Most of them being actual family. But I doubt Dipper and Mabel would find my background that interesting. Parents and sister, yes, but not all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins. _Man, I have a big family._ Before Dipper could question me further, the telephone rang, interrupting our conversation.

"Your turn," Mabel and I said, grinning at Dipper.

"Your turn," Dipper said about a second later. "Aw, man." Getting up off the dirt, we watched him head off into the gift shop. _Okay. Now that he's gone…_

"Hey, Mabel?" She turned to face me. "Can we go talk in private for a moment?" I asked, looking at Soos for a moment. I needed just her to hear this. While I didn't despise Soos, he didn't need to be around for the talk.

"Sure, Elaine!" Mabel said, oblivious to my discomfort.

We said goodbye to Soos and walked up to the bedroom, past Dipper who animatedly talked to Toby Determined over the phone. Once I made sure that he and Stan weren't going to interrupt us, I closed the door. Turning around, I gave a heavy sigh before finally telling Mabel what was on my mind. "I can't help but feel that we did the wrong thing with breaking it off with Gideon."

Judging by her expression, this wasn't what she was expecting. "What!? But, Elaine, you despised him!"

I nodded, glad to know she understood my problem. "I know. But it seems wrong that we had Dipper talk to him instead of doing it ourselves. Shouldn't it be us to talk to Gideon, face-to-face? I mean, I could have done it, but he's… I can't just put down a kid six years younger than me! It's weird, and it makes me feel bad." I hated Gideon, but his young age made me feel all guilty about it too.

Mabel slowly nodded. "I guess you're right… but he's so-"

"Creepy? Stalker-like? A potential psycho?" I cut her off, listing the options on my fingers as I went.

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" Mabel asked, frowning.

Shrugging, I gave Mabel a quick hug, bending down onto my knees so I was around her height. "Maybe, but just think about what I said. Okay?"

Her arms wrapped around me, the warmth of the sweater helped ease some of the guilt off me. "Okay, Elaine." She smiled at me, and gave a small giggle. "It's nice to see you're starting to open up more since we've had that talk."

"That was four days ago, Mabel," I said, ruffling her long wavy hair.

"Just goes to show you how quickly people can change," she replied, and I joined in her growing laughter. The two of us stood there, more than we needed to, and just laughed at ourselves. No worries, and no pain. Just two people enjoying each other's company. _ _Yeah, Mabel. I guess you're right.__

(Time Skip)

Mabel and me were sitting on the porch steps, watching the sunset. Well… I was watching the sunset, Mabel was busy chewing her hair in thought. "How's that hair tastin', buddy?" We looked up to see Wendy come out of the house, and sit down on the other side of Mabel.

"Wendy, we need some advice. You've broken up with guys, right?" Mabel asked her.

"Oh yeah: Russ Durham, Eli Hall, Stoney Davidson..." She started listing off her ex-boyfriends.

"I don't know what's wrong with me. I thought everything was back to normal, but I still feel all gross." Mabel crossed her arms, resting on her knees as she thought out loud. I probably should have told her that Wendy wasn't worth asking about guy problems. Honestly, if the redhead had had that many boyfriends, then that should have been a sign. "Elaine chatted with me earlier about it, how I should have broken up with him instead of sending Dipper, and I guess I was just too scared to do it myself."

"… Psyche Wirley, Nate Holt, oh, that guy with the tattoos…"

"Elaine, you were right," she told me. She finally turned away from her moping, and smiled tiredly. She was exhausted from dealing with Gideon, and I didn't blame her. "Gideon deserves an honest breakup. Can you come with me, and act as backup?"

I smiled appreciably. "That-a-girl, Mabel. And sure, I'll be your moral support. Besides, even though I'm not the one suckered into this, I need to stand my ground and not get dragged off on any more dates. Though, should we tell Wendy to stop listing off all of her exes?"

"… Danny Feldman, Mark Epston… oh man, I'm not sure I ever actually broke up with him. No wonder he keeps calling me." Wendy continued her list, ignoring us. Mabel and me stared at her for a moment, before looking back to each other.

"I… just leave her. She wont be snapping out of it for a while. Thanks for talking to Mabel, Wendy." _More like only listing guys she broke up with. She never even finished for Mabel to get to the point._ Mabel and I got off the steps and ran to grab the bikes next to Stan's car. During one of the dates, we had returned to find Soos storing two bikes, one red and one blue, along the side of the Shack. Two local kids had accidentally forgotten them during a visit. They should be back tomorrow to pick them up, but it didn't hurt to borrow them, right? "Best we go to the warehouse first," I said to Mabel before we left. "Seeing how we don't know where he lives, and since Gideon owns the building, it's a good first pick."

 _ _Also there's the idea Dipper is being thrown around like a rag doll at the moment.__ We sped off through town towards the hill. Mabel took the lead as she knew the way, while I kept right behind her to make sure she didn't fall and hurt herself. We had bikes, but zero helmets. _Really, who even rides a bike without a helmet?_ Once we got closer, I jumped off my bike and ran to the window, Mabel following right after me. Good timing too. We saw Gideon using his psychic powers to hold Dipper in the air, a pair of shears floating towards him. I went to barge through the door, but Mabel beat me to it and flung it open. "Gideon! We have to talk!"

"M-Mabel. My marshmalla." Gideon's eyes widened when he saw me behind her, an extremely ticked-off expression on my face. He dropped the shears in surprise, letting them clatter to the floor as Dipper breathed a sigh of relief. "What are you doin' here?"

"I'm sorry Gideon, but I can't be your marshmallow," Mabel told him, rubbing her arm and looking away. "I needed to be honest and tell you that myself."

"I-I don't understand." Gideon squeezed his amulet, panic and worry in his voice, which caused Dipper to start choking overhead. The boy grabbed at his throat, feeling the aura around him constrict his windpipe and threaten to crush it.

"Uh, Mabel!? This probably isn't the best time to be brutally honest with him!" He shouted, gasps coming out in between the words. I looked up, seeing his arms flail about wildly before looking to Mabel. _Hurry, Mabel! We're running out of time here!_

"Hey, but we can still be makeover buddies, right? Wouldn't you like that?" Mabel asked him. She walked over, and took his hands in hers. If he knew her half as well as I did, he would have been able to tell that smile was fake.

"Really?" He asked hopefully. Mabel's face changed into one of pure anger, spotting the shining amulet swinging freely around his neck as his hands left it.

"No, not really!" She roughly pulled the charm off of him, causing Dipper to fall to the ground. I rushed over to him to make sure he was okay, but didn't seem to see any bruises on him. "You were like, attacking my brother, what the heck!?"

"My tie! Give it back!" Gideon cried desperately. Mabel threw it to Dipper, who had picked himself off the floor just as I reached him.

"Ha! Not so powerful without this, are you?" Dipper taunted.

"YAAAAA!" Gideon shouted, and charged at Dipper. Dipper dropped the amulet in surprise when Gideon tackled him, making them both break through the glass window. The charm spun around on the floor, coming to a halt at Mabel's feet as she screamed her brother's name. Freezing for a second, I looked from her to where Dipper once stood. _I-he just-_ "oh, forget it!" I threw my arms in the air, did the second most stupid and insane thing since making the deal with Bill Cipher. Not waiting for Mabel to grab the amulet and go after them, I sprinted towards the broken window… and threw myself out of it.

"AAHHH!" The boys' screams matched my own as I hurtled past the edge of the cliff, throwing punch after punch at each other. The wind was whipping my hair around wildly, and all I could hear was the loud terrified thumping of my heart as the ground was quickly rushing up to meet us. Being a few feet above them, I brought my arms and legs together and angled myself to fall just fast enough to reach Dipper. I snatched my arms out, and pulled the twin into my arms and away from Gideon, knocking him off course. Dipper kept screaming, but I felt his body relax slightly when he saw I was trying to shield him. Though, did it really matter? We were still falling, and we were not far off from becoming human pancakes. Just before we hit the earth, with th wind pounding in our ears mixed with our rapid heartbeats, a force pulled us up like a whip. Breathing deeply, Dipper, Gideon, and I all looked at each other before glancing up to the skies. Mabel descending from above holding the amulet, a green glow surrounding her.

Once she got closer to the ground, she floated over to Gideon. "Listen Gideon," Mabel said. Her voice was calm, but you could tell she was beyond angry. "It's over. I will never, ever, date you."

"Yeah!" Dipper added, wanting to get the last word.

Mabel threw the amulet down on the ground, breaking it and causing everyone to fall to the ground. A greenish skull drifted upwards, and faded out of existence. "MY POWERS!" Gideon shrieked, seeing the shards turn dull on the forest floor. "Oh this isn't over. This isn't the last you'll see of wittle… ol' me!" He walked backwards, pointing at us until he disappeared into the woods.

I ran a hand through my windblown hair and looked at the twins, from Mabel's tiredness to Dipper's scratches and bruised eye as he stood up. "Are… are you two alright?"

"Yeah… I'm fine..." they replied calmly, somehow keeping themselves together.

I nodded slowly before picking myself up too. "G… good. Good" The moment I was upright, I grabbed him and Mabel into a fierce hug.

"Whoa!" Dipper exclaimed. "Elaine, what are you-hey, are you crying?" I-I was. I was absolutely terrified. I shook, tears staining their sweater and vest as I took deep breaths to try and calm myself down.

"Please... don't scare me like that again," I mumbled into their shoulders. I couldn't make out their expressions. I was too busy in clinging to them for dear life. "I know, that we're gonna face a lot of difficult situations this summer. But please, try to be a little more careful? I-I know. I-I know I keep to myself, b-but I can't imagine seeing you t-two getting h-hurt on my watch. I-I don't w-want to sit on the sidelines anymore." My adrenaline was in overdrive, and I refused to back away from them in case something else happened. They-Dipper and Mabel... I couldn't bear to see them get hurt.

"Oh, Ellie," Mabel whispered. She and Dipper hugged me back, although not quite as intense as I was.

"Y'know, it's gonna be impossible for us not to get into trouble this summer," Dipper said. "This isn't going to be the end of it."

I gave a soft chuckle, reaching up behind Mabel's back to wipe at my eyes behind my glasses. "I-I know." _Trust me, kid. I know._

(Time Skip)

It took us a while to finally reach the Mystery Shack. I had Dipper take my bike, while Mabel sat on the handlebars of hers as I peddled. We went straight to the living room once we arrived and put the borrowed bikes back where we found them, and collapsed on the couch, too tired to go up to our own beds. "Oh, I am so tired, it isn't even funny."

We watched Grunkle Stan walk in and hang a clown painting on the wall. "I coulda had it all," he said sadly. Um, could of? He was willing to sell Mabel for future financial gain. He-oh, I was too tired to focus any more. Stan turned and looked at us, finally seeing he wasn't alone. "What the heck happened to you three?"

"Gideon," Mabel groaned.

"Gideon," Dipper and I agreed. My cheeks were still slightly red from before, but Stan didn't seem to notice.

"Gideon," Stan growled, tightening his grip on the Pitt Cola can he had in hand, apparently balancing it and the painting at the same time. "Yeah, the little mutant 'swore vengeance' on the whole family. Ha, I guess he's gonna try to nibble my ankles or somethin'."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, how's he gonna destroy us now, huh?" Dipper taunted as Stan sat down on the dinosaur skull table beside us, smiling as we all mocked the little madman. "Try to guess what number we're thinking of?" He laughed.

"He'll never guess what number I'm thinking of," Mabel said. "NEGATIVE EIGHT! No one would guess a negative number."

"Uh, oh. He's planning our destruction right now!" Stan said. We burst into fits of laughter as Stan started tickling us and laid on top of us on the couch, dropping his empty can to the floor. This was-things really changed now, huh? I-that moment where Dipper went over the cliff, I-I just acted. I didn't think about what would happen to me. I just jumped, ready to try and keep him save. Part of me knew he would have been safe, but th-this wasn't a show anymore. I had to keep them safe, these kids. They… they liked me. _And…_ I looked at their laughing, smiling faces, and burst into another round of giggles underneath Stan, who still was piled on top of us and pinning us to the cushions. _I like them too._

3rd POV

Gideon sat at his dresser, adding the finishing touches to the Mabel doll's face. Besides the spilled puddles of glue, he had taken the time to create a miniature Mystery Shack and Popsicle stick pine trees. A discarded juice box and cookie sat on the edge, now forgotten in his scheming. The moment his father had gone to bed, he had went straight to work on the model. Oh, he wouldn't let this go. No, no.

"Gideon, I still love you. If only my family weren't in the way," he said in a feminine voice, pinching its head and hopping it around like the doll was alive. He attached the head to the Grunkle Stan doll, snapping it into place. "Look at me. I'm old, and I'm smelly." Gideon roughly grabbed the Elaine doll by its ponytail, letting it swing side to side in his grip. "Would ya look me! I know more than I let on and have tons of secrets I'm not willing to share!"

Gideon dropped it to the desk, instead of sitting down the Stan and Mabel dolls like before, and picked up the Dipper doll. Just like the elderly man, he had given it crossed eyes, and even went as far as to give it a tongue sticking out. The boy was a fool, truly. He thought he had everything figured out. Like he was some 'big hero'. "Hey, what are you gonna do without your precious amulet?"

"Oh, you'll see boy..." Gideon said in his regular voice, and closed journal two on the table. The lamp cast a shine over the golden hand, highlighting the inked on number. "You'll see..."

Elaine's POV

Strangely enough, I'd started getting used to having Bill pop up in my sleep every once in a while. Not that it had happened enough, but I was almost ready for it now. I would expect to be woken up in the Mindscape, in the company of the dream demon. But tonight, there happened to be two things wrong with that idea. The first was the surprising lack of triangular demons. The second being the fact I wasn't in Mindscape, or even the Mystery Shack anymore. Instead, I had awoken in a place much, MUCH worse.

My bed floated in a sea of lightning and swirling colors that twisted and bubbled like foam, and asteroids were being pushed around by the lack of gravity. I swallowed back a scream, hearing the growls of monsters and demons echo me, but could not see them from where I sat. As another panicked reaction began to build in my throat, I heard the dream demon's mocking laughter.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to come visit me!" Bill's shrill voice reverberated all around me. I spun around in the bed, and saw I was floating directly in front of the infernal triangle, who was sitting on a throne made up of the most freakish optical illusions that I could not even begin to comprehend. My fear skyrocketed when I saw that instead of his normal 5 feet, Bill was closer to a height of 30 feet. _Holy c-he's a giant!_

"B-Bill?" I squeaked, his name being the first logical thing I said since waking up. "W-where am I?"

Ignoring my question, Bill lazily waved his hand. Out of his throne, dark red glowing arms shot out of nowhere and yanked me off my bed. Snaking around my body, they bound my legs and arms together, and pulled me towards his intense gaze. The unnatural chains placed me at Bill's eye level, which was way more intimidating than our previous meetings. With 6 times my height on him, I was nervous as to what he had planned.

"You know, Angel?" He asked casually, tracing a pattern on the left armrest of his throne. "I'm not very fond of my puppets getting themselves damaged. Not unless I'm the one doing it. I, you see, am capable of stopping before my toys get broken beyond their use."

"W-what do you mean?" I felt one of the hands snake up around my throat, and its index finger traced along my jugular. The action hurt, when I hissed as the unexpected nail dug into the skin. Not enough to cut and bleed, but enough to get the **very** clear message across.

Bill's eye turned red as he glared at me. "Did you really think it was a good idea to throw yourself over a cliff?"

 _ _Oh man. Oh man, oh man, oh man. He saw that!?__ The bindings tightened around me, making me gasp out for air. __I take that as a yes!__ Bill leaned forward in his throne, towering over me more than when he was laying against the back. "Have you forgotten, kid...?" His body turned from his bright yellow to a dark red, his limbs and hat now matching the color of my shackles. The arms around me brought me even closer to his 'face', and I knew he could very well use them to squeeze the life out of me. "As long as our deal is in effect, you ****BELONG TO ME****!" His deepened voice rebounded in the infinity, causing me to cower in front of him. "Keep that in mind before you go and do something idiotic," Bill added, his voice and color going back to normal as fast as it changed.

My body kept shaking underneath my wraps, feeling them start to tighten to get a reply out of me. "O-okay," I stuttered. "O-okay, I get it! I get it! No doing anything stupid!" Bill waited a second, and seemed to be satisfied with my answer. With another wave of his hand, the arms released me and I hovered in front of the demon, letting me breathe properly once again. _Whoa. Gravity and no gravity. There's laws and no laws at the same time._ "T-thank you." An awkward silence filled the air, as one of us waited to see who spoke next. Well, I doubted it was awkward for Bill. He seemed fairly amused in how I was dealing with my strange new surroundings. "W-where-?" I took a deep breath to calm myself. "Where am I?"

He 'grinned' at me. "Welcome to the Nightmare Realm, Angel!" I gaped at Bill, the name ringing a small bell as I had only heard about it once before. _The Last Mabelcorn. Did-does he mean I'm in his_ _ _dimension!?__ "Yep!" He burst out laughing, kicking his legs as I snapped my mouth shut.

"So you went and dragged my subconscious into another dimension!? How is that even possible!? And what was wrong with bringing me back into the Mindscape!?" I asked, firing off question after question. There was no harm in doing all of this in my own mind, so why did he bring me to this place?

"Simple; I just waited until you were asleep before dragging your subconscious back with me to my home," Bill said like it was normal. But this. Wasn't. Normal! "As for your second question, I thought you'd appreciate a change of scenery."

I looked around before focusing back on Cipher. "So a swirling maelstrom of madness filled with your horrific minions is your idea of a 'change of scenery'?"

"Glad you like it!" Bill missed the sarcasm, or chose to ignore it altogether. "Easy, Angel. I don't plan on bringing you here all the time, only when I need to."

I narrowed my eyes. "So when you need to lecture me then."

He chuckled darkly, agreeing with my pointed statement. "Now you're catchin' on."

I rubbed my arms, trying to sooth the phantom pains left by my bindings. Bill noticed this and 'grinned' at me. "Still haven't healed yet? Man, you meatbags are pathetic."

"Well, excuse me for being human," I grumbled. I wasn't capable of being invincible to injuries, and if I was agreeing to go out and keep Dipper and Mabel safe, more wounds were bound to happen.

Bill hummed in thought before his eye lit up, the change in behavior making me shrink away from him. _Oh, what is it now?_ "How 'bout this, kid. Why don't we make another deal?"

"WHAT!?" I screeched at him, any sense of being calm gone in an instant. "I've already dug my own grave by making a deal with you! Why would I make a second one!?"

"Yeesh kid, relax! You're so edgy you make me look like a circle!" My frown deepened at his joke as he stopped to snicker. "Because if you agree, I'll speed up the healing on your body."

 _ _Huh.__ _ _Wasn't expecting that__ _ _one__ _ _.__ I slowly nodded at his suggestion, trying to see any possible loophole. "And what could you possibly want from me this time? I already told you I'm not doing body possessions or stealing anything. If you want the journal, find another person to play fetch."

"I can tell kid that you happen to have a lot of questions about this town, and about yours truly," he began. "That journal will only get you so far. I should know. I've written some of it myself when possession the sap. And I myself have a lot of questions for you too."

"You're an omniscient being, Bill," I said before he could continue. "What questions could you possibly have for me?"

"Don't interrupt me, kid," the demon hissed, his eye flashed red as a warning. "Just because I'm all-knowing, doesn't mean I understand everything you fleshbags do."

"So… you don't know everything then," I gave a sly smile.

"Drop it, kid." Bill glared at me for a moment. "So how 'bout this: every time I pop in to check on you, you and I will ask each other a question, and as long as you answer honestly, I'll heal your injuries in return!"

I told myself before that I wasn't going to allow Bill to fully gain my trust, and I could only assume he knew that too. But the deal he proposed to me didn't seem as horrible as it could've possibly been. No possibly loopholes that I could see, and with my current knowledge, I couldn't think of any questions he could ask me that would result in anything dangerous happening. No commands, just simple questions we had for each other. "One question per day?" He nodded. "No loopholes? No-no tricks?" Another nod. "And all I have to do is answer truthfully?"

"Yep!" Bill said. "Let's be honest, kid. Those injuries you've got aren't going away anytime soon."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. __Come on, Elaine. Isn't answering a s__ _ _imple question per day__ _ _worth getting all your wounds completely healed?__ "...deal… still hate you though."

"Like I really care, kiddo." Bill appeared quite pleased with my answer, immediately getting off his throne and shrinking back down to the size I was used to seeing him as. His hand was already enveloped in the familiar aqua blue flames from our first encounter. Hesitantly, I wrapped my hand around his… and promptly blacked out.

The last thing I saw before I was forcefully returned to Gravity Falls was Bill 'smiling' at me, his image quickly fading away. "See you soon, Angel!" His muffled voice cheered, before narrowing his eyes. The hand gripped harder, just as I was booted to the real world. "Remember kid, I'm ****ALWAYS**** watching."

(Time Skip)

" ** **Hey journal. So… you remember what I**** ** **briefly mentioned 'hanging around' with Bill?**** ** **Well, let's just say things have gotten a little more interesting...**** "

* * *

 ** **Okay, so I know it's a short chapter. I guarantee the next one will be bigger though. But I gotta admit, this was a fun chapter to type.****

 ** **There's still time to submit an OC if you wish. I plan to close the opening once I begin typing Double Dipper, so right after posting Dipper vs Manliness.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	12. The Inconveniencing Part 1

****Disclaimer: Finally! Exams are over! Man, it's been so stressful these past couple of days. I'm just glad to sit down and post this new chapter.****

 ** **RillFipher:**** ** **O**** ** **h, the possibilities with this are indeed endless. It's only going to get more interesting from here.****

 ** **Gravity Falls isn't mine, only Elaine!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" **Reading** "

 **Edited: Aug. 6/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Dipper sat on a barrel by the cash register, rereading the journal for the millionth time. I doubted he memorized all of its contents, but I guessed he just enjoyed going back over the really interesting investigations. He threw a glance down at me, but I only caught him doing that from the corner of my eye. I had decided to bring my own journal down with me, and do my entry while being around the twins. Not like I was letting them see what it held, but the added company was nice. Seeing how distracted I was, Dipper turned to his twin instead, who was sitting on the large globe and spinning it around.

"Mabel, do you believe in ghosts?" He asked her. _Oh, so we've reached this point…_ I had no issues with ghosts, but… I held a little paranoia around the idea of life after death. Bill called himself a demon, but I didn't see it. Monster, yes. Demon? I felt there was more to that than he led on.

"I believe you're a big dork! Ha ha ha!" Mabel laughed, still twirling around in a circle. Dipper frowned and put his pencil on the globe, stopping it in it tracks and making Mabel fall off. I jumped upright, and clutched my journal to my chest. The sound startled me, and I wasn't mentally ready for any loud noises.

"Are you okay, Elaine?" Dipper asked me, seeing my wide eyes and tensed shoulders as I brought myself down from the scare. "You seemed more distracted than usual."

I gave him a nervous smile. "It's okay, Dipper. I just had a… a really bad dream, that's all."

Mabel picked herself up, dusting her sweater. "Are you sure? You were screaming like crazy in your sleep last night."

"I'm fine, guys. The whole Gideon incident simply had me rattled enough to mess with my head." __Man, I hate lying.__ I leaned back against the wall, seeing the twins giving me suspicious looks. __I mean, it wasn't entirely a lie. I__ ** _ ** _was_**_** _ _asleep, and the Nightmare Realm__ ** _ ** _was_**_** _ _horrifying… Bill, why couldn't you have healed me without causing me even more pain?__

I knew very well that that the screaming I did throughout the night was because Bill was 'healing' my body, while my subconscious wasn't even aware of it. The triangle had spared no expense in being gentle though. Like Gideon with that talisman, the feeling of magic on my open wounds was torturous. I didn't feel anything in my head though. Nothing trying to enter my mind, but I supposed that was due to Bill already having access to it. When I had woken up, I sprinted to the washroom and removed the bandages from my arms, beating it there just before the twins could wake up. True to his word, Bill had fixed all of my major injuries, only leaving scars and minor cuts. To my disappointment, the burn mark of the dream demon was still etched onto my hand, leaving me to once again wrap it up.

 _ _Of course the demon wouldn't remove his branding… stupid.__ _I_ mentally slapped myself, wondering how I could have forgotten he said it was akin to a 'locator'. __At least I don't have to look like a freakin' mummy anymore. Now all I have to to keep it this way is by answering Bill's questions honestly... that shouldn't be too hard...__

Dipper shrugged, letting the matter drop. The three of us looked up when Grunkle Stan had walked in from outside, decked out in his usual uniform when duping tourists. "Soos! Wendy!" Soos ran up to Stan, panting, while Wendy was laying against the cash register counter.

"What's up, Mr. Pines!" Soos asked, straightening back up again after regaining his breath.

"I'm headin' out. You two are gonna wash the bathrooms, right?" The two stared at him, with completely serious faces.

"Yes, sir!" Soos saluted.

"Absolutely not!" Wendy also saluted, while I sensed a small smirk was growing on her face.

"Ha ha!" Stan laughed before narrowing his eyes, glancing from them to us in the corner. "You stay out of trouble!" He closed the door, leaving us alone. Wendy gave Soos a mischievous smile, the one she was previously trying to hide, before walking over to a curtain. The patched up blue sheet hung beside a taxidermy mermaid in a fish tank, and I grimaced at the sight.

"Hey guys! What's this?" She pulled the curtain to the side, revealing a ladder going up to a hatch built into the ceiling. "A secret ladder to the roof?"

"Uh, I don't think Mr. Pines would like that," Soos said nervously.

"Huh?" Wendy said, moving her hand closer to the ladder.

"Uhhhh," Soos said.

"Huh?"

"You're freaking me out, dude!" He shouted, grabbing at his hat.

"Can we actually go up there?" Dipper asked Wendy, watching her start climbing up the ladder. He tucked the ladder into his vest, and we moved closer to the younger teen.

"Sure we can! Roof time! Roof time!" She chanted, and continued up to the roof.

"Roof time! Roof time!" Dipper, Mabel, and I chanted, and followed Wendy in ascending the ladder. Soos was left behind us, staring up at our backs worriedly. Wendy opened the hatch at the end of the ladder and climbed out of it. I stepped out right after the twins, and watched the redhead crawl over the roof past the fallen letter from the sign to the other side. A cool summer breeze blew through me, blowing any loose strands of hair around my shoulders. "Wow, this is beautiful. I should've come up here more often."

I hurried up over the room, find them staring down at the small flat part of the roof which had a cooler, a chair and an umbrella, and a bucket full of pine cones. "Alright, check it out!" Wendy shouted. We slid down the roof, skipping a little to regain our footing at the bottom.

"Did you put all this stuff up here?" Dipper asked. Wendy shrugged, walking up to the pine cone bucket and looking over the parking lot.

"I may or may not sneak up here during work, all the time, everyday," she replied. Wendy picked up a pine cone and threw at the totem pole, which had a target attached to it. _How did she even get up there to tape it?_ "Yes!" She shouted as she hit the center.

"Cool!" Dipper shouted as we tried to hit the target ourselves. I fist-bumped the air when I hit the side of the target, impressed I even made the distance. Dipper ended up hitting the car below, making the alarm go off and blushed in shame.

"Jackpot!" Wendy shouted. "High five!" She held up her hand. Dipper stared at her in wonder, her hair blowing in the wind. Ah, so this was what a crush looked like as it formed. I could almost see the tiny hearts sprouting up around Wendy as he stared. "Don't leave me hangin'." Dipper grinned at her before bringing his hand to her, still blushing. "Oh hey, it's my friends!" A blue van pulled up below us, and a teen's hand stuck out the driver's side window to wave.

"Wendy!" The driver shouted.

"Hey, you guys aren't going to tell Stan about this, are you?" Wendy asked, actually a little nervous that we would rat her out. Dipper shook his head, and mimicked zipping his lips and flicking away the key. Wendy smiled, and zippered her lips too. That random little gesture was sweet, and I could see Mabel thought so too. Her brown eyes glowed, looking from the cashier to her brother. "Later dorks!" Wendy jumped onto the large pine tree next to the roof, and slid down several other trees until she landed on the ground. I stared in amazement as she touched down gracefully, kneeling down before getting back up and running into the open door of the van.

 _ _Man, she's good.__ "Let's get out of here!" The driver shouted again, and drove away down the road, leaving skid marks in the dirt.

"Later Wendy!" Dipper said, waving goodbye. "Hehehe! Good times!"

"Uh, oh!" Mabel said, grinning. Her hands were on her hips, swaying back and forth.

"What?" Dipper asked. Mabel poked him playfully.

"Somebody's in love!" She said in a singsong voice, while I sat down on the blue and white striped lawn chair behind them.

"Yeah, right!" Dipper said, waving her off.

"Dipper, I don't know a whole lot 'bout love, but it's obvious that you've got a crush on her," I threw in my two cents.

"Seriously, guys?" Dipper said. "I just think Wendy's cool okay? It's not like I lie awake at night thinking about her!"

"That's oddly specific," I added, as Mabel's bright smile kept growing. Oh, the gears in her head were turning. I just hoped she didn't get any crazy ideas. "But hey, who am I to try and figure out what preteen boys dreams about."

Dipper's eyes flew open at what I was hinting at, the previous blush returning tenfold. "Elaine!"

I burst out laughing, holding my stomach. "Ha ha ha! Come on guys, race ya back inside!" I winked at the flustered boy and sprinted back across the roof, listening to Mabel's laughter fade behind me. Oh yes, this was going to be fun. This was going to be very, very fun.

(Time Skip)

"Random dance party for no reason!" Mabel shouted as she pressed play on the radio, having thrown in a cassette seconds ago. The music started playing loudly, being turned to its highest volume, and Wendy and I began dancing along too. Nothing as crazy Mabel and Wendy, but enough to look like a fool beside them. Mabel was right. I was opening up to them, and not being all turtle-like anymore. Well… not fully turtle.

"Go! Go! Go!" Wendy shouted.

Dipper watched them before continuing to write on the clipboard he was carrying. He nodded at the words he wrote on the page; 'I am pretending to write something down'.

"Dipper!" Wendy shouted over the music, startling Dipper and making him throw the clipboard before clumsily catching it. _Not so funny when it's happening to you, huh?_

"Uh what, yes?" He asked, throwing the clipboard behind him.

"Aren't ya gonna get in on this?" She asked, snapping her fingers as Mabel danced on top of the counter, swinging her arms and hips to the beat.

"Yeah, Dippin' Dots! Hop aboard the crazy train!" I cheered. "Choo choo!"

"I don't really dance," Dipper said, blushing.

"Yeah, you do!" Mabel corrected him, turning off the radio. She turned to Wendy and me, and leaned in close. "Mom used to dress him up in a lamb costume and make him do..." Mabel whispered the next part. "The Lamby Dance!"

"Now is not the time to talk about the Lamby Dance," Dipper said angrily to Mabel.

"Lamb costume?" Wendy asked with a small laugh, wondering she heard her right. "Wow, is there like little ears and a tail or…?"

"Well uh, uh..." Dipper stuttered. Mabel grinned and held up a picture for us to see.

"Dipper would prance around and sing a song about grazing," she said. I threw a hand over her mouth to smother her giggling.

"Mmmffff! Wow, that's-that's really something, Dipper." I ignored the glare from said boy, and lowered my hand when I was certain I wasn't going to burst out laughing again. "Why did you even keep that on you, and with you right now?"

"I dunno," she shrugged, still smiling. She pocketed the picture, patting her sweater to make sure it was in place. "I think it's for giggles."

The clock chimed on the wall, and we looked at the time. "Hey, look at that!" Wendy said, taking her nameplate off and putting it in her jeans pocket. "Quittin' time! The gang's waitin' for me."

"Wait!" Dipper shouted. "Why don't I-or we come with you?" _I-I'm sorry, did he say 'we'?_

"Ooh… I don't know," Wendy said. "My friends are pretty intense. How old did you guys say you are?"

Dipper shifted his eyes. "We're thirteen! So technically a teen."

"Sixteen," I said. "I'm the mature one." That earned a small chuckle from Wendy and Mabel, who knew I was joking with that.

"All right. I like your moxie, kid!" Wendy approved. "Let me get my stuff."

After Wendy left the room, Mabel put her hand to her chin. "Since when are we thirteen?" She asked. "Is this a leap year?"

"Come on, Mabel," Dipper said looking at her and I. "This is our chance to hang out with the cool kids. AndWendyandwhatever." He rushed the end of the sentence, but it was still clear enough for me to hear.

"He admits it!" I shouted as Mabel jumped over the counter.

"I knew it!" She shouted. "You love her!" Mabel danced around Dipper, pointing and singing. "Love love love love love!"

"Oh hey, what's that?" Dipper asked, pointing towards the door.

"Huh?" Mabel took the bait and turned. Dipper smirked, and flipped Mabel's hair over her face. The long wave of brown fell over her face, and covered most of her body.

"Bleh, bleh, bleh," Mabel stuck her tongue out through her hair, trying to spit it out of her mouth.

I laughed at the twins' shenanigans, and moved to open the gift shop's door. "Come on, guys. Wendy's waiting for us."

Mabel nodded, flipping her hair back over her shoulders as we went outside. We walked over to Wendy, who was standing with a group of other teens. _Ah, so that's the group._ Robbie had a long pointed face, with multiple ear piercings and raven bangs partially covering his eyes. Tambry had choppy purple hair, but a streak of pink going down the left. Nate had black stud earrings too, with a stubble and bushy eyebrows. Lee had a long face like Robbie, except his chin was more pronounced, his nose was longer, and he had blonde hair that fell just past his shoulders. As for Thompson, he had a mustache stubble and lines under his eyes. Overall, their appearances were much like their cartoon counterparts. Same outfits, same physical appearance. _Except, you know, more detail._

Though, just because they looked like characters from the show, didn't mean that they were exactly like them. "Hey guys!" Wendy said, making her presence known after she fired a candy into Thompson's stomach, having been held upside-down by Nate and Lee. "These are my pals from work, Mabel, Dipper and Elaine."

"Hello," I said, giving a small nod.

"I chewed my gum so it looks like a brain!" Mabel said cheerfully, sticking out her tongue which had a piece of pink gum on it. "Blah!"

"She's not one for first impressions," Dipper informed them. "Unlike this guy!" He pointed to himself and smiled, but started to sweat when no one answered. "...this guy..."

"So are you like, babysitting, or-" Robbie started, reaching into the truck and pulling out a black guitar. He strummed it for a moment, before adjusting the strings' tightness.

"Come on, Robbie!" Wendy interrupted him. "Guys, this is Lee and Nate." She pointed at the blonde and brunette boys, who were punching each other playfully. "Tambry."

Tambry, who was still texting on her phone, didn't look up. "Hey..."

"Thompson, who once ate a runover waffle for 50 cents," Wendy said.

"Don't tell them that!" Thompson said nervously.

"And Robbie," Wendy finished, pointing at the emo teen. "You can probably figure him out."

Robbie flipper his black hair out of his face and looked at them. "Yeah, I'm the guy who spray painted the water tower," he told us.

"Oh, you mean the big muffin!" Dipper said, making me mentally groaned. __Way to ruin a first impression, Dipper.__

"Um, it's a giant explosion!" Robbie said, offended. Everyone looked up at the water tower in the distance, poking out over the pine trees.

"Hehe! Kinda does look like a muffin!" Lee agreed as he and Nate started to laugh. Robbie glared at Dipper, making the younger boy shrink back. _And such, the rivalry begins._

"Let's hurry it up, guys," Wendy said clapping. "I got big plans for tonight." Everyone started climbing into the van, and I sat in the back with Mabel. Dipper soon joined us, placing himself in the middle after being stopped by Robbie in the shotgun seat. After everyone was settled, Thompson cleared his throat.

"Okay just-before we go, my mom said you guys aren't allowed to punch the roof anymore, so..." Thompson started. The teens stared at him before breaking into grins, and started punching the roof simultaneously. _Wow. They actually made dents in the ceiling from doing this so often._

"Thompson! Thompson! Thompson!" They chanted as they punched, while the twins and I watched in amusement. Though, Dipper looked more confused than me and Mabel. The excitement was infectious, and some part of me was happy to be around people my own age. Thompson sighed and started driving, taking us out of the parking area of the Mystery Shack and off down the dirt road until it met pavement.

I relaxed against the seat, closing my eyes. __I'm sure they won't mind if I get a little sleep before we get there. Besides, a haunted convenience store will probably take a lot out of me…__ _ _best if I rest up...__

"Elaine! Wake up, we're here!"

My eyes slowly opened, and I noticed that the car was indeed parked, with the other teens already getting out of the vehicle. _Wow, that was quick. I barely even closed my eyes._ I felt that my head wasn't still resting up against the seat anymore, but instead on something soft... and breathing…!

"Ohmygosh!" I shouted, bolting upright. Dipper still sat next to me, and I blushed at the bit of drool on his vest. _I was using him as a pillow!?_ "I am so sorry, Dipper! I-I thought I was laying against the backrest!"

Dipper chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. Though, from the red in his face I could tell he was just as flustered as I was. "It's okay, Elaine," he said awkwardly. "You seemed pretty comfortable, and you haven't had a lot of sleep lately, so..."

I breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled at him. "Thanks," I said, unbuckling my seat belt. "Um… c-can we keep this between ourselves? I really don't want Mabel to find out I was using you as a pillow."

Dipper nodded, and reached over to open the door that Mabel had used. "Come on, we better go join the others." We got out of the vehicle and walked over to Mabel and the teens in front of the Dusk 2 Dawn's wired fence. In the time I had drifted off, the sun had set, and the fog had crept in. _Yep. Totally adding to the ghost encounter we're about to have._ If Mabel had noticed the damp spot on the collar of Dipper's vest, she didn't say anything. She was too focused on our target for the night.

"There it is fellas!" Wendy announced. "The condemned Dusk 2 Dawn!"

"Ha! Cool!" Lee and Nate said.

"Neato!" Mabel agreed, standing in between me and her brother.

'Why'd they shut it down? Was it like a health code violation, or-" Dipper started.

"TRY MURDER!" Nate shouted.

"Yeah, some folks died in there, the place has been haunted ever since!" Lee told him.

"This town has such a colorful history!" Mabel grinned.

"That's one way to put it," I muttered. _Colorful… yeah._

"Wha… are you guys serious?" Dipper asked nervously.

"Yeah! We're all gonna die!" Wendy gasped in exaggeration. "Chill out man!" She playfully punched him. "It's not as bad as it looks!" Dipper spared a look at the sign mounted on the fence, and I patted his shoulder. Whoever sprayed over the prosecuted part and wrote that they'd die if they entered really needed new material. One at a time, we started climbing the fence until there was only Dipper and Nate left. Dipper was on the top of the fence, straddling it and gripping the bar with his hands. "Come on, Dipper!"

"Okay okay!" Dipper said, trying to place his feet into the holes of the fence. "Just gotta get a foothold..."

"Dude, your sister did it!" Robbie pointed at Mabel. The moody teen had his guitar strapped onto him, letting it hang off his back.

"Woop, woop, woop, woop, woop," Mabel said as she ran sideways on the ground in a circle. I stood next to her, shaking my head. Man, she was such a dork. _But… since I've been put into the same grouping as them, I guess she's my dork._

Lee decided to hurry things along, and climbed up next to Dipper. "Hey, you know what. Just… there you go," and shoved the boy twin onto the ground. "Ha! S-sorry dude!" Dipper's hat fell beside him a soft thump, as a loud of dirt came up from the landing.

"Good job throwing the kid off the fence, genius!" Nate said.

"Your mom's a genius," Lee countered, jumping off the fence. The group walked up to the abandoned building, and peeked through the window as Dipper still sat there on the floor.

"Wow! This place is amazing!" Wendy exclaimed. Robbie went over to the door and tried to pull it open, only for the glass doors to rattle instead.

"I think it's-it's stuck!" He said.

"Let me take a crack at it!" Dipper offered, putting his hat back on and walking over.

"Oh yeah. I can't get in, but I'm sure Junior here is gonna break it down like Hercules!" Robbie said sarcastically.

"Come on, leave him alone. He's just a little kid," Wendy told Robbie. _Little kid? Wendy, you're only three years older than him._ Dipper, hurt at her words, went and pulled his hat down in determination. He walked around the building to a dumpster and climbed onto it before jumping up onto the roof.

"Kid, what are you doing?" Tambry asked over the rest of the teens shouting. They watched Dipper walk up to the vent and started punching it multiple times.

"Go Dipper! Punch that metal thing!" Mabel cheered. Dipper finally punched the grating into the vents, letting it fall down into the shaft and walked inside.

"Hey Dipper, take it easy!" Wendy shouted in worry.

"Who wants to bet he doesn't make it?" Robbie asked, turning around to look at us. Just as he said that, Dipper opened the door, grinning and motioning them to go inside.

"Good call inviting this little maniac!" Lee told Wendy as he walked in.

"Your new name is Dr. Funtimes!" Nate congratulated Dipper, pointing at him. Mabel high fived Dipper as she passed him, while Robbie rolled his eyes and walked silently past.

"Nice work!" Wendy punched Dipper in the shoulder playfully, making him smile at her praise. I walked up to Dipper, smirking.

"Way to go, kid," I said before waltzing into the store myself. The entire store was pitch black, and we could barely see each other. Dipper dashed in behind me, letting the door swing shut.

"Do you guys really think it's haunted?" Thompson asked as we all stood in the center of the dark room.

"Na! Thompson are you kidding me?" Nate asked, chuckling. In the darkness, I could see out of the corner of her eye the door sign flip from open to closed by itself.

 _ _This, is not gonna be a good evening.__

* * *

 ** **Yeah, it's a short chapter, but can ya blame me for spending my week doing so much studying?****

 ** **Next week we'll continue the episode, and I may or may not break this episode into three chapters. It honestly depends on how quickly I write.****

 ** **I've also started working on another story, so my time is now divided between them, but GFA will come first.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	13. The Inconveniencing Part 2

****Disclaimer: I know it's early for updating, but this weekend I've got something involving cadets, so I won't be back until late the following day.****

 ** **Gravity Falls belongs to a man with a life sized buffalo, not me.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" **Reading** "

 **Edited: Aug. 9/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Whoa man, it's even creepier than I imagined!" Wendy said as we checked out the abandoned store. I walked over to Mabel who licked her finger after dragging it on a filthy change slot. Nothing too unusual. Everything besides the excessive amount of dust and cobwebs made it appear just as it was left. A normal, everyday convenience store… with a few spilled cans of food scattered about. Still, it wasn't too bad. _Hmm. Wonder if there's any money left in the cash register._

"Yep," she told me, seeing I was watching her. "It's dust."

"Charming, Mabel." I shook my head, continuing to wander about. I saw Dipper swipe off the dust from an old newspaper, and catch the date reading 1995. _Okay, so this place had been down for almost 20 years. Not so bad, right?_

"Hey dude, where do you think they keep the dead bodies?" Lee asked, making Nate shove him playfully.

"Shut up, man!" He said. Wendy wandered over to the back wall and found the light switches. They must have still been in the down position, or the power to the store itself was cut off. With how long this place had been abandoned, the second idea should have been more likely.

"Guys, check it out! You think these still work?" She asked us and turned the lights on, powering up the rest of the electronics in the store. The slushie machine whirled to life, and the thrum of the store lights filled the background.

"Whoa!" Everyone said. __Well, at least we can see better in the haunted store now,__ I thought sarcastically. I walked up to Wendy with the twins right behind me, who were checking out the surroundings in light now.

"Jackpot!" Mabel said, grinning.

"So, what are we gonna do now?" Dipper asked. Wendy smirked at him, leaning against the ATM.

"Anything we want."

The next half hour could only be described as absolute madness, mostly because it was so hard to keep track of everything. We raided the shelves and started a food fight across the room with the two shelves being used as barriers, splitting ourselves into two teams. Wendy, Robbie, Nate, and Mabel on one side, verses me and the others. I couldn't tell if anyone was helping Mabel, but Lee had put Dipper on his shoulders so he could throw straight over the shelves more clearly. After the fight, Nate had grabbed a Pitt Cola bottle and a roll of mints and had us sit around it in a circle. He popped the mints into the soda, three at a time, making the drink explode into the air. Tambry cheered from the top of a shelf, while the rest of us were splashed in the sticky bottle of Pitt Cola. I also could've sworn I saw Lee and Nate hitting each other with ice bags, but by the time I passed them again, the bags were gone. _Must have put them back into storage for later use._

Mabel had run out of sight the moment the pop fountain died down, so I got up to go look for her. I found the girl twin in front of a large display of some type of powdered candy, around the corner of the store. "Smile Dip?" I asked her, looking at the yellow cartoon dog on the sign and all the caution tape. _That is definitely not a good sign._

Mabel nodded excitedly. "I thought this stuff was banned in America!"

"Maybe they had a good reason," Dipper said cautiously walking over to us. A balloon full of cheese sauce hit him in the face and burst. Laughing, he wiped his face off and ran back to join the other teens, leaving the bits of yellow rubber on the floor.

"Um, Mabel? Are you sure you should eat that stuff?" The hallucinations were pretty amusing on the show, but I didn't want to be hauling a drugged-up kid back to the Mystery Shack. "I mean, does that stuff even have an expiry date?" Mabel shrugged me off, not even listening to my warnings and ripped off the cover. She stuck the candy stick into the bag and pulled it out, before dumping the entire bag into her mouth in glee.

"… okay then," I concluded and left her alone to her sugar high. By the end, she would have learned her lesson. I just had to make sure she didn't go into a sugar coma or vomit on the way home. I waltzed over to the cold food section besides the freezer and pulled out three ice pops, still in their plastic packaging, and went over to Wendy and Dipper who were now sitting on top of a shelf. "Hey guys, you want one?"

"Nice one, Elaine," Wendy told me as I climbed up to join them. They took the ice pops from my hand and started eating them. Chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry. The trifecta of ice cream flavors. One could not beat that.

"Hey come here we got it ready!" Nate said from somewhere in the store.

"Whatever it is I'll do it!" Thompson responded, running past us.

"Thompson," she cheered, lowering her treat. "Guys, this night is like, legendary."

"Really?" Dipper asked, stopping to speak.

"Just look around," Wendy continued. "The guys are bonding-" Robbie, Nate and Thompson were laughing as they shoved ice into Thompson's pants. "-I've never even seen Tambry look up from her phone this long." I watched said teen look up for a second before immediately going back to texting, huddled on the floor with her legs tucked to her chest. "And your sister seems to be going nuts with that Smile Dip." Wendy pointed at Mabel, who was now slumped against the candy stand, her belly slightly bloated and covered in the sparkly pink candy.

Mabel's stomach rumbled. "Ugh, maybe I've had too much." She turned to the air next to her. "What do you think?"

The three of us watched as Mabel, in her sugar induced fantasy, seemed to have a conversation with something next to her. She then held up her hands like she was holding something and chewed the air, her pupils dilated. "I warned her she shouldn't have touched that stuff," I sighed.

Dipper turned to face me. "Yeah, she's gonna regret that when she comes to her senses."

"You know Dipper," Wendy said. "I wasn't sure if you could hang with our crew at first, Dipper, but you're surprisingly mature for your age."

"Yes, yes I am," Dipper said as he smeared ice cream on his face while trying to aim for his mouth. Wendy and me tried not to laugh, seeing we would ruin the moment for him.

"C'mon Wendy, have you seen your crew? No one in this room is mature!" I waved my arms, gesturing to the crowd around the store.

"True, Elaine," she agreed, laughing. "Can't argue with that one."

"Hey guys! We need more ice!" Lee shouted, shaking the empty bag over Thompson's pants and trying to shove what little they had left over the opening they made.

"I'm on it!" Dipper volunteered and jumped off the shelf, letting his treat fall to the floor.

"Hey, Elaine," I looked at Wendy, polishing off my ice cream the same time as her. "Can I ask ya something?"

"You just did, but sure go ahead." She rolled her eyes at my comment, but went along with it.

"Where exactly are you from?" __Huh. Wasn't expecting that question.__ "I know you're not from Gravity Falls, and I'm just assuming you're not from this state."

"Well…," __How do I answer that? I can't say anything about the other-dimension junk, that'll only end in disaster.__ "I'm actually not from the United States, actually," I began carefully. "I'm from Canada."

That surprised Wendy. "Then how did you get all the down here?"

I shrugged. "Dunno. I'm still not quite sure how I ended up in Gravity Falls of all places." I dropped the stick to my left, letting it rest there beside me. "But, I-I guess I'm glad to have made such great friends while I try to figure things out. Everything's been all… confusing, and painful. Dipper and Mabel have helped a lot, even if they don't know it. By the way, what are the ages of the group here anyway?" I was a little curious. Thompson drove everyone, but there must have been some driving law in Oregon since some of us were too young to even get behind a wheel.

"We range from 15 to 16," Wendy replied. "Thompson is the designated driver, since he's 17. What about you? You're 16, right?" I nodded, taking another bite from my treat.

"I was actually a few weeks off from 17 before I came here. My sis, I'm pretty sure, was trying to ship in a birthday present for me." I paused to smile. "She reminds me a lot of myself, but… innocent. Pure."

"She must have really looked up to you." Wendy returned my soft smile, and was about to say something else when a high pitch scream cut her off. With living with the Pines crew for so long, and in Wendy's case working there, there was no mistaking that voice. "Dipper?" We hopped off the shelve, and made our way to the ice machine. Everyone else sans Mabel was already there, wanting to check out what spooked the kid.

"What was that? I thought I heard some lady screaming back here," Lee said as we went to check on Dipper.

"You freakin' out, kid?" Nate asked, waving his hands.

"Uh, no. I'm cool. Everything's cool," Dipper said quickly.

"Than what's all this about?" Robbie asked, pointing to the spilled bag of ice at Dipper's feet. _Should I get a mop to clean that up?_ It wouldn't be wise to let someone slip and crack their hea-why was I so concerned over something so minor in a haunted store? _Focus, goof!_

"That's uh, um-uh..." Dipper stuttered. "Hey look! Dancy Pants Revolution! The game that tricks people into exercising!" A game similar to Dance Dance Revolution stood by the door, its screen flashing brightly. The teens mumbled in agreement and walked over to play it, while I walked up to Dipper. "Hehe, yeah lets all-let's go play that." Dipper glanced at the ice box behind him, and I tapped his shoulder.

"Okay, Dippin' Dots," I began. "What the heck was that all about?"

Dipper looked at me, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. "Elaine, do you think this place is..." he winced at the end. "… haunted?"

"Dipper, with all that we've been through so far this summer, a haunted building isn't that much of a stretch." I grinned at him, despite it being a little forced. I was nervous too, but I wanted to show that I didn't doubt him. That he had someone in his corner, backing him up. "I believe ya, kid."

A relieved smile met me, and his shoulders relaxed. Still, that anxious look was there. He knew as well as I did that we weren't out of the woods yet. "What do we do, then?"

I closed my eyes in thought before returning to look at him. "Wait it out a little longer, and see if anything else happens. If it continues, we'll grab Mabel and Wendy, and beat the heck out of here." Not that I wasn't a fan of the others, but in a case like this, we could only get so many out at once. B-besides, it wasn't like they were going to die in there, right?

"Thanks Elaine, I knew I could count on your opinion." He went over to the teens before turning back to me. "Oh, and I heard what you said to Wendy..."

"You did?" Which part? The age thing, or-?

Dipper nodded, not seeing my confusion. "I'm glad you feel that way towards me and Mabel." His grin widened. "I'm glad we're friends too."

"O-oh." That part. I-did it really mean that much? Saying that we were… friends? _I got so wrapped up in my problems, and then with the fight with Gideon, I finally broke._ I couldn't keep blocking them out, no matter how hard I tried. I answered Wendy's question so casually, like it was second nature, that I didn't even realize it myself. A few pauses, but I didn't drag out my reply. And… Dipper and Mabel truly didn't know how much they were helping me. Keeping my sanity together, as I tried to go about the deal with Bill and navigating a strange new world. "Heh. Thanks, kid. That means… a lot to me. Now, let's go catch up with the others."

"Dance! Hurry up!" The man on the video game said as Thompson struggled to keep up with the arrows lighting up underneath him. We walked over and stood beside Wendy, Robbie, and Tambry. Thompson's legs were all over the place, barely hitting the right buttons as they passed on the screen.

"Go! Go! Go!" Lee and Nate cheered, standing around the console beside him.

"Wow," Wendy marveled. "He's really terrible at this."

"Hehe, yeah. That's-that's great," Dipper said. I could tell that the monster encounter from before still had him spooked, since he wasn't paying attention to the game at all. He glanced at the glass doors for a moment and gasped, rubbing his eyes before checking his reflection again.

"You still okay, Dipper?" I whispered to him, keeping myself quiet enough to not alert the others.

He discretely shook his head before taking a hold of my wrist. "We'll be right back," he stated, and dragged me over to the wall phone.

"Come on, Grunkle Stan pick up! Ugh, what is he doing!?" We stood there for a minute before he gave up, leaving the phone dangling off the wall. Seeing that no help was coming from him, Dipper headed over to Mabel. "Mabel, I-" I elbowed him in the ribs. "-we need your advice." He started pacing, arms behind his back as I looked at Mabel's twitching form. _Oh, I did warn her._ She would not be a happy camper in the morning. "We're hanging out in a haunted convenience store, we can't get a hold of Grunkle Stan, and if I say anything about it to any of these guys they'll just think I'm a scared little kid or something!" Mabel made a gurgling sound, and we turned to look at her worriedly. "Mabel?"

I stepped in front of her and saw she was covered in Smile Dip, the pink candy now foaming from her mouth. In her hands was a freshly opened packet and stick, and several emptied packets scattered around her. "Oh my gosh! Mabel!" I shouted and shook her, trying to snap her out of her hallucination.

"Mabel!" Dipper shouted as he joined me in shaking the girl. "How many of these did you eat!?"

"Beleven… teen..."

"Oh man," Dipper said, letting go of his sister. "Oh man, oh man, oh man."

"Whoa guys, you might wanna see this," Robbie's voice said from another part of the store. Dipper and I exchanged worried looks before I carefully lowered Mabel to the floor and went to find the rest of the teens. I didn't want to just drop her, and risk her getting injured in her sugary coma. We found Robbie by the cash register, and there behind the counter were two taped outlines. Our eyes took the morbid sight in of where two bodies on the floor once lay, male and female respectively.

"Whoa. The rumors are true," Lee said. Dipper gulped.

"Dude, I dare you to lie down in it," Robbie told Lee, pointing down at the markings.

"Good idea! Go lie down in it!" Lee said, elbowing Nate.

He chuckled. "I'm a dead body, look!" Nate joked and walked over to the markings. Just before he stepped into the space of one of the bodies, soiling their resting place, Dipper stepped forward.

"Wait! Maybe let's not do that." _Thank you, Dipper._ I didn't want to imagine what would happen if an actual teen stepped inside. Though, the ghosts didn't know that already, so I guessed it didn't make that much of a difference.

"This guy's scared!" Lee said to Wendy and me, pointing at Dipper.

"All I'm saying is, why tempt the fates? I mean, what if this place really is..." Dipper braced himself. "...haunted?"

"Boo! Ah c'mon!" The teens jeered. Unlike me, this reaction was to be expected. Dipper had nothing to fear from telling me, since I knew all to well what this town could do. Ghosts, and demons, and the like. But no one there had seen anything yet. They didn't know what could happen.

"Yeah, take it down a notch, Captain Buzzkill!" Robbie said, scowling.

"I thought he was Dr. Funtimes?" I asked him, my voice lowered in a warning.

"Well, he's acting like Captain Buzzkill!" Robbie shouted, not noticing my building anger. "Right?" He asked the other teens, who nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Wendy rubbed her arm and looked at Dipper guiltily. "Little bit." Dipper looked down dejectedly, seeing how fast everyone was to turn against him.

"Status update: trapped in store with insane nine year old," Tambry talked out loud as she texted. __Girl, you don't know 'insane__ _ _nine__ _ _year old' until you've met Gideon.__ _ _Though… I think he's actually ten.__

Dipper apparently had had enough and walked backwards until he stood over the tape markings, not noticing the scared look that appeared on my face.

"I'm not a nine year old!" He shouted, lying down in the tape. "I'm thirteen! Technically a teen!" _Dipper, you idiot!_ The moment he said those words, the tape markings lit up in a glowing green, and the lights went out. Tambry looked up from her phone in confusion before she dissolved in front of us. No screaming, and no pain. She just… vanished into thin air. Everyone gasped, and Dipper scrambled out of the outline. getting out of the tape outline as I knelt down to pick up her abandoned phone.

" **Status update: AAAAUUUUGGGHH**!" I read, as the rest of the group looked over my shoulders to see the text themselves. We heard the security television start to make a static sound, and saw Tambry appear on the screen, who looked around in terrified confusion. She spun around and ran up to the screen, banging on the glass.

"AAAHH!" Tambry yelled desperately. Trapped in a video feed of the room we were in, yet our appearance was not there with her. She was all alone, trapped in a box of black and white. As Tambry screamed, I joined the others in screaming too. This just-one didn't just wind up in a TV! This was crazy!

"Tambry! Tambry!" Wendy shouted.

"Can you hear us!?" Dipper asked. Tambry looked around in disarray, not giving us a definite answer.

"What are we supposed to do!?" Nate asked Lee.

"I don't know man! I don't know!" He shouted back.

"Let's just go already!" Robbie said, not seeing the glare I sent his way. Did he honestly not care that Tambry was stuck inside a television!? He was supposed to be her friend!

"Thompson!" Wendy shouted at the large teen.

Thompson continued to play the video game, not aware of the danger we were in. "Wait! I've almost got the high score!" I watched in disbelief as Thompson dissolved in front of us after he replied back, reappearing inside the dance game. __What the-how is this even possible!?__

"Thompson!" The teens shouted. I felt a hand quickly and carefully grab my wrapped one and looked at Dipper. He watched me carefully, and I realized just how tense my body had become. I-was it because I was a teen myself, or was it the supernatural powers at work getting to me? It was like watching a horror movie go wrong. No body horror, or massive amounts of blood. No fire and skulls, yet I was downright terrified.

"Uh, what?" Thompson looked around, trying to figure out what was going on.

"It's time to shake what your mama gave you!" The computer voice said as arrows started to rain down on the teen.

"No! So many arrows!" Thompson tried to dodge, but struggled as the arrows pierced his back, forcing him to the ground.

"You're a dance machine!" The game continued. The blue, yellow, and magenta arrows stabbed his body, sticking up out of him. N-no blood, but the strikes showed no signs of letting up.

"No! You're a dance machine!" Thompson cried out, curling up into a ball as the arrows continued to brutally assault him.

"Oh no!" Dipper said, standing in shock beside Wendy. Both mirrored expressions of horror, not believing what they were seeing.

"Thompson!" Wendy shouted.

"Forget them!" Robbie shouted, pointing to the door. __Yep, doesn't care for anyone else.__ "Let's go!"

We spun to look at our only exit, and watched as the door slammed shut on us. Wendy ran over to it and pulled the handle. "What the…? Guys… it's locked!"

"OUTTA MY WAY!" Robbie shouted and grabbed the cash register off the counter. He hurled it at the glass door, only for it to dissolve on impact. Green light flashed where Robbie threw the heavy object, making Lee, Nate, and Wendy scream.

"Everybody, wait!" Dipper shouted, trying to calm us down. "Whatever's doing this must have some kind of reason!" He pulled the journal out from his vest and opened it, flipping quickly through the pages. "Maybe if we can figure out what it is, they'll let us out of here!"

"Uh-uh, they'll let us out of here!" Robbie stuttered, mocking Dipper. "Yeah that makes a lot of sense!"

"Okay, that's enough!" I turned to face Robbie. "I've had just about enough with your attitude! I don't see coming up with any plans except to ditch your own friends! Give me one good reason to not hurl you at the door like you did with the cash box!"

"I don't know guys, maybe they have a point!" Wendy tried to calm him down, seeing that I was on the verge of whaling on his annoying, mascara-wearing face. _Bet I'd make him look more decent than he did now._

"Yeah right," Lee said sarcastically. "I'm sure the ghost just wants to talk about his feelings!"

I balled up my fist and was about to continue ranting when Lee was lifted up into the air and dissolved above me. A cereal box lit up in green on a shelf and Lee appeared on the cover, sitting in a bowl of cereal flakes. The cartoon bird on the box laughed in sick glee, raising its giant spoon after pouring milk in the bowl.

"I'm bonkers for eating you alive!" It exclaimed before bringing down the spoon and stabbing the teen. I swallowed the scream in my throat as I turned away from the gruesome display, hoping I wouldn't hurl instead. __How did Alex Hirsch get this past the censors!?__

"Lee!" Nate cried. He stepped back and took his hat off, wringing it in his hands. "Okay, okay… I'm with you kid! 100 percent, man!"

"Oh my gosh!" I shrieked. The rest of the teens and Dipper spun around to see what got me going, and were quick to join my panic. Mabel rose up from behind the counter, glowing the same eerie green as everything else we had seen to this point.

"Welcome," she said. Her voice, instead of it's typical goofy tone, was now deep and threatening. Her eyes lacked their pupils, leaving only pure white instead.

"They got Mabel!" Dipper's voice cracked, seeing what had become of his sister.

"Welcome to your graves, young trespassers," 'Mabel' said as she kicked her legs and laughed.

"We're super sorry for hanging out in your store!" Wendy said, with Robbie nodding continuously beside her.

"Yeah! Can we just go now and leave forever?" Dipper asked.

"Well… okay," the ghost said, surprising them. "You're free to go." The doors swung open. We blinked and stared at the door. __Don't tell me they're actually buying this.__ "But before you leave, hot dogs are now half off." Mabel glided over to a spinning hot dog rack, the heat lamp slowly cooking them. "I know it might be crazy, but you gotta try these dogs!" Nate and Robbie exchanged looks before running towards the door, screaming. Just as they reached the door, it slammed shut, making them run into the glass. _Hot dogs are what set them off!? Why not the possessed child hovering above them!?_ "Just kidding about the hot dog sale!" 'Mabel' shouted.

"Just let us out of here already!" Nate said as he tried to rush the possessed girl, only to be held back by Robbie.

"I don't like your tone!" 'Mabel' shouted, the glow in her eyes increasing. Nate drifted up into the air out of Robbie's hold, who could only watch as his friend cried out in fear before vanishing. Nate reappeared as quick as he disappeared on the hot dog machine next to the ghost, his body now one of the cooking pieces of meat. _How the heck do you turn someone into food!?_

"No! I'M A HOT DOG!" He screamed, being rotated along with the rest of said meat.

"It begins." 'Mabel' spread her arms out, bating the room in the eerie green light. I shrieked when my feet lifted off of the ground and floated up to the ceiling. _It reversed gravity!?_ The moment I landed on the surface, the room flipped upside-down, making everything else that was on the floor crash down on us. I ducked as a shelf flew over my head, and saw Dipper and Wendy crawl over to the tipped slushie machine, and hide away inside its cupboard.

"Elaine!" He shouted, seeing I hadn't taken shelter yet. "Hurry!"

I nodded and sprinted across the room, ducking the large objects being pelleted at me, but still wound up with several snack bags hitting me. When I got close enough, I dropped to the floor and slid across the remaining few ceiling tiles to the ice machine. I quickly crawled inside next to them and closed the door, panting. "Th-thank you."

"Y-you okay, Elaine?" Wendy asked me, seeing very faint bruises from where I was hit. I only managed a shaky nod. _Too… out of breath… to speak normally._ "What do they want from us!?"

"Revenge, I guess?" Dipper said, just as befuddled as she was.

"For what?" I said. "We didn't do anything wrong… at least, not that I'm aware of."

"Yeah," Wendy agreed with me. "What did we do wrong?"

"Okay, let's try to figure out the pattern here. Why was each person taken?" Dipper started thinking. "Tambry was texting, Thompson was playing a video game, Lee was being sarcastic; it doesn't make any sense!"

"Yeah! I mean, those are all just normal teenage things," Wendy said.

"Back up. Wendy, say that last part again," I told her.

"Normal teenage things?" She repeated.

"Of course!" Dipper exclaimed, finally seeing where I was coming from. "Guys, stay here until I get back!"

 _ _Aw, heck no!__ I reached towards Dipper and grabbed his vest collar, holding him back. "Not gonna happen, kid," I told him, a determined expression spreading across my face. "I'm not letting you go and face down a ticked off ghost by yourself. We're doin' this together… I hope. Seeing that I'm a teen and all..." _I really hoped this won't backfire on me._

Dipper opened his mouth to retort, but stopped when he saw that nothing was going to change my mind. "Fine. But if something happens, get back in here with Wendy." He took my hand and led us out from the ice box, and up to Mabel.

"Dudes, what are you doing!?" Wendy shouted from behind us. We crawled across the floor, keeping ourselves down and avoiding the onslaught of food and supplies, until we were right behind 'Mabel'.

"Hey, ghost!" Dipper shouted, standing to his feet. I got up behind him, but still had a look of worry on my face. Where Dipper got his bravery right now, I didn't know. But man, did I wish I had it too. The ghost floated in the middle of the room, a cyclone of objects and wind whipped around her. Her head twisted around to face us like something out of The Exorcism, and the rest of her body followed afterwards. _Oh cr-I can hear her neck snapping._ "I've got something to tell you!" Dipper was lifted up into the air to face 'Mabel', the green glow surrounded him. "I'm not a teenager!"

It was like someone had hit a pause button. All the floating objects around 'Mabel' dropped to the floor, including Dipper. A translucent elderly couple appeared, with the man holding Mabel by the hair. Mabel's eyes were drooping, completely drained of energy at this point. "Ho ho ho!" He laughed. "Well why didn't you say so?"

"WAAH!" Mabel yelled as she was released, falling into a pile of candy underneath her. The twin pulled herself out, rubbing her head. "Ohhh..."

"How old did you say you were?" He asked Dipper.

"I'm..." Dipper looked from me, who was still standing behind him, to Wendy in the ice box. "I'm twelve, technically not a teen."

The old woman clicked her tongue in annoyance. "When we were alive, teenagers were a scourge on our store!"

"Always sassafrassin' customers with their boomy boxes and disrespectful short pants!" The old man continued. "So we decided to up and ban them! But they retaliated with this new fangled rap music."

"The lyrics, they were so, hateful!" The old woman remarked. "It was so shocking, we were stricken down with double heart attacks! That's why we hate teenagers so much! Don't we, honey?"

The couple nuzzled their noses together, and I would've awed at the cute scene if my heart was beating 100 miles per minute. "But they're our friends, isn't there anything we can do to help them?" Dipper asked, glancing back at me.

The elderly couple looked at me, and I slowly waved. "H-hello."

The old man stroked his chin. "There is one thing." He wiggled his fingers. "Do either of you know any funny little dances?"

Dipper looked at me in panic, and I shook my head, grinning. This was Lamby's time to shine. Besides, I couldn't do anything. I knew zero little kid songs, and even though I knew the lyrics to Dipper's, I couldn't let him know that. _But… I guess I could still have some fun with this._ "Um… is there anything else we could do?"

"NOOO!" The old man bellowed, an angry red fire surrounding him and pupils vanishing. His fingers turned to claws, and I flinched at the sight of razor sharp teeth.

"OKAY, OKAY, OKAY! Um… well, I do know..." Dipper winced. "The Lamby Lamby Dance. Bu-but I can't really do it without a lamb costume!" He added quickly before folding his arms, happy to get out of it. _Oh, you think that solves everything, do you?_ The old man snapped his fingers and Dipper found himself in a lamb costume. The ears were floppy, hanging down his head, complete with painted on rosy pink cheeks and a giant pink bow on the front. I slapped my hands over my mouth to hide my giggling. __Oh my gosh! He looks a-dork-able!__ "Oh, well… there it is." He took a deep breath, and got down on one knee, arms waving out to his sides. "Well… who wants a lamby, lamby, lamby?"

"I do! I do!" I said along with him, grinning. Just because I didn't know the lyrics, didn't mean I couldn't try and pretend. No way was I passing this moment up.

"So go up and greet your mammy, mammy, mammy!" He said, hopping and pointing in random directions.

"Hi there! Hi there!" We said together again, waving to the left and right. I looked over at Wendy and saw she was trying her hardest not to laugh. I was in that same boat, but I was focused on not slipping up.

"So march, march, march around the daisies..."

"Yes, yes! More! MORE!" The old man shouted gleefully. I shot a look at him before continuing to cheer Dipper on. __This guy's enjoying this__ ** _ ** _way_**_** _ _to much.__

"Don't, don't, don't you forget about the babies!" Dipper marched before getting on his knees. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead from nervousness, and poked his cheek with a finger and winked as the song ended.

"That was so fine, girly dancin' boy!" The old man said, giving us the A-OK symbol with his hand. "Your friends are free."

The doors swung open beneath us, and Dipper was instantly back in his normal clothes. "Well I don't think you have to worry about us coming back, so..." Dipper trailed off when the ghosts disappeared before he could finish. The lights slowly turned back on and the room reversed back to normal. We stood on the ceiling for a split second before everything crashed back to the floor. I let out a loud grunt as I landed roughly on my back. _Oh, please tell me I didn't break something?_

"Ooof!" I exclaimed as I slowly pulled myself into a sitting, yet hunched over position. I heard everyone else start to get out from the rubble, and Wendy explain what happened with the ghosts and Dipper. _Thanks for not telling them the truth,_ I smiled, before wincing. "That's… definitely gonna leave a mark." _Hope this doesn't require Bill's help. Best to avoid injuries as much as I can._ I reached for the counter and used it to hoist myself off the floor until I was lying face down on the tabletop.

"Um, Elaine?" I heard Dipper ask me. "Are you alright?"

I lifted my head slightly to see him and the rest of the teens from beneath my hair, seeing their confusion as to why I hadn't joined them. "I had a rough landing," I deadpanned. "

"Hehe, hold still, Elaine," Wendy said before I felt her swing my arm over her shoulder, hoisting me up. "Your legs aren't broken, right?" She asked.

"Nah, but there's nothin' wrong with carrying me," I replied. "Nothing some rest and icing shouldn't fix." As we escaped outside, Wendy continued to support me over to the car and helped me into the back seat. The fence was a bit of a problem, but Lee and Nate helped me over until she could get down herself. Dipper helped Mabel in after I buckled myself in, her head hanging low and arms wrapped around her stomach. __I swear, I am not letting her live this down.__

Dipper climbed in between us, buckling himself in. I saw Wendy climb into the shotgun beside Thompson, and shoot a smirk at Dipper before turning around. "Way to earn potential boyfriend points, Dipper," I whispered, leaning closer to him. He blushed at our closeness before playfully shoving me away, going back to his own thoughts.

"Ohhh..." Mabel groaned. She knelled over in pain, and glimpsed at the note she wrote on the car door from earlier. "What kind of sick joke is this?"

I rolled my eyes before leaning forward and picked up a plastic bag off the floor, possibly left from grocery shopping Thompson or his mom had to do. "Here, Mabel," I handed her the bag. "Just in case." I looked out the window, watching the lights go out in the building before relaxing into my seat. _Ghost fight: accomplished… I really need sleep and an ice bag._

By the time we got back to the Mystery Shack and got out of the car, the sun was already starting to come up. The van pulled away, going off to drop the rest of the teens home. We were almost at the front door when the television flew out of the yellow stain glass window, smashing into the ground a few feet in front of us. Grunkle Stan's head poked out from behind the shattered glass. "Uh, couldn't find the remote." He pulled his head back through the window, leaving us staring at the TV in confusion.

"You know what?" I asked Dipper and Mabel, who still held onto the bag. "I don't even wanna know."

* * *

 ** **And done! Thanks for the motivation to get through another chapter everyone!****

 ** **The opening for any OC requests is now officially closed! I have received two new characters that will be added into the story in the next few chapters.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	14. Dipper vs Manliness

****Disclaimer:**** ** **S**** ** **o regarding my last chapter, posting early won't happen unless I'm busy on that day.**** ** **Though, the timing itself is bound to not be consistent, since I do a lot outside of writing.****

 ** **This chapter is the introduction for the first of our two new OCs. I thought this would be a good episode to do it since nothing really interesting happens except Mabel trying to shave Grunkle Stan and Dipper drinking from a fire hydrant.****

 ** **Gravity Falls belongs to Disney, Elaine belongs to me, and Asger belongs to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 10/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo. Doooo do do do, do do do do," I sang quietly as I sat in the washroom, brushing my hair. __Meh, it was only a matter of time before I started singing the theme song.__

It had been two days since the Dusk 2 Dawn fiasco, and in that time Grunkle Stan had bought a new television to replace the one he threw out the window, and a certain annoying triangle hadn't visited me once. No sign of him drifting through a dream, o-or a shadow on the wall like he had done in Dreamscaperers. He just wasn't there.

 _ _Strange,__ I thought. __I made another deal with him, and then he doesn't show up for two days after I hung out in a haunted convenience store… maybe he's mad at me again or-no. If he was mad he would've let me know.__ _My back had healed properly, with the only sign of my fall_ _having it be sore to touch._ A loud knock interrupted my train of thought, and I paused to look at the door. "Who is it?"

"It's me," Dipper said from the other side. "Are you almost done in there? Mabel and I want to go eat out for breakfast, and we need your help in convincing Grunkle Stan."

I sighed and pulled my hair back into the ponytail. Swinging open the door, I leaned against the side and lowered my head until I was inches from his face. "Happy now?" Dipper gaped at me for a moment, blushing, and took off down the steps. To my amusement, he didn't get far before running into the wall by accident. "Hehe, he makes it too easy," I said to myself as I followed him into the gift shop. The boy's ability to get all flustered was my entertainment. Honestly, it was better than a lot of the shows on the TV there.

"Grunkle Stan?" Dipper asked. He and Mabel were standing in front of Stan, who stood behind the counter watching a clueless Tyler Cutebiker walk around the shop.

"Can we go to the diner?" Mabel said. "We're huuungry."

"Huuuuungry," Dipper stretched. The two turned and hit their stomachs against each other three times, groaning comically.

"I could go for some chow right now," I told Stan, walking up to him. "It's late enough we could almost consider this lunch."

"Yeah, sure," he agreed, not putting up a fight. "Soon as this yahoo makes up his mind." Stan gestured to Tyler in the back, who was looking at the fur trout.

"Do you have this in another animal?" Tyler asked. Stan stared at him with a blank look.

"I'm fine locking him inside if you are." The twins and I nodded eagerly, and walked outside without Tyler noticing. As soon as we got into the car, we saw Grunkle Stan spin around and lock the door and clumsily shoved a log between the handles. Satisfied that would hold the man inside, Stan came back to the car and turned on the engine. "Man, I love this family," I declared, snapping my seat belt into the buckle.

The ride was silent, and the only thing I noticed was how happy the kids were for pancakes. The two kept happy smiles on the entire ride, while I watched the trees and buildings fly by as we neared the location. Compared to when I walked there with Dipper during Mabel's failed date, it only took a few minutes to get there in car. Once we got to Greasy's Diner, Mabel immediately ran for a window seat the moment we opened the front door, and Grunkle Stan slid in next to her. I sat beside Dipper and pulled the menu closer to me when I saw Lazy Susan walk up to us.

"Lazy Susan! There's my little ray of sunshine!" Stan exclaimed. "Where were you yesterday?"

"I got hit by a bus!" She grinned, not even bothered by how blunt that statement was. _Is she serious? Shouldn't she be in a hospital then?_

"Ha ha ha ha! Hilarious!"

"Thank you. Ha ha ha ha hee hee ho ho ho." Was this a normal type of conversation between them? Because I was just confused and a little concerned about the truth in her statement.

"You do split plates, right?" Stan asked, handing her the menus from the table.

"Maybe..." Lazy Susan said, taking the lid of her lazy eye and bringing it up before letting it go. "Wink!"

"Great! We'll all split a one-fourth of the number seven, plus a free salad dressing for the girl, and a small plate of ketchup for the boy," he finished, then turned to me. "What do you want, kid?"

My eyebrows shot up. "What?" What did he mean by that? Wasn't I in the same category as the twins?

"What do you want?" Stan repeated gruffly. "I don't have all day."

I quickly scanned the menu I was holding before putting it down, giving a quick smile. "I'll have a number 2, please." Lazy Susan nodded and wrote down our order before walking back into the kitchen.

"But Grunkle Stan, I want pancakes!" Mabel complained.

"Yeah, how come Elaine got something else?" Dipper asked as I leaned forward, equally confused.

"Dipper's right, Grunkle Stan," I agreed. "Why are you treating me all of a sudden?"

Stan looked over at me. "You've been a strong worker, Elaine. Thought it'd be time to reward you for it, and to celebrate you getting your bandages off." He paused to look at my right hand. "Well, most of em. And, you know, you've been keeping up your side of our agreement."

My face showed my gratitude. Though I didn't like being put into a different spot than Dipper and Mabel, I liked being able to get my own food. "Thank you, Grunkle Stan. That's really nice of you."

"Yeah, yeah. You're payin' for half though." And there's the Stan I knew and loved. Made sense nothing came for free when it involved him.

Dipper grinned up at me, seeing my happiness before looking around Stan, noticing the Manliness Tester in the back. "Don't worry Mabel, pancakes are on me. I'm gonna win some by beating that manliness tester."

Mabel and Stan blinked. "Manliness Tester?" Stan asked.

"Beating?" Mabel repeated. They paused before breaking down laughing, Stan beating the table.

"He says he's… he says he… HA HA HA HA HA HA!" Wow, Stan didn't even care about attracting attention. His laughter echoed around our small booth, but no one else seemed to either care or notice.

"What?" Dipper asked, looking offended. "What's so funny?" He turned to look at me, but I was too busy glaring at the two laughing Pines.

"Oh, no offense Dipper, but you're not exactly 'Manly Mannington'," Mabel said before laughing again.

"Hey, I am too 'Manly… Manny' or whatever it is you said," Dipper told her, glaring.

"Look, face the music, kid," Stan said. "You've got no muscles, you smell like baby wipes, and let's not forget last Tuesday's… 'incident'." He laughed before looking to me and Mabel. "Walked in on the kid in a towel, singing along to some weird pop singer."

"You were listening to girly Icelandic pop sensation BABBA?" Mabel asked incredulously. She spared me a look, seeing I was surprised she had pieced it together so quickly. "He did this once before back home." _Oh. That makes sense._

"No. Meh heh, I wasn't. It's not important," Dipper rushed himself at the end. "Look, come on guys, I'm plenty masculine. You see this chest hair?" He pulled down his collar to show his chest. We all screamed as it shone brightly, blinding me for a moment. _Why is it so bright!? Did he even tan!?_

"Put it away, put it away!" Mabel said.

"So smooth! My eyes!" Stan yelled.

"Aw man..." Dipper said in defeat as he brought his collar back up, Mabel and Stan laughing at him again, as I blinked away the spots in my vision. "Fine, 'family of little faith'. Get ready to eat your words." He got up out of the booth. "And a plate of delicious pancakes." Dipper made his way towards the machine, and started to attract the attention of the rest of the diner. "Alright, Dipper. Time to manhandle this… man handle." __That doesn't sound inappropriate at all,__ I thought sarcastically. "And a-one, and a-two..."

"Quit stallin'!" Stan shouted at him. We watched Dipper tug on the handle and watch the light move upwards until it fell down to the lowest category. A card popped out of the machine, and Dipper read it before quickly shoving it into his vest.

"Oh, what? This thing must be broken. It's broken, guys. It's like a million years old, probably ran out of steam power or-" Dipper rambled before being shoved aside by Manly Dan, who cracked his knuckles. "It's rickety man, you shouldn't even-" Dipper stopped when Manly Dan pushed the handle with his pinkie, the machine automatically flying to the top before exploding. A piece of the equipment landed on the large stack of pancakes, making them fly into the air and land individually on everyone's plates.

"Yes! Pancakes for everyone!" Manly Dan declared, earning a round of cheers. A pancake fell on Dipper's head, earning more laughter from Mabel and Stan.

"I need to get some chest hair and fast," he said to himself. Dipper started to run out of the diner before tripping on a beaver that popped out of the floorboards. "I'm fine! Meh heh! Everything's thing!"

"Yeesh! How am I related to that?" Stan said, still looking at the door.

"Come on, Grunkle Stan. I'm sure deep down you have a soft side too," Mabel pressured him.

"She's right, Stan. You wouldn't have treated me so nicely if you didn't have a good side," I added. "Besides that, was it really necessary to tease him?"

"Absolutely," Stan replied without hesitation. "As for the other thing, there is nothing in here but a cold, dark, empty soul."

Lazy Susan dropped the tray of food on our table, startling him. "Food!" She shouted.

"Thanks there, sugar pot. I-I mean, I mean uh honey wasp, kitten baby, b-baby cow," Stan stuttered.

"Ha ha! Silly!" Lazy Susan said before walking away. "Silly man..."

"What the heck was that about?" I asked.

"Nothing. I don't wanna talk about it," Stan said, trying to avoid my question. "Talk about what? Why is this table wet?"

"Wait just a second," Mabel said. "I think I have an idea happening here. You..."

"No!" Stan cut her off.

"And her..." I added, smirking.

"Stop it!"

"AAAHH!" Mabel squealed as I clapped my hands in joy.

"Oh boy," Stan said, putting his head in his hand.

"You have a thing for Lazy Susan!" Mabel said, shaking him. "You do have a soft side!"

Stan quickly placed a finger over her mouth. "Keep it down, will ya!?" He sighed before looking at both of us. "Alright. I admit it, okay? It would be nice if she liked me. But I've been out of the game for so long I wouldn't know where to start. I mean, look at her. She's so classy."

The three of us glanced over at Lazy Susan, who was hitting to get the pie trolley to rotate. "Spin, ya dumb pies, spin!"

"Y-yeah," I said slowly. "She's, um… pretty classy, alright."

"Grunkle Stan, you are a cranky, gross, weird old man," Mabel began and brought her face up close to his. "But we will get Lazy Susan to like you because nothing is stronger than the power of-"

"Love?" Stan asked.

"Mabel," she said, her eyes shining before letting go of Stan's face and picking up her salad dressing. "To victory!" She shouted before downing the cup.

"Hehe," I giggled at Mabel's silliness. "Well, I'm gonna head on back to the Mystery Shack."

"Aren't you gonna help, Elaine?" She asked.

"Nah," I pulled myself out of the booth, taking the strips of bacon and toast off my plate with me. "I wanna relax before I get pulled along on one of yours and Dipper's adventures again."

Mabel nodded and pulled my plate towards her. "Alright. But I get your eggs then!" She cried, and went to reach for the ketchup.

"Fine by me!" I shouted and ran out of Greasy's. "Be back soon!"

It took about half an hour before I got back to the Mystery Shack, as expected from walking, and went straight to my shared bedroom. With a full stomach, I looked around the room, shuffling books around in the bookshelf. The furniture was at the end of Mabel's bed, since on Dipper's side was that strange machine. "C'mon, Dipper," I mumbled, standing on a stool to look at the top shelf. "Where did you hide that journ-aha!" I slid the maroon journal out from between the vent and another book. "Perfect!" I headed up to my spot in the empty space in the attic down the hall; the author's journal in one hand and my own in the other, and sat in the bay window. I flipped both books open to where I last left off, snuggling against the window. "Let's see..."

I didn't come across any valuable information in the chapters I read. They were all about various forest creatures he'd come across. The Moth Man seemed interesting, as it could dissolve into a hundred regular moths. The 'portal potty' just made me laugh. Who ever heard of an outhouse that transported you to another part of the world?

Ford talked a little about something called 'soothsquitos': mosquitoes that spelled out messages warning about your future, but couldn't spell correctly. I snickered when I realized that it was unintentional for Dipper's arm to spell out " **bewarb** ". Still, it was pretty cool to see things in the journal tie into the world around me.

I skipped through several chapters that talked about useless monsters like barf fairies and the stomach-faced duck. which I hope never to come across. I continued flipping until I stopped at the Bottomless Pit page. Ford wrote about how some things will eventually pop back out, and some will never return. "Guess it's all pretty random."

" ** **One day I may have the courage to leap in out of curiosity. Although I might find myself on a plane of existence that I am not ready to handle (or just waste twenty-one minutes telling stories to myself to keep entertained)**** **.** "

"Ford basically described the episode perfectly. Hmmm… I wonder if he ever did jump in?" I snapped his journal shut, shrugging. "I guess I'll just have to wait and ask him then..."

"Or you could just ask me!"

 _ _Of course,__ ** _ ** _now_**_** _ _he shows up.__ "Hey, Cipher," I looked up at the demon, bobbing in the air a few feet away. "Where have you been?"

"Aw!" Bill cooed. "Did you miss me?"

I couldn't stop the smile that crossed my face. "Actually," I chuckled. "Yeah. I-I guess I did. It's been pretty boring lately." __Dang it, Elaine! Don't warm up to the demon!__ I wasn't getting used to him being around, no, it was just that I was really wondering about where he had been all this time. _Plotting, probably._

Bill 'grinned' at me, from being pleased with my answer or my thoughts I'm not quite sure. "So, you figured out what your question of the day is?"

I looked from the two journals, to Bill, and back to the books. "I think so." I leaned against the triangular glass window and opened up my journal, flipping to a clean page. "Okay, now I'm ready."

"Wow," Bill chuckled at my eagerness. "For someone who signed themselves over to me, you sure are excited."

"It's been a long two days since anything interesting has happened. Sue me," I shot back before sighing. "Alright. My question is: did Ford ever actually jump into the Bottomless Pit?"

The demon gave me a blank look, as apparently to him, I just said something really stupid. "Really? You have an omniscient being that could answer anything in the entire multiverse, and you're wasting it on something trivial like that?"

"I wanna start off small before I work myself up to the big questions," I explained. "You don't have to make me feel like an idiot. So, did he jump in or not?"

"Nope! Sixer might've jumped in, but that was long before I had him start working on the portal." That made sense. Ford had hit a roadblock in his research before summoning Bill. And from what I've read in journal three, it was only recently did he start documenting the hole itself.

"Right," I nodded, jotting down the answer. "The dimensional portal beneath the building. Okay then, Cipher, what's your question?"

"Has Pine Tree been suspicious of you at all?" __Now why doesn't this question surprise me?__ While the events involving Dipper and Bill hadn't occurred yet, the dream demon easily knew that the boy proved a threat. He was a smaller, more sweatier version of Ford. He didn't need Dipper catching on too quickly. To this town, or to me. __That… that wouldn't be great.__

"At the beginning, yes," I began, voice sounding slightly downcast at the reminder of my secret. "It was mostly because I kept to myself for fear of letting them accidentally find out where I came from. They… they weren't exactly happy about that. But over the past week and a half, I'm not as scared anymore," I ended, smiling at the thought of the two kids. "Dorks decided to break down the walls and guilt me into being friends. Heh. Got to say, I don't mind it."

"Wow. You humans really are pathetic." _Excuse me?_ "All that bothered by some smaller meat sacks that don't get along with you at first."

My eyes narrowed. "Hey! Excuse me for being able to feel things; unlike someone I know." Did he even have feelings? I knew there were some basic ones there, but anything more complicated was probably beyond him.

"It's okay, kid." Bill waved my outburst off. "It's not your fault for being a fleshbag. Your choice to agree to my deal shows you're not below my help, and you can actually process logical decisions."

"… thank you?" _Is that a compliment or an insult? I can't tell._ Bill closed his eye for a moment, and when it reopened, all teasing visible in it was gone.

"Well, I best get going," he drifted back away from me. What was that? One moment, he was mocking me, the next he vanishes? Was he looking through another window of his at the moment, seeing what else was happening that interested him? "Until next time, Angel!"

I blinked, finding myself slumped up against the window and the journals sprawled out on my lap. I looked around, making sure I was still alone and that Mabel hadn't crept upstairs when she came back to try and makeover Stan. "That's enough reading for one day," I concluded, closing the books. Slipping my journal back behind the box in the corner, I went back to the bedroom and hid Dipper's. _He shouldn't know I borrowed it without his permission._ I also didn't plan on reading his sections without him. Our trust was already pretty rocky, and while it was improving, I didn't want it shattering like that. I glanced at the clock on the table and saw I still had some time left before I had to beat it back to Greasy's Diner.

"Hmmm. I guess a walk through the forest would be a nice way to pass the time." I picked up the black book bag that Wendy had given me with my clothes and shoved several miscellaneous items into it before skipping out the front door. Pens, pencils, plastic bags, and a water bottle. While I primarily used a pen in my journal writing, pencils were good for making quick notes. _Which is why having a notebook in there is also a blessing._

The artwork from the show didn't nearly do any justice to what I walked through, as I vanished within the treeline. The Gravity Falls forest was absolutely beautiful. The large pine trees seemed to reach forever into the afternoon sky, and wildflowers grew up along the bases of the trees and along the small trails. I could hear the birds chirping overhead, and the faint buzz of insects too.

"I really should take Mabel out here one day. She'd love this," I aimlessly wandered through the wood, eyes trying to take in everything at once. I took a deep breathe, inhaling the clean air. "Wonder what else is out he-oof!" I slammed into something, falling back on the ground in a thud.

"Oops. Sorry, I didn't notice anyone else was out here." __...huh?__ I looked up and saw a dark skinned teen standing in front of me, staring at me in concern. "Are you okay?" He asked, kneeling down to my level.

"Uh… ye-yeah. I'm fine." He nodded, and gave me a hand standing up. "Thanks," I muttered, and took a good look at who I ran into. The teen looked roughly my age, maybe a year younger. He wore a black t-shirt, red jeans, and black sneakers that were currently covered in dirt from walking around the forest. Black hair poked out from underneath a red and blue ball cap, partially giving the impression of spiky bangs, and green eyes observed me in worry. __Well, of course he'd be worried.__ _ _T__ _ _he guy accidentally knocked over an innocent stranger!__

"Hello?" I blinked, and realized I had zoned out. "You okay?"

"O-oh! Sorry," I apologized. "I have a habit of drifting off sometimes."

"It's alright, I'd be pretty frazzled too if I was the one knocked over," he smiled at me and shifted a large green bag on his shoulder. "I'm Asger."

"Asger?" He nodded in confirmation. "That's an interesting name. I'm Elaine," I held out my hand, and he shook it.

"Nice to meet you," he replied. "So, what brings you out to the forest?"

"Friends were busy, and I didn't have anything better to do. Private time is a blessing, really. Besides," I paused to throw a glance around us. "This place is definitely beautiful."

"Yeah, I try to come out here every time I visit the town," he grinned, adjusting his hat over his hair.

"You're not from Gravity Falls?" I asked curiously. I hadn't actually met any visitors yet; everyone was already deeply settled into the town. Nice to know I wasn't the only new kid in the area.

"Nope," Asger said. "I come here every year from Daytona to spend the summer with my cousin and her family. They say the fresh air is good for me, and I don't blame them."

"Cool, I'm sort of stranded here for the summer too." I unconsciously grabbed my bandaged hand and wiped the dirt off it.

"What happened to your hand?" He asked, looking at my ruined wrappings.

"Long story. I don't really wanna talk about it," I hesitantly said. I just met the teen, and even though my bond with Stan and the kids was stronger, they didn't know what resided under the gauze.

"I've got some medical supplies in my bag, if you need them," Asger suggested. "You never know when they'll come in handy."

"Really?" I looked at him in surprise. The boy just met me, and he wanted to help me out? "Um, th-thank you." He knelt down and opened his bag in front of me, pushing things around a large black stone before yanking out a roll of clean gauze.

 _ _Wonder what that's about.__ "Here ya go," he said, tossing it over to me. Grinning, I undid the bandages that were covered in dirt, still making sure that the burn was covered with my sleeve so he didn't see it. Once I made sure the new dressings were secure, I handed the roll back to him.

"That's better, thanks." I flexed my hand, testing to see if my assumption was right. The cloth wasn't sliding, showing I did a good job.

"No problem," Asger replied, and started to zip up the bag.

"Hey Asger," I stopped him. "What's with the rock?"

He froze for a moment, and gripped the bag tightly, closing the opening with his hands. "Uh, it's-it's nothing."

"No offense, but I've been around this town long enough to have seen some pretty freaky stuff. Trust me, nothing you're gonna say to me is gonna surprise," I stated, crossing my arms. "That's no normal stone, is it?"

He sighed and looked back up at me. "You're pretty observant, you know that?"

"I guess. I've seen a lot of pretty strange stuff so far, so I'm sure that whatever it is your carrying won't be that much of a stretch." Really, nothing was gonna freak me out any more than dealing with Bill.

Asger slowly unzipped the bag, but still held the opening closed. "You promise you won't tell anyone?"

"Cross my heart," I said, smirking and crossing my chest as I did so. He smiled at my gesture and fully opened it up. He reached inside and pulled out the black stone so I could get a better look. It seemed rough, with several different shades from black to gray mixing together. "Can I hold it?" Asger smiled nervously and handed it over gently. I sat down on the mossy ground across from him, letting my eyes wander over it. "Wow, it's really warm," I observed, weighing it in my hands. "Almost like it's… breathing…?" My eyes flew open and I gaped at the teen in front of me, amused by my expression. "Asger, is this… an egg?"

"Hehe, yeah." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Dragon to be precise."

 _ _Since when are there dragons in Gravity Falls!?__ I thought back to the journal, wondering if I missed something. __Maybe there's something in Ford's work or one of the other journals.__ _The town held so may creatures and mysteries; there was a lot in the book back at the Shack that I didn't know, and maybe I would see them for myself._ "Incredible." I handed him back the egg. "I never knew the town had dragons."

"You're not weirded out?" Asger asked cautiously. "My cousin flipped out when she first saw it."

"Not really, no. Trust me, I hang around with someone much, MUCH weirder." __Isn't that right, Cipher?__ _I doubted he could hear me, but the thought slipped through my head as fast as it came to me._

Asger blinked before grinning at me. "Y'know, I think this is the start of a great friendship."

"Ha ha ha ha!" I found myself laughing in response as we stood back up. "I guess so. I don't have many friends around my age in Gravity Falls. I know a few teens, but only one is someone I consider close."

"Same. I have a childhood friend here who's my age, but that's it." Childhood friend? Was it one of the teens in Wendy's group? Lee and Nate seemed to be people he'd get along with.

"Then I'll be your second," I said. "Hey, uh, do you know what time?"

Asger reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "It's half past four, why do you ask?"

 _ _...what?__ "What!?" I exclaimed. "I-I'm sorry, but I gotta go. I have a thing at Greasy's Diner I'm late for."

"Hehe, no need to panic." He stepped around me. "I've gone for walks in these woods for a long time. I know the quickest paths towards town. Come on, let's go."

I watched him take off down another side trail and jogged after him between the pine trees. _Okay, let's follow someone new into the woods. Brilliant idea!_ Though, my worries showed no problem. It took about ten minutes before we finally popped out of the woods, right behind the diner where the dumpsters were. "Impressive." I walked up beside him. "You wanna come in and meet my friends?"

"Sure they won't mind?" Asger asked, glancing from the door to me.

"I'm sure," I told him, opening up the door. We walked into the diner, and headed over to Grunkle Stan, who was now in his undergarments, and Mabel. _Is that even allowed? Shirts and pants being required for service?_

"Hey, Pines'!" Mabel's head shot up and she grinned at me.

"Elaine! It worked! Grunkle Stan's got a date with Lazy Susan!" She cheered, as Stan looked over at me from his cherry pie.

"Hehe, good for you Stan," I smiled, patting him on the shoulder.

"Thanks, kid." He finally noticed that I didn't come back by myself, seeing the boy beside me. "Who's he?"

"Oh. Mabel, Stan, this is Asger. Asger, this is Mabel and Stan." I introduced each other, motioning with my hand.

Mabel's eyes locked onto him, shining. "Hi, I'm Mabel. Are you knew in town?" __Easy girl. He's way too old for... why am I thinking this? Dipper's her age, and he's crushing on Wendy. Asger is, by the looks of things, 15 too. Not that big of a gap, but she really needs to tone it down.__

Asger laughed, amused by her intro. "Nope, just visiting family."

"Can we sit down, please?" I asked, shifting my tired body from one foot to another.

Stan smiled and motioned to the empty opposite side of the booth. Asger slid in first, me following after him. I relaxed against the seat when I noticed Dipper walking outside of the window. "There he is," I mumbled. Mabel followed my gaze and threw herself at the glass.

"DIPPER! It's me, Mabel!" She shouted, banging on the window. "I'm looking at you through this glass! Right here! This is my voice! I'm talking to you from inside!" Dipper nodded and motioned for her to calm down, before continuing along the outside of the diner. He walked in through the door where Asger and I just came from and headed straight for the booth, sliding in beside me. "Did you see me through the-?"

"Yes," Dipper said abruptly, looking down at the table.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sensing his disappointment. How bad was that trial-thing with the bear with several heads anyway? Dipper clearly seemed out of it, but thankfully, didn't have any bruises or cuts from the last few hours. _Hours? How long exactly was I at the Mystery Shack and in the woods anyway?_

"I don't want to talk about it," he told me, not meeting my face.

"Good," Stan said through a mouthful of pie.

"It's just these half man half bull humanoids were hanging out with me..."

"Here we go."

"But then they wanted me to do this really tough, horrible thing but it just wasn't right. So I said no," Dipper explained.

"You were your own man and you stood up for yourself," Stan stated.

Dipper looked up, confused. "Huh?"

"Well, you did what was right even when no one agreed with ya. Sounds pretty manly to me but, what do I know." Ah, Stan. You really were something else. _Still, we could work on that crude behavior a little._

 _ _Wow. That's pretty wise, coming from Stan.__ Dipper smiled at Grunkle Stan's words, and noticed Mabel was leaning across the table to look at him. "Wait a minute, do my eyes deceive me?" She crawled onto the table and pointed at his chest. "You have a chest hair!"

Dipper grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled it down. Sure enough, there was a single hair growing on his chest. "You're right! I do! Ha ha, this is amazing! I really do! Take that, man tester! Take that Pituitor!"

"Pituitor?" Asger asked me, which earned him a small shrug and a little chuckle.

"This guy has chest hair!" Dipper closed his eyes to savor the moment, only for Mabel to take a pair of tweezers and pluck it off his body. She took out a large purple book and placed the hair onto a page.

"Scrapbook-ortunity!" She said, smiling. Dipper looked from his empty chest to Mabel, speechless.

"Don't worry, kid, if you're anything like me, there's more where that came from," Stan said. He supported his statement by grabbing his shirt and ripped it open, revealing a chest full of gray hairs.

"OH, GROSS!" Dipper shouted, shielding his eyes. We started laughing before he cut us off, serious once again. "Seriously, that's disgusting."

"Hehehe, you might wanna cover that up Grunkle Stan," I told him, still giggling.

"Well," Asger spoke up, and stepped around Dipper and me. "I think it's about time for me to take my leave. It was nice meeting all of you."

Dipper looked at him and back to me, searching for an explanation. "I went for a walk in the forest and ran into him. He helped me back to the diner."

"Oh." Dipper turned to face Asger again, and I could sense he wasn't fully trusting him. _Come on, Dipper. If he's staying in town, then you're probably gonna see him around._ "Thanks for helping Elaine."

Asger smiled at him. "You're welcome. Hey, Elaine. See you around?"

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it," I grinned, giving him a thumbs up. He waved at me, and walked out of the building. The four of us were left sitting there staring, at the closed door.

"He seems nice," Mabel told me.

"I think he's hiding something," Dipper added. __Right you are, Dipper.__

"Maybe, but..." I smiled a little, thinking back to today's meeting with Bill. "There's nothing entirely wrong with making a new friend, even if you don't fully trust them." I didn't trust Bill. Not in a million years. However… continuing to play hostile was getting a little boring. He thought that I wouldn't be bossed around, and that gifts would weaken my resolve around him. I'd keep doing that, of course. But… perhaps lessening my anger in conversations would benefit me.

* * *

 ** **I had to go about changing my original outline for the whole story a little to incorporate our new character, but I think it's gonna work nicely.****

 ** **Dragons were actually apart of the Gravity Falls choose-your-own-venture book (non-canon except for a code about Bill's past and the Axolotl), so the egg isn't that much of a stretch. It was a request from Asger's owner, and I believe I could have fun with the idea.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	15. Double Dipper

****Disclaimer: Happy belated Valentine's Day everyone! What a way to spend it with your loved ones by getting stuck in a massive blizzard, huh?****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I'm glad you enjoyed that little plot twist. Also… hehehe. Aw… puns. And don't worry about reading it too fast, I have a regular updating schedule, so as long as you can wait until Saturday you'll be fine.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks! I'm glad you're enjoying the story line I've got going. Hope you're ready for your OC.****

 ** **This chapter shows the introduction of our second OC. I know it's not very long, but a good amount of the first season is nothing but filler, which makes this the perfect episode to bring in a new character.****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls, I only own Elaine. Kat belongs to RillFipher, and Asger and the dragon egg belong to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Aug. 12/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Oh no, Mabel. I-I don't feel so good. I-BBBBLLLAAAA!"

I grinned as Dipper fake-barfed all over Mabel, spraying her in pink silly string. Setting down the box of streamers I brought over for Soos, I waltzed up to Wendy. The party Stan had planned had come up out of nowhere, possibly due to my brief side comment on the lack of young adults coming to the Shack. It was the truth, but I didn't think he would go this far. "Wanna get in on that?" I pointed my thumb at the twins who were now covered in the gooey string. It wasn't as if the cans would be used in the party itself, but the fact Stan went and bought them made us all happy. Who didn't love silly string?

"Um, duh?" Wendy said, holding up two cans and giving one to me. We ran up to Dipper and Mabel with our weapons behind our backs. Dipper was covered in purple string too, and the couch was also covered in whatever didn't land on the twins. _That's going to be a real joy to clean up later._ "Guys, guys, stop! Something terrible just happened!"

The kids stared at her before we whipped out our cans and sprayed silly string all over them. Wendy and me went back and forth, covering them in green and orange respectively. The four of us burst out laughing, finding the silliness hilarious. Wendy and I backed up to let Dipper and Mabel off the couch and wipe the stuff off them, and Mabel throwing confetti into the air while Wendy and me continued to spray our cans at Dipper. "Comedy gold!" She shouted. The golden pieces of paper scattered across Stan's face.

"Alright, alright! Party supplies are now off-limits," he grumbled, taking away the confetti and silly string. Dipper wiped off the green and orange from his arm, still sticking to him as we watched him walk away.

"Mr. Pines, whose birthday is it again?" Soos asked as he finished tying up a row of streamers.

"Nobody's. Thought this party might be a good way to get the kids to spend money at the Shack." He showed Soos the pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game in his hand.

"Nice!" He said, giving Stan a thumbs up.

"The young people of this town want fun; I'll smother 'em with fun!" His hand holding the confetti tightened, and I frowned at the slightly mad smile on his face.

"I'm pretty sure comments like that are what keep kids from comin' here, Grunkle Stan," I said, pouring Dipper and Mabel some diet Pitt Cola since our entertainment was taken away. " _I take partial blame for the people who get suckered into coming._

"Hey, hey!" Stan yanked the bottle from my hands and screwed the cap back on. "Hows about you three make yourselves useful and copy these flyers?" He dropped an example flyer in Dipper's hands.

"Oh boy, a trip to the copier store!" Mabel grinned as Soos came up behind us.

"Calendars, mugs, t-shirts and more! They got it all at the copier store! That's not their slogan, I just really feel that way about the copier store." Well, it's a good idea for a slogan. Though, the only problem with that was it was evening now. All stores would be closed or closing soon.

"Save the trouble," Stan waved us off. "You know the old copier in my office? I finally fixed the old girl up! Good as new!"

Dipper, Mabel and I exchanged a look before heading back to Stan's office. The room held a desk filled with papers on it, plus a desk lamp, mug, and phone. A jackalope hung on the wall, and a stuffed owl sat on a bookcase. _Let's see. There's the safe with the deed beside that, random boxes with a skull, and the photocopier to the opposite side._ I… won't ask about the skull. I pulled a sheet off the busted copier, which was sitting against the wall beside a filing cabinet with a box on top, and released a dust cloud and startling several moths. "Butterflies!" Mabel grinned.

 _Huh. Soos' picture is on the wall. Though, it makes sense he is employee of the month. Not like Wendy would be the clear choice._ Dipper lifted the lid up, staring at the machine questionably. "Does it even work?" He pressed a button several times, and rested his arm on the scanner. The photo copier hummed to life, and we watched the green light bar scan Dipper's arm.

"I'm surprised that even worked," I remarked. "This thing has obviously seem better days." Considering Stan's idea of 'fixing up' was already stretched, the fact the machine was held together with rope, tape, and had several cobwebs didn't overly shock me.

Mabel reached over and picked up the faded picture from the end of the machine, showing the scan to us. _Stan, when was the last time you replaced the ink?_ "Success!" She smiled, but immediately dropped the paper when it started to shake in her hand. "Whoa!" The image fluttered to the ground, but the moment it came to a rest, it began to lift itself from its cage. It shuffled around for a moment, before sensing our presence and began to crawl towards us.

"AH!" Dipper and Mabel screamed, backing up against the wall.

"Nope!" I yanked Mabel's cup out of her hands, half full of the soda from earlier, and threw the soda at the dismembered arm. The limb fell flat, fizzling away in a hissing noise. A liquid mess was all that remained, with a few bubbles mixed in.

"Oh my gosh! Guys, I think this copier can copy human beings!" Dipper said worriedly as the fizzling sound died out.

Mabel gasped and turned to face him. "Do you know what this means?" She paused, waiting for him to say anything. "BBBBLLAAA!" Mabel pulled out her can of silly string, and sprayed it all over Dipper's face. _I thought Stan took that. How'd she get it back?_

Dipper glared and wiped the purple goo off his face, giving an annoyed sigh. "Ugh. Come on, guys. Grunkle Stan's waiting. We can make the posters later… once my heart settles."

"Alright, party people," Stan began as we walked back in. The man had us all formed in a line, with the room now completely decked out in party format. Balloons hung in the corners and above the doors, light strings going around the room right below one of the wall beams, and purple shining stars hanging overhead. "… and Dipper."

"Hehe," I snickered, seeing said boy's face frown at the insult.

"Let's talk business. Soos, because you'll work for free, and you begged, I'm lettin' you be DJ." He pointed at Soos, holding a clipboard in his other hand.

"You won't regret it, Mr. Pines," Soos told him, and held up a book. "I got this book to teach me how to DJ r-r-right!" The DJ equipment was already set up off to the side, and I noticed that Soos' keyboard was already to go.

"Not encouraging." Stan moved down the line, stopping in front of the younger girls. "Wendy, you and Mabel will work at the ticket stand."

"What? But Grunkle Stan, this party is my chance to make new friends!" Mabel said in distress.

"I… I could work with Wendy," Dipper suggested, raising his hand.

Stan rolled his eyes. "You realize that if you do, you gotta commit to stayin' at the ticket stand with Wendy. No getting out of it, just the two of you, alone, all night."

I smirked when he looked over to Wendy, who had sprayed a smiley face onto Soos' stomach with Mabel's can. "I promise."

"Alright. You and Mabel go and get ready. Elaine, I want you to manage the snack table. Can ya do that?" That didn't seem to hard of a job. Just had to make sure nobody took more than they needed. After all, these snacks had to last for a few hours.

"Sure thing, Grunkle Stan." I gave a mock salute. _First things first. I should probably change up my outfit._

(Time Skip)

"And… done!" I grinned at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. I didn't have many partying clothes, but Wendy was more than happy to supply me with some of hers since she had to run home for a moment and fetch a bow tie for herself and Dipper. My ponytail was switched to high pigtails, hanging just around my shoulders, and I put on a pair of ripped black jean shorts and a dark blue long sleeved shirt. The shirt itself was loose, appearing baggy on my body, put it looked quite nice.

 _ _Shame 'bout the long sleeves, but I don't exactly want to be flaunting my scars around. At least my legs are in better shape.__ What I had learned during my bandaging before Bill healed me, was that my arms and torso were in much worse shape. All that remained now after making the deal were scars, changing from dark red, to a pale white. Not that I usually went for t-shirts, as my preference was always about long sleeves, but… it did hurt to see what had become of me, due to my arrival in this world.

"Just… grin and bear it, Elaine. You don't want to keep Stan and the kids waiting," I said to my reflection, and tightened one of my pigtails. With a final look at myself, I walked out of the room and headed downstairs, the loud music bouncing off the walls. "Definitely one of your better ideas, Stan." Spotlights shone red and purple glows around the room, and a disco ball was now hanging in the center of the ceiling. Soos was at his station, wearing headphones and spinning discs.

"Thanks, kid. Can I throw a party or what?" Stan grinned. His had on brown dress pants, and a white shirt with an open collar that went down enough to reveal his chest hair. _Couldn't he have buttoned that up?_ It did show off that golden necklace of his though, which was usually hidden behind his work clothes. I did see it when he was in his undergarments, but I usually try to distract myself in that state… still couldn't unsee it. "And if anyone wants to leave, I'm charging an exit fee of 15 bucks!"

"Hehe. Clever." I adjusted my angel wings necklace, making sure the clasp was behind my head. "Welp! Time to get to work!" I walked down the stairs and over to the refreshments table. Bowls of chips, plastic cups, and six bottles of Pitt Cola. Not much, but it wasn't like we were pulling out all the stops. _Although, I am wondering where Stan got all the lights._ "This shouldn't be too hard."

"Elaine? Stan got you working the party?" I looked to my right, seeing a familiar face approach me.

"Hey, Asger. And yeah, I'm helping out. All I gotta do is pour drinks and make sure no one takes off with an entire bowl of sour cream and onion." Those, if I was lucky, were all mine when this was over. "You want one?" I held up an already open of soda, cap already twisted off.

"Sure." I handed him his cup, having poured it about halfway, and he leaned against the table next to me. "So, anything interesting happen lately?"

"Well if you count a photo copier that can duplicate living things, then yeah." Nothing else had happened since the last time I had seen him, to that I was thankful for. Things were easy without being on the run from monsters and other creatures that wanted to kill you.

Asger's eyes widened, not expecting that as my answer. "Wow. That's-that's pretty strange."

"How's your friend?" I pointed at the bag still on his back. Seeing it was an egg of all things, there was no doubt he would still have it with him.

"They're coming along nicely. I can hear movement from inside, so that's a good sign." Asger looked around me, pausing at the row of chairs across from us. "It looks like Mabel's made herself some new friends too."

Tilting my head, I looked to see Mabel chatting with Grenda and Candy. Grenda held a bowl of popcorn, which she must have brought with her, and I faintly could make out the forks on Candy's fingers. "Aw, good for her. As much as I love Dipper, Mabel, and the rest of the gang, having other friends is always a good idea. By the way Asger, did you come to the party alone?"

"Nope. I came with my cousin and her friends. That's her over there." He pointed over towards Soos' DJ table. I followed his hand, and saw Pacifica Northwest and her gang walk up to Soos. The pasty skinned girl had a mocking smile on her face, while the dark skinned one didn't look like she even wanted to be there. But the leader, Pacifica herself...

"Party crown? I'll take that, thank you very much!"

… just thought she could ask for whatever she wanted, and didn't care about anyone's feelings. __You have__ _ _got__ _ _be kidding me.__ "Your cousin is Pacifica!?" I whispered harshly and gave him a shove, barely paying attention to Soos explain the rules to her. "Dude!"

Asger chuckled, but rubbed his arm where I hit him. "Relax. She's not that bad, just... a little rough around the edges." His statement went invalid as the blonde took the mic and turned around, proceeding to insult Grenda and Candy about possibly beating her in the competition. He sighed, hanging his head. "Can blame my 'wonderful' aunt and uncle for that." The comment was almost mumbled under his breath, and I would've almost missed it had I not been paying attention. Did he mean about how controlling her parents were? _I know the bell part was bad, but… am I missing something else here?_ "You're not mad, are you?"

"No. I'm more shocked than anything else." I frowned when Mabel walked up to Soos and Pacifica, slamming her hands on the laptop.

"Hey, I'll compete!" She said, making Grenda and Candy gasp happily from the back. "I'm Mabel."

"That sounds like a fat old lady's name," Pacifica replied, hands on her hips.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" Mabel grinned, oblivious to the insult.

Pacifica's eyes narrowed, and gave Mabel a haughty smile. "May the better partier win." She snapped her fingers and backed away from the table with her friends behind her.

"Yeah, she's only a little rough," I sarcastically said.

"That was the wrong choice in words," Asger deadpanned. "You wanna take a seat?"

I scanned the crowd, seeing if anyone was going to get a drink. "Sure. But let's try and stick close to the table itself. I don't want Stan complaining I wasn't doing my job."

The two of us found a row of empty seats along the wall, not being occupied by anyone at the moment. The only person sitting at the moment was a teen our age with long dark blue dyed hair in a black t-shirt and jeans. She looked at the dancing crowd, picking at a woven red and green bracelet on her wrist.

"Hey. Um, excuse me." The girl looked up at us, a little surprised she was being addressed. "These seats taken?" I asked, gesturing to two seats beside her.

She gave a shy smile. "No. Help yourselves." Asger and I sat down next to her. She stayed quiet for a moment, before turning back to us again. "I'm Katherine, but I prefer Kat."

"I'm Elaine." I pointed my thumb behind me. "He's Asger."

"Hey," he waved. _Huh, guess we're not all that great at first impressions._ Short sentences, compared to Mabel's loud introduction when she first met me.

She smiled, pleased that we were as awkward at this as she was. "Nice to meet you two. Are you guys new to Gravity Falls? I've never seen you around before."

"I'm visiting family," Asger explained. "I come here every summer. What about you Elaine? Why are you here?"

"Stan found me passed out outside the Mystery Shack and fixed me up. I'm working here because he didn't have the heart to throw me out, so he's been letting me stay and work in the gift shop." I paused for a moment to think. "I believe it's also because Stan enjoys my company, and how much I've taken to Dipper and Mabel. Pretty sure he sees me as their friend, and as a babysitter."

"How'd you end up there?" Kat asked in disbelief. "Were you mugged?"

"Dunno. I haven't exactly figured that one out yet. I'm sure I'll get an answer one day though." __Bill and me have that deal going, so I do have a way back, but I still don't know exactly__ ** _ ** _how_**_** _ _I got into this dimension…__ _ _or if he'll hold up his end of the deal.__

"Yo! Earth to Elaine!" Asger snapped his fingers in front of my face. "You still in there?"

"O-oops. Sorry. Zoned out again." I looked back at Kat. "So, do you live in Gravity Falls?"

"Sort of. I actually just moved here a few weeks ago with my mom. I'm still new to everything that's going on." She twirled a piece of hair in her fingers. The long strand falling back to her waist as she let it go. "I haven't made any friends here yet..."

"Really? Because it looks like you just gained two right here!" I exclaimed, grinning like an idiot. _Oh dear, where was I going with this? Brain, start working!_

Kat seemed slightly taken back by my change in attitude. "Really?" She stared to look at my goofy expression, and started smiling back. "O-okay. Sure!" Well, I apparently just made a new friend. My brain just started running off with my mouth, and invited the shy girl into my circle of insanity.

"So, we got our own little friendship group now?" Asger asked me. "Like those other teens around town?"

"Yep." I wrapped my arms around both teens. "And personally, I believe we're all gonna get along great. Be prepared for a lot of danger and madness, my cohorts."

The two laughed at my silliness. "I think Mabel's starting to rub off on you," Asger joked.

"I'm oddly okay with that. The kid did tell me I had to start being more open, and less of a wallflower." __I think I've succeeded in that-oh no.__ "Urgh. It's him again."

"Him?" Kat and Asger repeated.

"Look," I gestured to the staircase. The three of us watched as Wendy talked to Robbie, leaning against the wood as Dipper stood awkwardly next to them. Robbie leaned his bike against the wall with his helmet hanging off the handlebars, and took out the guitar on his back. He took his guitar, now showing off a brand new one, and strummed a few cords. _Not that different than the old one, but it does look to be in better shape._

"Man, I hate that guy. He was willing to ditch his friends when we were trapped in the Dusk 2 Dawn store by the ghosts..." I trailed off and looked back at Kat. Right… new girl. "Um… how much do you know about this town?"

Kat blinked. "You have to be pretty stupid not to notice how unusual Gravity Falls is. I've seen these little bearded men run through my backyard once or twice. And this weird love letter not long after too."

"That would be the gnomes. Word of advice: stay far, far away from them. Mabel was almost forced into marrying the leader." I shivered. "Not exactly one of my fondest memories. As for the love note, just burn it."

"So there's Robbie," Asger stated. _Is that anger in his voice?_ "Eugh. I've always disliked him."

"You two have a history?" Kat asked, picking up on the tone too.

"Sort of. I only know him from what my friend tells me." Asger glared at the broody teen before softening his expression. "Can I tell you girls something?"

Kat and I shrugged. "Sure…? I guess…" we replied, our voices mixing together.

"Elaine, you remember that childhood friend I mentioned?" His eyes darted from us to Wendy and Robbie, who had sat down on the couch. Wendy looked over at Asger and shot him a grin. Robbie didn't notice it, too wrapped up in playing his instrument for the girl.

"Oh, now I get it." A sly grin started to stretch across my face. "Your childhood friend is Wendy, isn't it?"

"Yep," he said slowly, curious as to where I was going with this.

I giggled. "And you also don't like Robbie..."

"Oh no," Asger sighed. "Here it comes."

"You're jealous of Robbie!" I gasped, and erupted into fits of giggles. "You like Wendy! Oh my gosh! That's adorable!"

"Would you please keep quiet?" He said exasperated. "Yes. I kinda have a crush on her. She was the first friend I made when I came to Gravity Falls. Like, not even in school yet. We've known each other for years."

"When did you start feeling that way towards her?" Kat asked, leaning forward.

"What is this? Dr. Phil?" Asger gave her a weak glare. _I don't know. Is it?_ If he mentioned that show, then this world was holding some similarities to my one. _Wonder if there is anything else in common. Restaurants, or celebrities?_ "Just last year. I honestly don't know what happened. One minute we were having a race up a tree using belts to pull us up, and the next I'm daydreamin' about how her fiery red hair catches the sunlight..." he stopped when Kat and I started giggling again.

"I'm sorry. It's just, I never pictured you as the romantic type," I flashed a cheeky smile. "Don't stop now! I wanna hear more!"

"Can we please move on to another topic?" He begged, red noticeable in his cheeks.

"Hehehe. Sure thing, Romeo," I teased. "Looks like Pacifica and Mabel are doing karaoke now."

"Always means forever," Pacifica sang as we turned our attention to her. "ALWAAAAYYYSS!" The three of us winced at the high note, and I was thankful it wasn't high enough to shatter my glasses. The blonde ended her song by pointing at the crowd, all watching in awe. "Forever," she ended breathlessly.

"Man. She's good," Kat said. "Even if she is a little rude." I didn't know if she was paying attention to Asgers and my conversation earlier about Pacifica being his cousin, but it wouldn't surprise me since she was watching everyone instead of taking part herself.

"She always beat me in karaoke," Asger said. "Still fun to play against her though."

I frowned when Pacifica insulted Grenda, right after handing Mabel the mic as she got off stage. "I wonder what song Mabel's gonna sing."

"Soos!" Mabel shouted, hopping onto the small stage Soos was set up on and where Pacifica previously was. "Give me the 80s-ist, crowd pleasing-ist, rock ballad-y-ist song you got!" The machine started playing a tune similar to Journey's Don't Stop Believin', and Candy and Grenda began to dance in the background. "Don't start un-believing! Never don't not feel your feelings!" _Okay, so maybe not everything is exactly the same._ The crowd erupted into cheers as the song continued to play. "Now I'm gonna do a flip!" She yelled. Mabel jumped into the air and landed flat on her face. "That was for you guys!"

The crowd continued cheering her on, while Pacifica looked at them in shock. As Soos nodded, approving of the performance, Dipper ran up to Soos and whisper something in his ear. "Dudes, would the owner of a silver and red dirt bike please report outside. It is being stolen right now."

"Wait, WHAT!" Robbie shouted, ditching Wendy on the couch and running over to the window. "Hey, come back here!" He ran out of the door with guitar in hand, vanishing into the night.

"Ha! There's karma giving Robbie what he deserved," I commented as the music changed after Dipper sat next to Wendy on the arm rest. "Jerk." Was I being too angry? _Eh. Maybe. I'll stop when his personality improves._

"Um, what's going on with Dipper?" Asger asked. We looked over and saw Dipper struggling to walk up to Wendy after being pulled away for a moment by Mabel. Just as he was a foot away, he ran back towards the stairs and vanish behind the curtain Stan put up, list dragging at his feet.

"That's weird," I said. "He had Wendy alone without Robbie. This was the perfect time to ask her."

"Ask her wha-" Asger stopped, seeing where I was going with this. "Dipper has a crush on Wendy, doesn't he?"

"Dude; you, him, and Robbie all like her," I deadpanned. "To be honest, it's kinda hard not to develop a crush in Wendy. I mean, she's practically the definition of cool."

"You're not gonna tell him that I like her too, are you?" He asked nervously. There wasn't any jealousy there. It was more fear of what the kid would react. Dipper already saw Robbie as a rival, and Asger didn't need himself falling into that same group.

"Nope. I'll let Dipper figure it out himself…" I trailed off, staring out into the room.

"Um, Elaine?" Kat spoke up, seeing my confused look. "Are you alright?"

"Please tell me I'm not the only one seeing multiple Dippers right now."

Asger and Kat turned around, and we watched about six Dippers run down the staircase and start doing odd jobs across the dance floor. I-I think there was six. There was probably more than I could see right now. One was distracting Soos with a laser as he put a CD into the laptop, one closed the blinds, one changed the color of a spotlight overhead, while another was distracting Stan with a bill attached to a fishing line.

"Oh boy. Dipper went and cloned himself with the copier." One of them pulled a rope hanging from the ceiling, and I could only guess at how they had set that one up.

"Should we be worried?" Kat asked me. "Cloning usually doesn't end well."

"I don't think so. They're probably be gone by the end of the night… hopefully." __I should mention to Dipper that 3 and 4 weren't melted by the sprinklers later.__ _It was never made clear where those two went, but it wasn't as if it was important._

"One more song dude, and then it's time for the bestowing of the party crown," Soos announced. "It's gonna be the-" he played an explosion sound on the keyboard, and smiled in relief. "Nailed it."

Mabel picked herself off the ground after doing the worm in a circle of people and walked over to Pacifica. The girls were close enough for us to hear the conversation, so we watched the interaction. "Pacifica, I just wanna say that whoever wins, it's been a super fun party."

"Tsk. Awwww, it thinks it's gonna win. Hey did you hear that?" Pacifica cupped her ear with her hand, and Mabel copied the action. "People clapping for the weird girls? Yeah, me neither," she said and walked away. Mabel's smile seemed more forced after that, but brightened up as she went back to Grenda and Candy.

"And to make matters worse." Asger pointed at Wendy and Robbie, who had come back at some point. The two were leaning up against the wall by the fireplace, talking. _Guess he gave up on that bike, or he managed to find it wherever 3 and 4 took it._

"Robbie!" Wendy shouted, playfully hitting him as he whispered something to her. "Shut up!"

"Don't worry Asger," I said, patting her shoulder, trying to help my crestfallen friend. "I can guarantee that their relationship won't last very long."

"How do you know?" He asked.

I gave a knowing smirk. "I know a lot of things, Asger. Lots of things." Yes, I had copied Bill's line, but none else knew. It didn't really matter either.

Asger raised an eyebrow. "… okay? Looks like they're ready to hand out the crown." He switched the topic, knowing I wasn't going to elaborate any further.

Soos stood on the stage with Mabel and Pacifica on either side of him. "Let the party crown voting commence!" He shouted, playing a bell sound on the keyboard. "Applaud to vote for Mabel." The crowd erupted in loud cheers and applause. I grinned at the brunette, making sure I cheered the loudest.

"Woo hoo! Go Mabel!" I hollered as Stan shoved the bill he tried to catch earlier away in his shirt to clap too.

"Let's check the applause meter," Soos said, raising his hand to resemble a measurement. "Oh, oh, very good." I could make out Mabel smiling at me from the stage, and I gave a thumbs up. "And the next contestant: Pacifica."

Unlike Mabel, only a few people applauded, mostly out of politeness. Only her two friends and Asger showed any real enthusiasm in cheering. "You're definitely a loyal cousin, you know that?" I told him. "Considering what you have to put up with here."

Asger grinned. "I know." Pacifica gave the crowd a harsh glare, and slowly more people began to clap and cheer out of fear. _Really? Most of these people are older than her, and they're scared?_

Soos raised his other hand, and came to a halt at the same height as Mabel's. "Uh-oh, a tie! This has like, never happened before." Pacifica quickly darted over to McGucket, who was passed out on several chairs. She pulled out a dollar and waved it in front of his face. McGucket sniffed the air and woke up, taking the bill from her as he started to cheer too.

Soos slightly changed the angle of Pacifica's meter at the small increase, and frowned. "Ladies and gentlemen," he declared sadly. "We-we have a winner. The winner of the contest, is Pacifica Northwest." He handed her the golden crown, decorated with pink diamonds. They were obviously fake, but Pacifica didn't seem to mind.

She placed it on her head, making sure it didn't mess up her ponytail, and smiled. "Thank you, Jorge. Thank you everyone! Everyone come to the after-party at my parents' boat! Woo hoo!"

The crowd cheered, picking Pacifica up and carrying her out of the Mystery Shack. "Pacifica! Pacifica! Pacifica!"

I sighed. "Well, I guess that ends the party. I understand if you guys wanna head out now. It's not like there's much left to do around here." I got up and moved to the snack table, and took the bowl of chips I had my eye on. "Mine."

"Seriously?" Asger asked. "Just because Pacifica's having a boat party, doesn't mean I wanna ditch you. I can go there anytime I want, remember?"

"He's right," Kat added. "Sure the party itself is over, but we could still have some fun. How about we pop in a DVD or check the channel listings for a movie and make some popcorn?" I turned around, and she lightly laughed. "And you can bring the chips with you."

I gave my new friends a grin, and hugged the red container. "Thanks, guys. You two up for a horror movie? I can guarantee you there will be scares and possible possessions."

Asger and Kat returned my grin. "I like it. It might be a good idea if I call my aunt and uncle first though," Asger said. "Bet they won't be expecting the sudden crowd."

"I should probably call my mom and tell her I'll be late too," Kat added.

"Great! C'mon, I think there's a phone in the kitchen." I led them deeper into the house to the land line in the kitchen, leaving my other friends in the room. Once Kat called and informed her mom she'd be late, Asger pulled out his cell phone to dial. Just as he hung up, we heard shouting from upstairs in my bedroom.

"You'll never get us!" Dipper shouted from upstairs. Curious, we walked over to the staircase, and watched as two Dipper clones ran down the stairs and out the front back door into the night. _Was that 3 and 4?_

"What was that?" Kat wondered. Dipper ran down the stairs and stopped a few steps above us. I knew it was him, since the pine tree was on his hat instead of a marker showing a number.

"Where did they go?" He asked, before seeing the open door. "Oh boy. I hope they're gonna be alright out there. It's supposed to rain tomorrow."

"What happened?" I asked. "Where were they hiding?"

"I don't know. I heard voices from the bedroom closet, and found 3 and 4 inside. They panicked when they saw my Pitt Cola and ran. I think they thought I was gonna melt them," he explained, raising his cup to support his statement.

"Where are the other clones?" Asger spoke up.

Dipper shifted at the question. "I… melted them. B-but not like I wanted to melt Tyrone though! That was an accident, and he forgot he was made of paper too."

"Well there's your answer then," Kat concluded. "Tyrone?"

"I think that might have been the first clone," I replied. Not think though. I knew it was. _Ugh, I hate playing clueless sometimes._

Dipper looked at the blue haired girl then back to me. "New friend?"

"Yep. Dipper, this is Kat," I gestured between the two. "We're gonna go play a movie in the living room, so if you happen to hear any girly screams, just ignore them."

"Okay. Where's Mabel?" He asked, coming down the last few steps.

"She's still dancing. Be careful though, Mabel's found friends in girls almost as energetic as her," I warned.

"I will," Dipper said as he walked past us. "Night, Elaine!"

"Night, Dipper!" I turned to Asger. "You go see if there's anything good playing on TV. If not, there's a stack of DVDs on top of the player on the TV. Kat and I will get the popcorn." I smirked at the two teens. "This is gonna be a fun night."

(Time Skip)

3rd POV

Dipper walked through the Mystery Shack, the party finally having died down. Mabel and her friends were still dancing, but even they couldn't possibly stay up all night. Though, Mabel did say that those two were staying the night. _Hopefully they'll be too tired to make any noise._ They had no sleeping bags, but Mabel gathered a few pillows and blankets to make makeshift beds for them.

Reflecting back on the party as a whole, Dipper laughed. "Mabel really was right. Who knew that in order to get close to Wendy, all I had to do was be myself? Hmmm… I wonder how Elaine's doing." Before heading up the stairs, he stuck his head into the living room, seeing the lights were turned off.

The television was stuck on a static screen, the movie already long over. The fuzzy black and white screen lit up the faces of the three teens asleep on the sofa. Asger sat at the end farthest of the couch from Dipper, his head tilted back and mouth wide open as he snored. Kat slept on the other side of the couch, laying down on the cushions and using Elaine's legs as a pillow. Elaine herself sat in the middle, her head leaning against Asger's shoulder and snuggling a pillow in her sleep.

"Heh," he chuckled. Bending down, he picked the large wool blanket off the floor that must have originally covered all three of them, and threw it back on them. Dipper paused, looking at how his older friend. When she wasn't being cautious, paranoid, or secretive, she was a great friend. He knew he couldn't pressure for whatever she was hiding, but he did want to know. But for now, he would have to wait. _Still, she does look pretty peaceful in her sleep-wait._ Shaking his head, he could've sworn that his face was heating up. B-but, you know, that was just his imagination. "Goodnight, Elaine."

* * *

 ** **Okay, let me say that this sounds like Dipper has some feelings for Elaine too… hehehe… I'm not saying anything. You'll just have to wait and keep reading. Although I won't deny how much I enjoyed writing the little bit of fluff at the end.****

 ** **I hope you enjoyed the creation of Elaine's circle of friends. Asger and Kat won't be in every single episode, but the concept of her having friends other than Dipper, Mabel, and eventually Bill is very important.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	16. Irrational Treasure Part 1

****Disclaimer: Welcome to the eighth episode! Not much to say here, except this is where a few changes are going to start appearing. For example… a certain blonde rich girl.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks! I'm glad you like it!****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: Trust me, I try to stay far, far away from anything Mary Sue related. I enjoy OC's, but only when they're well written. Dipper and Elaine's relationship is very important in the story, but I won't give away any major hints yet.****

 ** **cookiebook322: Welcome, new person! This story won't end, I'm taking this right through to Weirdmageddon, which I can honestly say I have BIG plans for.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Glad you're enjoying it! I'm also glad that this is the first Gravity Falls story you've read in a while. Updates will always happen on Saturdays unless something comes up.****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls. I only own Elaine, Asger and the egg belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited: Aug. 14/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

I sat in the back of Stan's station wagon between Dipper and Mabel, watching the younger girl attach nachos from her chip bag to her ears. "Haha! Nacho earrings. I'm hilarious!" She exclaimed. Nothing truly interesting had happened so far today. We had the Shack open for a little while, until Stan decided to take us out grocery shopping. Nothing that needed to be refrigerated, so if we took our time, we'd be just fine.

"That's debatable," Stan said as he continued honking the horn. "Aw, come on, what's with all this traffic? And why is it all… covered wagons?" I watched as his eyes widened in horrified realization, before repeating the words in my head. __Oh, this is that pioneer day thing.__ No supernatural stuff, which definitely lowered the stress level. "Oh no! No! No!" Stan slammed the gas pedal, spinning the car around and driving away. "Not today! Not today!" Several woman wearing pioneer clothing gasped as Grunkle Stan hit the brakes, just barely stopping from running them over. He backed up the car and started driving in reverse down the streets.

"Grunkle Stan," Dipper spoke up as he clung to the seat, equally confused. "What's going on?"

"We gotta get outta here. Before it's too late!" He shouted before he hit the brakes again. Stan looked around them, and saw we were trapped by a group of circling covered wagons. "They've circled the wagons! We're trapped! Nooooooooo!"

Mabel turned to look at a cow outside her window before looking back at Dipper and me. "I've gotta good feeling about today."

"Hehe," I chuckled as I unbuckled myself. "That's two of us then. C'mon. Let's go check it out." Mabel popped open the door and we climbed out of Stan's car on her side, waiting for the cow to back away. Dipper took the lead in walking down Main Street, which now resembled something out the 1800's. He held up a post card for the three of us to look at, and compared it to the town.

"Man. Look at the town." He lowered the card to look at the real thing, only for the town to be in sepia. I raised an eyebrow, only to see that it was just two men carrying a pane of dirty glass in front of us.

"Grunkle Stan, did we secretly own a time traveling car and got shot back in time?" I jokingly asked. __The first and second films were my favorite. Never really did fall for the third.__

"Ah, boy. It's Pioneer Day," he mumbled. "Every year these yahoos dress up like idiots to celebrate the day Gravity Falls was founded." Toby Determined ran up to us in old-fashioned clothing, carrying newspapers.

"Welcome to 1863!" He said, smiling.

"I will break you, little man!" Stan threatened, rolling up his sleeve and shaking his fist. Toby yelled and ran away, crashing into a barrel. I chuckled, looking around the town and the different activities happening.

"Wow!" Mabel exclaimed. "Look! Candle dipping!"

"Gold panning!" Dipper said, pointing at McGucket who was assisting children in looking for gold. For a man who's memory wasn't that great, he did have his moments. Compared to the mess he made at the lake, seeing him capture the kids' attention and show them through the steps was sweet.

"Is that a priest marrying a man and… a woodpecker?" I asked the twins, watching the odd display off to the side.

"What chu talking 'bout?" Mabel said, tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh yeah. I remember this." Dipper pulled journal three from his vest, flipping through the book and eventually stopping at the correct page. __Is that all about the town's history?__ I could see the parchment for the map taped to the other side, showing signs of wear. "In Gravity Falls it used to be legal to marry woodpeckers."

"Oh it's still legal." The woodpecker guy came up to us. "Very legal."

"I can feel my IQ dropping every time I leave the Mystery Shack," I deadpanned as the man walked away.

"Come one and all for the opening ceremonies!" The announcer said over the loudspeakers. The townspeople started walking towards the center of town. We started following them, only to see Grunkle Stan hadn't budged.

"Grunkle Stan, aren't you coming?" I asked.

"No, thank you! Just remember if you come back to the Shack talking like these people, you're dead to me."

Dipper, Mabel, and I grinned at each other. "There's a carpetbagger in the turnip cellar!" Dipper said in an accent that resembled McGucket's, closing one eye.

"Well hornswabble my haversack!" Mabel replied as she did the same gestures as her twin. The three of us spat on the ground and ran off towards the stage, laughing.

"Dead to me!" Stan called out behind us. We ran up to the stage, maneuvering through the tall crowd so we could see.

 _ _Curse my below average height,__ I thought as I stood on my toes to see clearly. "Having fun, Elaine?" I felt someone tap my shoulder, turning to find Kat smiling at me. Thankfully, she wasn't pulled into the strangeness of wearing clothes for the time period.

"Sort of. I take it you didn't know about Pioneer Day either?" I implied, motioning at her outfit. Her clothes were the same as the party, although she did have a jean jacket tied around her waist now.

"Yeah. I heard about it from my mom this morning, and I thought it'd be fun to check out." She looked around me, and spotted the twins. "Hello Dipper and Mabel."

"Hi Kat," Dipper greeted as Mabel grinned at the teen.

"Hi! I'm Mabel!" She said. I remembered that the young girl hadn't met Kat yet, and that she only knew the twin due to me talking about her during the party. "I like your hair! It's like I'm staring at the sky at night!"

Kat beamed at the compliment. __Now I just have to make sure Mabel doesn't try and dye her hair too. She already has the length down.__ "Thanks kid. Nice earrings."

"Here-ye, here-ye!" Sheriff Blubs hollered, a raccoon hat on his head. "Ye olde commencement ceremony is about to commence." The Northwest family sat in wooden chairs behind him, all wearing pioneer clothing. I was still too low to make out Asger's clothes though… shame.

"Woo!" Deputy Durland cheered, running up the stairs on the side in a red shirt, overalls, and a raccoon hat of his own. "I got a bell!"

"Oh, no! Police, my purse!" An elderly woman yelled, seeing a man take off to the back of the crowd with said object. The officers blinked before Durland continued ringing his bell like nothing happened.

"He sure loves his bell," Blubs chuckled.

"IQ's still dropping," I muttered, earning a small laugh from Dipper as we finally got close enough to the stage to see properly.

Blubs and Durland backed up from the stage, allowing two kids to step forward to the mike. Pacifica wore a light blue tunic with a purple belt around the waist and light brown furred boots, taking the mic and testing it to see if it worked as she lowered it to her height. Asger stood right beside her, wearing a white shirt with a black vest and blue pants.

"That's a nice look for him," Kat whispered to me.

"Oh, I wish I had a camera. This is some solid blackmail material," I replied. "Wonder where all the raccoon hats come from though. They seem to be a popular choice."

"Howdy, everyone! You all know me, Pacifica Northwest, great-great granddaughter of town-founder, Nathaniel Northwest." She put her foot on a small rock at her feet, mimicking the pose of the statue of her ancestor behind her. "I'm also very rich," she added, receiving a round of applause.

Asger shook his head fondly, looking the slightest bit annoyed by that last line. "Now if you've got the pioneer spirit, me and my cousin ask you to come on up and introduce yourself."

Mabel gasped. "Audience participation!"

"I don't know, Mabel," Dipper said cautiously. "Isn't that girl kinda like your arch-enemy?"

"That's water under the bridge," she laughed and ran towards the stage. Dipper looked at Mabel before turning back to me.

"Asger is related to Pacifica?" __Yeah, I didn't believe it either at first too.__

"Yep. I found out at the party when he arrived with her and her friends." I raised an eyebrow. "You're not mad? Because Asger had asked me the same question when I found out, worried I'd overreact too."

"I'm… I'm not mad, Elaine. Just find it a little hard to believe that he's related to the Northwests. I'm a little paranoid sometimes, aren't I?" He looked at me, hoping for a negative answer.

"Uh… oh, look! Mabel's on stage!" I switched topics, pointing at the female twin. __Sorry, Dipper. I can't really deny that.__

"Our first newcomer is… Mabel..." Pacifica growled.

"Yeah! Let's get this Pioneer Day started!" She puffed out her cheeks, and made a raspberry. "Right guys? USA! USA!" Mabel chanted, jumping to the front of the stage.

"USA! USA!" The crowd cheered along with her, and Dipper, Kat, and I did so along with them.

"I'm sorry to break it to you, but Pioneer Day is for serious people, and you look and act ridiculous." Pacifica looked at Mabel's sweater, but her eyes briefly darted away from her for a moment to her parents. __What was-did I see that right?__ "I mean, a puppy playing basketball? Are you always this silly?"

Mabel glared at the blonde, and held the image closer to her. "Hey, I can be serious!" She screwed her face up, trying to keep it straight.

"You do have nachos hanging from your ears, hon." Mabel reached up to touch her earrings and blushed, finally looking away from the other girl. "Ha ha, wow, I'm embarrassed for you." Pacifica looked back to the crowd as Asger stared at the brunette in pity. "Give her a hand everybody!" The crowd applauded while Dipper, Kat, and I looked at Mabel worriedly.

"Excuse me," Dipper said as we moved away from the stage, just as the Northwest family gathered together for a group picture.

"Mabel?" I asked once we found her exiting the gathering. I knelt down and gently put a hand on her shoulder. The usually energetic girl's eyes were downcast, and she twiddled her fingers. "Are you okay?"

"I need some old-timey butterscotch," Mabel mumbled.

"Alright then," Dipper said, wrapping his arm around the other side of her. "I think I saw a booth while walking around. Elaine, can you and Kat go wait by the Northwest statue for us?"

"Sure thing." Navigating back where we came, we circled around the stage to the stone statue and sat at its base, our backs leaning against the cool feeling sculpture. "I can't believe the nerve of that girl."

"I know," Kat complained. "Do you think Asger's gonna do something about this?"

"I hope so, because here he comes now." We looked up to see the third part of our friendship circle walk over, a certain blonde girl tagging along beside him. "Hey, Asger." I narrowed my eyes at the girl, and felt a small surge of victory at her moving behind him.

"Hi, guys. Kat, Elaine, this is my cousin Pacifica. Pacifica, these are my new friends I was talking to you about," Asger introduced. Pacifica looked at us in interest.

"It's... nice to meet you," Pacifica greeted, albeit a little shy. "Asger's been telling me about you two since he ran into her in the woods a few days ago."

I blinked at the blonde's personality flip. __Uh… what?__ "Okay…? Who are you and what have you done with the real Northwest? Because this is not the same girl who just went and dissed my friend in public." Pacifica's face fell further at that, and Asger put his hand on her shoulder.

"Easy, Elaine. Remember what I said earlier? About my aunt and uncle?" He gestured for his cousin to continue, and I looked from him to her.

"He's right." Pacifica shuffled her feet, feeling my annoyance and anger back at her again. Her head was still held high, but the confidence she previously held had gone down a few steps. "I have to hold up the Northwest name."

And by that, she meant being cruel to everyone beneath her. "Hmm. Well, it's… nice to know you're not willingly doing it. But, uh, you two might want to get going."

"Why's that?" Asger asked.

"Because thanks to Pacifica, Mabel's depressed and Dipper is seriously ticked off." I looked at Pacifica. "No offense."

"None taken. I'm used to it." She looked up at Asger. "We better get going. Mom and dad are probably looking for us."

"Yeah," he agreed with a sigh as they began walking away. "More pictures. See you later, guys."

"Bye, Asger." I sighed, leaning back and putting my head against the statue too. "Well… at least we know that the insult wasn't intentional."

"Yeah, but Dipper and Mabel are not going to let it go for a while," Kat added. "Here they come now."

Dipper and Mabel walked back to us silently. The depressed girl was eating from a bag of wrapped candies, and now had her sweater wrapped around her waist to show off a pink t-shirt. "Why did she come over here?" Dipper asked, glaring in the direction Pacifica and Asger went.

"Asger wanted to introduce Pacifica," I explained. Should I say something else about why she came over? "Asger insisted she's not as bad as she seems. She's just..." I thought back to the term Asger used to describe the blonde. "A little rough around the edges."

Dipper scoffed. "Yeah. A little rough." He and Mabel sat down next to me and Kat, Mabel picking out a piece of toffee from her bag.

"Guys, can I ask you something?" She looked up at us from the corner of her eye. "Do you think I'm… silly?"

Before Dipper could respond and upset her even further, I gave Mabel a warm smile and patted her back. I didn't have to do this, but it hurt seeing her upset. From the time with Gideon, to this right there, I could tell Mabel was sensitive. She didn't like being thought of as childish, or hurting anyone's feelings. I wanted to cheer her up, and I was going to do just that. "Mabel, listen to me. Who cares what Pacifica thinks, alright? So you like wearing funny sweaters and food for jewelry. That doesn't mean your silly. It mean's you're unique." Her brown eyes watered at my little speech, and I hoped that it was because I was doing a good job. "And I personally, happen to like unique."

Mabel threw down her candy and launched herself into my arms, sniffling quietly into my shirt. "T-thank you, Elaine."

"Don't mention it kid," I said, running a hand through her thick brown locks. "Don't let words like that ever get to you. You're perfect, just the way you are." I looked over to Dipper, and I saw him beaming at me in approval. __Guess I did the right thing then.__

"Thanks," he mouthed. I nodded my head in gratitude before setting the brunette upright again.

Mabel wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at us. "Thanks. I don't get it though, guys. Why does Pacifica act like that?"

 _ _Because her parents are complete control freaks who have forced her to obey by using a bell.__ "I dunno, Mabel. Kat and I could ask Asger next time we see him," I suggested. The small chat when they came over didn't reveal too much, but it was enough to show that compared to what I thought I knew, this version of Pacifica was pressured more by her parents.

Dipper frowned and looked at the statue above us. "Pacifica! Why does she think that being related to the town founder means she can treat everyone like garbage. Someone needs to take her down a peg." He gasped, face lighting up in remembrance. "Wait a minute! I feel like I read something about Pacifica's great-great grandfather before." He reached into his vest and pulled out the journal. "Of course! Oh, this is perfect." Dipper lowered his voice to mimic an old man's. " ** **In my investigations****..." He stopped when Kat started giggling, and seeing Mabel's befuddled face. "Should-should I do the voice?"

"Nuh uh," Mabel said as the blue haired teen continued her little chuckle-fest.

"I'll just read… normal. ****In my investigations I recently made a discovery. Nathaniel Northwest may not be the true founder of Gravity Falls! I believe this secret is emburied somewhere on the enclosed document. If only I could crack the code.**** " Dipper carefully tore the parchment taped to the page and opened it, revealing the complex series of letters and symbols. "Oh man! If this cover-up is true, it means Pacifica's whole family is a fraud. This could be a major conspiracy!"

"Really?" I asked, leaning in to look at the paper. A drawing of Nathaniel Northwest took up a small bit of the left page's right corner, and most of the right page was where the paper was attached.

"I got to investigate this!" Dipper declared, standing up.

"Wait!" Mabel stopped him, springing to her feet. "I'm coming with you. Conspiracies are serious, right?"

"Oh yeah, definitely," he agreed.

"Well, if I help crack this code, then nobody would call me silly again!" I smiled at the slight change in words. __She said 'would' instead of 'could'. Wow. Who knew my little emotional spiel would effect her that much?__

"I'm in too," Kat said, raising her hand. "No offense Elaine, but I wanna get in on this adventure. I haven't been around Gravity Falls as long as Asger, and both of you have seen more stuff than I have. I want to see what sort of stuff's been happening around this town besides cloning machines. Um, if you two are okay with that?" She directed the last part to the twins.

"I'm fine with that," Dipper said. "You coming too, Elaine?"

"Well, who else is gonna keep you outta trouble?" I smirked. "I sense an adventure similar to National Treasure coming on." __Two references in one day. I'm on a roll.__

"Yeah" Dipper cheered holding out his hands for a high five. "Mystery kids?"

"I thought you hated that," Mabel said.

"I'm starting to accept it." Mabel and I hit our hands against his before the four of us ran off towards the library, laughing. If we were to find any clue to codes and maps, then this was the clear place to start. Once we got to the building, we hid in a back corner away from the other townsfolk. Dipper sat a projector on the table and began to flip through several slides in his hands. "Alright, guys, if we can prove Nathaniel Northwest wasn't the real founder of Gravity Falls, it will finally put Pacifica in her place.

"I'm just doing this for the heck of it," I remarked, lighting a candle. "I don't really have a grudge against her."

"And solving a mystery will prove that I can be serious too. I'm serious. Seeeeriousss..." Mabel leaned across the table and lapped up her candy with her tongue, still holding the parchment in her hands.

"We just need to crack this code." Dipper began flipping through the slides in the machine. "Let me see… it's not Egyptian, it's not numerology, it's not, wait-of course!" Mabel, Kat, and I looked at the wall with him. "The triangle is the alchemist symbol for flame. Lighting the parchment on fire will reveal the secret message!"

 _ _Wrong. So wrong. Seriously Dipper, why do you think it's a good idea to light paper on__ _ _fire__ _ _!__ Kat seemed to notice my frustration and turned to Dipper. "Um, Dipper? I don't think this is-"

"Alright," he ignored her. "Let's just light this sucker up and-Mabel!"

Mabel had apparently folded the document while we weren't looking into a hat, wearing it proudly on her head. "Mwop! I just made a hat." Her eyes widened when she realized what she did, and whacked a fist against her forehead. "Ugh. I just did something silly again." She blew a raspberry at her mistake, still frowning through it.

"Wait, Mabel. You folded it into a map!" Dipper pointed out, bringing the candlelight closer to the images. "And I was gonna burn it..."

"Burning paper, Dipper? Yeah, not your greatest idea." We heard voices over by the check-in table, and saw Blubs and Durland talking to the librarian. The four of us exchanged worried glances when Durland started shouting.

"We're hunting them down for secret reasons!" He whooped, ringing his bell. Dipper grabbed my hand and pulled me under the table, Kat and Mabel following after us.

"Maybe we should take this elsewhere..." He watched the officers' feet walk past the table, the two now wearing their normal uniforms.

Mabel took the hat off her head and examined it. "This map should lead us to…"

(Time Skip)

"… the Gravity Falls Museum of History," I finished Mabel's earlier sentence. She, Dipper, Kat, and I stood outside of the museum. Four pillars, two on each side held up the stone sign in front of the building, with owl statues on either side of the steps leading up to the door. "Not bad."

"You realize what this means, guys." Dipper looked up at the building, squinting. "We're gonna have to break. In."

"… and those are your free Pioneer Day passes." Walking into the museum was easier than he had thought, as one of the workers had taken her time to put the pins on their shirts. Kat and I had attached ours without help, while I undid one of my top buttons on my flannel so it stuck to my tank top. __With the fabric this flannel is made of, I don't wanna risk damaging it__. "And your balloons, blue and pink," she finished as she handed the twins their balloons.

Dipper, still looking up and squinting, announced: "we're in."

We started walking through the museum, looking at the multiple exhibits such as old tools and taxidermy animals. "What are we gonna do next, steal Thomas Jefferson's rib cage?" Mabel asked.

"Eww!" I exclaimed, laughing. "Mabel, there's no possible way that they actually kept his rib cage of all things." I paused to think for a moment. "And even if they did, they wouldn't keep it in this little museum." __Why are we checking out the pioneer section? There's so many places to check in here, I wouldn't know where to start if I didn't see this episode.__

"Don't encourage her, Elaine," Dipper said as he studied the map. "According to the map, the next clue about the real town founder should be right… here!" We stopped walking and stared at the triangular stone sculpture mounted on the wall.

"We better figure this out quickly, guys," Kat told us.

"She's right. I have a feeling those cops weren't at the library to check out books..." Dipper whispered.

"I don't think the one with the bell can read..." Mabel whispered back.

"So what do you suppose it is anyway?" I asked.

"Hmmm..." Dipper and Kat walked up closer to inspect the art piece, while I sat back on the bench to rethink today's events.

 _ _So today we're learning about the town's history. I wonder if the journal has anything else to say about it, besides the document and marrying woodpeckers. Hmmm… guess I know what I'm asking Bill next time I see him.__ I nodded at my conclusion as I shuffled over to let Mabel sit down. It was strange, but I somehow got used to the sadistic demon's presence. Although he had threatened me on a few occasions, he had kept his end of the deal in keeping my injuries healed. __To be honest though…__ I sighed quietly, not letting Mabel hear it. __Did I really let myself stoop that low as to make a deal with Bill, and actually let myself warm up to him too? The only thing that will result in having a friendship with Cipher is either severe injuries or losing my sanity. Ford and McGucket are the living proof of tha-__

"Elaine! Move over!" I blinked out of my daze as Dipper pushed me to the side, laying upside-down on the bench next to Mabel. "Wait! It's not abstract, it's upside-down!"

"I think I've seen that statue at the cemetery," Mabel added.

"I'm not even gonna bother asking why you were at the cemetery," I said as I stood up. "But I'm guessing it involved the gnomes?"

"Yep," she answered, and stuck her tongue out at the memory.

"Let's go! Quick!" Dipper shouted. He and Mabel flipped around on the bench and stood up, only to sway around dizzily. "Ow. Head rush," the twins mumbled. Kat and I smirked, helping them stand properly before hearing Blubs and Durland over by the entrance of the museum.

"Oh no. Guys, we've got company," Kat warned them. Once they regained their bearings, Dipper rushed us over to the stuffed buffalo. We peaked around the corner and watched the officers talk into a walkie-talkie.

"What are we gonna do?" Mabel asked.

"Run," I stated. "Run as fast as you can to the cemetery. And whatever you do, don't look back."

"You're really getting into this, aren't you?" Dipper looked up at me in amusement, seeing that I said that sentence with complete seriousness.

"A little, yeah." I reached back to tighten my hair elastic. __Okay, maybe I was a little too into this.__ "Ready?"

"Whenever you are," Kat answered. The twins nodded excitedly.

"One… two… three!" We ran around the buffalo and sprinted past the officers and out the door. We hit the pavement and continued running towards the cemetery, ignoring Blubs and Durland's cries behind us as they got stuck in the doorway.

3rd POV

"So… those girls know about your… pet?"

Pacifica walked next to Asger through the street. The two kids finally managed to slip away from her parents, and could now relax without them breathing down their necks. Primarily Asger. His mom and his aunt were complete opposites, and the Northwests almost ignored his side of the family when she had married his father. __Can't believe they won't let up on trying to get me to act 'properly',__ he scowled, before remembering the question.

"Yep." He flipped to a smile, not wanting to concern her. "Elaine and Kat both know about the town's weird history, so they weren't really bothered by it. And you're alright with it too?" Pacifica had known there was something odd about the town, although she never saw anything. Over the phone, and in the emails they sent to each other, she would tell him about the gossip she heard. Things that went bump in the night, and glimpses of creatures in the corners of buildings.

"Let's see. My favorite cousin who's like an older brother is now the proud owner of a mysterious egg he found in the woods." Pacifica stated seriously before she gave a small laugh. "Asger, a dragon egg isn't gonna destroy our friendship. I'm just disappointed you didn't tell me sooner. Honestly, the way I discovered it wasn't what I was expecting."

Asger laughed at the memory. "Yeah. I remember. You walked in on me while I was cradling the egg with a heating pad." He smirked at Pacifica. "You thought I was holding a baby and started freaking out, yelling how I was about to break its neck or something."

"Ha ha ha! Yeah." Pacifica smiled fondly. "I've never seen you jump that high before."

"Yeah, yeah." The two laughed before stopping at Grunkle Stan, who was currently stuck in the stocks. They watched as he tried to use a hairpin to pick the lock. __Where did he even get that?__ Asger thought, seeing the man was having little success. "What did Mr. Pines do to get stuck in there?" Asger wondered. "And more importantly, where's Elaine and the others?"

Pacifica shrugged. "Who knows. Hey, you wanna have a little fun with him?"

"You know, behavior like this is why people don't like you. But..." Asger gave her a sly grin. "This opportunity is too good to pass up."

Pacifica walked up to Stan, picking up the pin he dropped on the ground. "Well, if it isn't Mabel's uncle, Mr. Pines. Looking for this?" She waved the pin in front of him.

"Yeah, yeah. What d'ya want, money?" He asked.

"I want you to say that the Northwest family is the best family in Gravity Falls," she announced, checking her nails.

"You okay with this, kid?" Stan gestured over to Pacifica with his thumb, as his arm movement was still limited.

"Not really, no. I just think it's funny that you're stuck in the stocks of all things," he replied, chuckling. "What did you do to annoy Blubs so much?"

"Threatened someone," Stan shrugged. "Wasn't that big of a deal."

"Oh, boy." Asger muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. He had seen the man do much worse ever since he first came to the town years ago. Every summer, at the height of the tourist season, was always… memorable.

"So, blondie?" Stan directed his attention to Pacifica, the young girl clearly amused by their discussion. "You want that in writing or something?" Pacifica pulled out a pad of paper and a pen, sticking the pen into his mouth. Stan carefully wrote a message onto the paper while Pacifica grinned at Asger, the dark skinned teen enjoying the situation. "There you go," he said. Pacifica looked down at the pad, and " ** **you stink**** " was written messily instead of the demanded requested sentence. "Ha! I did that with my mouth!"

Pacifica glared at the paper before whistling, getting the attention of a crowd around a tomato stand. She pointed at Stan, and the crowd slowly approached him, fruit ammo in hand. "Aw, come on!" Stan cried.

"Like I said before," Asger spoke up, grinning. "I'll make an exception to the whole behavioral thing sometimes."

Elaine's POV

"Oh gosh!" I doubled over as I tried to catch my breath. "That… that was a workout."

"At least we lost them," Dipper said. He scanned the area for a moment before focusing on the angel statue in front of them. "This is it. The statue is probably pointing towards the next clue."

"Dipper, I don't think that's possible." Kat joined us in looking in the direction the statue was pointing. "That could lead us on a never-ending search. We need a marker or something to know when to stop moving."

"Oh, gross!" We turned to see Mabel had stuck her nose onto the statue's stretched finger. "She's picking my nose! Ha ha!" I winced when I heard the cracking sound of the statue's finger move up, forcing Mabel to stand on her toes. Dipper looked over besides the statue as a large hole opened up, revealing a staircase descending into the ground.

"Mabel, look!" He shouted, pointing at the hidden entrance.

"Ha! Who's silly now, Pacifica? Bam!" Mabel went to jump down off the statue, but forgot her nose was still inside the finger. "Ow. ow. ow." She lifted herself up and jumped down after freeing herself, and rubbed her nose. "Okay." The four of us walked down the stairs and through the hallway, brushing the cobwebs out of the way. __When was the last time someone had been down here?__ Dipper pulled a flashlight out of his vest to give us some help in seeing where we were going, and walked on ahead of us.

"Hey, Dipper," I said, hearing Mabel say something about being serious. "I've been wondering this, since around the wax statue incident. But how exactly do you keep that journal in your vest?"

Dipper looked at me for a moment, and when he opened up his vest, I could see two deep pockets inside. "It helps keep it dry in the rain, and from any falls too."

"Ah. So that's how you did it." I turned around to see Mabel throw a wrapper on the ground as she stepped off the staircase. "You better pick that up, Mabel. It's rude to desecrate a burial sight, even if there's no dead bodies here." __I hope...__

Mabel ran back to pick up the garbage. "Okay, Elaine."

"Okay, look out for booby traps," Dipper warned.

"Ha! Booby traps," Mabel said as Kat giggled. The blue haired teen stepped forward and felt the ground give away underneath her foot. Looking down, Kat gasped as she saw the pressure button under her.

"Oh no." I felt something fly past my face and we watched as a large yellow dart implant itself into the wall, almost hitting me in my cheek. __Whoa, that was__ ** _ ** _way_**_** _ _too close!__

"Tranquilizer darts!" Dipper shouted. Quickly, he grabbed Mabel's hand and took off running down the tunnel, Kat and me right behind them. We jumped and ducked as we tried to avoid the darts shooting out of the walls.

"Aah!" We screamed as Dipper tripped in front of us over a rock, causing us all to fall down a long path carved into the ground. The slide ended with us shooting out through a large spider web, and tumbling on top of each other. Getting up and dusting ourselves off with a groan, we examined the small room. Bookshelves, scrolls, and chests filled with dozens upon dozens of books and precious information. Dipper shone the flashlight around, highlighting flags, chests, and old fashioned weapons too.

"Holy-whoa," I exclaimed. "This is a lot more than I was prepared to see."

"It's a treasure trove of historic-y secret-y things," Mabel said as she walked up to a table with a projector and a series of files on it. She shuffled through the files before stopping. "Oh, man! Ben Franklin secretly was a woman!"

"Hey, jackpot!" Dipper said, shining the light onto a file on a pedestal at the far end of the room. "Now we'll find out who the real town founder was. ****Let it be here recorded that Nathaniel Northwest, fabled founder of Gravity falls, was, in fact, a fraud… as well as a waste-shoveling village idiot****?" Dipper laughed at the document before looking at me. "Oh, bad news for Pacifica. Wait'll the papers hear about this!"

"Once people see that I uncovered a historical conspiracy, they could never call me silly!" Mabel shouted. I grinned at the change of words again before taking the file from Dipper and reading it myself.

" ** **The true founder of Gravity Falls was Sir Lord. Quentin Trembley, lll, Esquire.**** " Wow, that's a lot of titles.

"Who's Quentin Trembley?" Kat wondered.

"I don't know," I said as I backed away from the pedestal until I bumped into something… or someone.

"That's none of your business!"

I wouldn't exactly call it instinct, but having yourself being used as Bill's puppet makes one very jumpy and paranoid. I could almost be on the same level as Dipper, maybe even Ford. I knew that Blubs and Durland had followed us down the tunnel, but all rational thinking had flown out the window at that moment. Acting on fight-or-flight, I spun around on my heals, grabbed Durland's hand as soon as Blubs shouted, and flipped the scrawny man over my shoulder. Durland groaned as he laid on the ground on his side, withering in pain from the attack and the darts sticking out of his back. I could see Dipper, Mabel, and Kat out of the corner of my eye, staring at me in blatant shock. I-I had strength, yes, but I didn't think I could do that!

Before I could apologize, or say or do anything else, I heard a high pitch whistling behind me, and a sharp pain stabbed me in the shoulder. "Elaine!"

My visioned blurred as I could make out one of the tranquilizer darts embedded in my right shoulder, and my body suddenly felt much heavier than normal. "Sorry kid," Blubs' voice echoed behind me. "But that's for your own good."

My brain couldn't register Dipper trying to run towards me, only to be held back by Kat. And it didn't register Mabel's terrified look as I swayed back and forth as the sedative entered my bloodstream. My body collapsed against the cold floor, and for the second time since I had first arrived in Gravity Falls, I was unwillingly brought into unconsciousness.

* * *

 ** **Oh my gosh! This took forever to write up! But I'm glad it turned out half decent.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	17. Irrational Treasure Part 2

****Disclaimer: Welcome to**** ** **part 2 of Irrational Treasure!****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: I really enjoyed writing the cliff hanger. It seemed suitable that everything Bill had done to Elaine would make her extremely tense.****

 ** **RillFipher: A story isn't worth reading if it doesn't have great characters. Enjoy your Saturday reading!****

 ** **musicalocelot: I have a feeling you'll like where it's going (smiles).****

 ** **I also want to say thank you for everyone has has shown interest in Gravity's Fallen Angel so far. As this is the first story I've ever written, it makes me extremely happy to receive so many followers, favorites, and reviews.****

 ** **I own Elaine, Asger belongs to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 14/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Urgh…" I shifted uncomfortably, the sting of the dart still felt in my shoulder. _That's… probably won't leave a mark, but it is going to numb my arm for a few hours._ My senses started to speed up, and I could hear someone speaking close to me.

"Wow, Angel. Were you really that desperate to see me that you knocked yourself out?"

My face twisted in pain and annoyance. "… Bill…?" _Am I back in the Mindscape. Wouldn't surprise me. I was darted._

"Well, well, well. Nice to see you finally started to acknowledge my presence, Angel. How you feelin'?"

I felt a rough cold surface underneath me, and shakily pushed myself up. The swirling vortex of colors alerted me that I was once again in the Nightmare Realm, but this time, I wasn't in my bed. _Did Bill create that bed, just to give me the illusion I was still in the Mystery Shack?_ I looked down, seeing that I was laying on top of an asteroid that was floating in front of the dream demon. Bill watched me adjust myself into a seating position, and I cocked my head to the side to think over the question.

"Sore and dizzy." I closed my eyes in discomfort, praying the pain would fade quickly. "And I didn't want answers yet. It's not my fault for getting myself knocked out by Sheriff Blubs."

Bill laughed. "Sure it was! After all, you were the one who flipped that idiot fleshbag. I gotta admit though, that was funny to watch."

"I could've seriously harmed him!" I protested. "It's not my fault for acting out! You're the one who's put me into a constant state of paranoia!"

"Hehehe." Bill chuckled at my outburst. "Kid, you really are just like Sixer."

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I mumbled, crossing my arms. "He was a mess in his final moments in the town. How long have I been unconscious for anyway?"

"About an hour," Bill replied. "Your body is currently on a train with Pine Tree, Shooting Star, and Kitten."

 _ _Kitten?__ I thought in confusion. __Oh! He must mean__ _ _Kat.__

"Yep," the demon confirmed my thoughts. "You've got some interesting new friends there, kid. I thought you'd be trying to follow the rules of the show."

"Not really. Dipper and Mabel are great friends, but it's also nice to meet new people. Plus, Asger and Kat have been really nice to me." I didn't know them for very long, but they didn't seem to be the kind of people who'd stab me in the back. Kat barely lived in the town for a month, and Asger only came during the summer. Neither had the opportunity to truly immerse themselves into the abnormal activities except for Asger and his egg.

"Hmmm," Bill hummed in thought. I stared at him, slightly worried at the fact he didn't respond to my statement right away. _He wouldn't do anything to Asger and Kat, would he? Anyone close to the Pines usually ended up getting involved with the triangular demon. If I live_ _d_ _with Dipper and Mabel, would that include my friends too?_ "Don't fret, Angel," Cipher interrupted my internal rambling. "I'm not gonna hurt Kitten or Drake… not yet anyway."

 _ _That also doesn't make me feel any better… wait. Doesn't Drake mean dragon…!?__ "You-you know about Asger's pet!?"

"Angel, have you forgotten I see everything? There's not much that gets past me in that town." Bill leaned forward on his throne, and made a beckoning gesture. I felt the strong hold of Bill's magic wrap around me, lifting me off the asteroid and up to his 'face'. "Now, seeing how you're be here for at least a little while, hows 'bout we get to your question of the day?"

"You're not gonna pop up in my sleep tonight and do it then?" I asked, surprised.

"Nah. You've been through enough today, I'll let you get a decent sleep. But we've got a lot to talk about soon, Angel. Keep that in mind before you injure yourself again."

I frowned at the demon, not bothering to make a snarky comment when he still had his magic hold on me. I was half-certain a dart was on a different level than throwing yourself off a cliff. "Okay… so, my question of the day? Hmmm..." My eyes brightened when I came to a reasonable idea, recalling my earlier thought in the museum. "What else has Ford discovered about the town's history, not regarding the mythical creatures?"

Bill nodded at my question in approval. "Now we're gettin' somewhere, kid. Before I answer though, you might want this." He raised a black hand and snapped his fingers. I watched as my journal popped into existence, floating in front of me. I took the book and opened to a clean page, and took out the pen stuck in between the pages.

"Ummm… thank you. B-but does it really matter if I write in it or not? I'm not even in the Shack right now," I informed him.

"I've got my ways, kid. Makin' deals is easy, and seein' how I gave you the book, it bears my signature. I'll transfer whatever you write in that one to there when you wake up. Now, as for your question," Bill began. "I'll start at the beginning. The town's valley was formed when what Ford called Crash Sight Omega, made impact 30 million years ago. The valley was created from the crater it left."

"Crash Sight Omega?" I asked. "Do-do you mean like a spaceship?" __No. Way. I mean, I've read theories about there being a spaceship, due to the shape in the cliffs, and read ciphers about something being buried underneath the town. I didn't think they were real though!__

My stunned expression seemed to amuse Bill. "Speechless, Angel? If you're shocked by that answer, just wait until you begin asking the really hard stuff."

"Mmmm." I nodded slowly, and wrote the answer down. Before Bill continued, I sketched an image of the Gravity Falls cliffs and the bridge that connected them. _Maybe a train used to run through there._ It wasn't as detailed as Ford's work, but it didn't look half bad either. "Continue, please."

"I've hung around this town for a long time, trying to use its people to try and free my dimension. The native people used to worship me as a deity, but evacuated the entire land once they discovered the truth. Stupid shaman got too smart for his own good. He built the first portal out of twigs and then lit himself on fire to try and end my reign." Bill scoffed. "Drama queen."

"I take it he figured out what you were planning?" I smirked at him.

"Yep. Guy convinced the rest of the tribe to leave all of their belongings that had me etched into them." Bill paused to let me copy down his responses. "The last thing you might find interesting happened in 1851, when Gravity Falls mining ceased operations due to the discovery of the dinosaurs in the tunnel system."

"Land Before Swine," I said, remembering the season one episode. "It was about the dinosaurs stuck in the sap under the town. It wouldn't surprise me that other people had come across them." I quickly wrote down the answer before snapping the journal shut. "Okay, Bill. What's your question of the day?"

Bill brought me closer to his eye, leaving me only a few feet away from him. "How far ahead exactly do you know of the events of this town?"

My face paled at the question. __Oh man. Is he seriously asking me__ ** _ ** _that_**_** _ _!?__ _I knew he would ask me complicated questions, but anything about my knowledge of the town hadn't even crossed my mind._

Bill's eye flashed red. "Remember, Angel. You ****have**** to answer me, unless you want those injuries of yours back. And I'm pretty sure they won't be as healed as when we first made that deal."

I felt the force still holding me in place tighten around me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. "O-okay!" I wheezed. "I-I'll answer you!" The demon slowly released his hold on me, letting me float in front of him in the shifting colors. I took a shaky deep breath before glaring at the triangle. _I am going to get damaged lungs from him doing this._ "I… hate you. So… much."

"You really think I care 'bout how you feel towards me, Angel?" Bill chuckled darkly. "Our deal is about both of us getting what we want. It doesn't matter if we like each other or not. Although..." He 'smirked' at me. "You seemed to be getting used to my company, seeing how you were thinking about me a lot today."

"You were reading my thoughts!?" I shrieked. "Those are private!" My face paled even more when I realized something else. "How long have you been reading my mind?" I whispered.

"Hehehe. Kid, with that mark on your hand, you're ****ALWAYS**** -" his voice deepened. "-connected to me. I've made that very clear, remember? Whether you like it or not, I am always there. I don't look at your memories, be thankful for that, but I do see a lot of what you think. I've been inside your mind, Angel. I know your secrets."

 _ _Crud.__

"You got that right, kid. Did you seriously believe that I didn't know 'bout how you felt about me giving you that journal? Or thinking about how you wouldn't let yourself get pushed around? True, I was trying to buy your trust, but you're definitely proven yourself to being one of more smarter humans I've worked with. And you know what?" He used his powers to push me even closer, close enough I could see the blue veins in his eye. "That just makes our game even more fun."

I inhaled sharply, trying to reset my mind. __So... that's how you wanna play, Bill?__ I knew… that this would be difficult. Some small part of me figured he would get wise. _But… did it really change anything now?_ I slowly let out the breath I was holding, and gave the demon a determined glare. "Well then, my insane friend… let the game begin."

Bill's eye widened slightly in disbelief at my response before laughing. "Ah ha ha ha ha! Good luck then, kid! You're way more fun than Stanford was when he figured me out!" He calmed down and relaxed into his throne of optical illusions. "Anyway… your answer?"

"Oh. Right…" I closed my eyes to think for a moment before returning my gaze to the triangle. "I've seen almost every episode except for the finale." I sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "I don't really know what happened after the Pines family went on that road trip. Wait a minute… do you know about the series in my dimension?"

Bill shook his 'head' negatively. "Nope. I only pay attention to the dimensions that catch my interest. Besides, what's the point in knowing how my plan goes now? That ruins all of the fun!"

"Hmmm…" I nodded, trying to understand the logic behind that. "That makes sense… I guess." I felt a pulling sensation in the back of my head. "It seems like I'm finally waking up now, Bill."

"Well that's a shame. Oh well. Until next time, Angel!" Before my vision blacked out, Bill flashed his eye in a warning. "And remember. There's no point in even trying to go behind my back, kid. Whether you try to or not, I see EVERYTHING."

* * *

"E… ine! E… aine! Come on! You gotta wake up!" Dipper's voice echoed in my head, and I painfully opened my eyes.

"D-Dipper? Wha-what happened?" My eyes darted around, and I realized everything was blurry. "Why can't I see clearly?" _Huh… guess that's another thing I never really noticed before. Every time I wake up in the Nightmare Realm or Mindscape, I have my glasses on. Even if I take them off before bed._ Well, it was the mind, so it made sense that possibly it was an internal reflex to will them to appear. Although… in the times in Bill's dimension, that might have been his doing.

"Oh. Here." Dipper quickly handed me my glasses, which thankfully had no cracks on them. Once I slid the blue frame back onto my face, I saw Dipper, Mabel, Kat, and I were sitting in a large crate. In a corner stood Quentin Trembley, still encased in peanut brittle.

"Are you alright, Elaine?" Mabel asked.

"I… I think so. Where are we?" The pain from what I felt in the Nightmare Realm carried over, and my shoulder still felt numb.

"In a box on our way to Washington," Kat answered with a sigh. "You've been out for an hour."

"Really?" I said, feigning surprise. Bill already told me, but it was a little strange. Not the time I was out, but how a few minutes there equaled an hour in this dimension. _Guess dimensions have different flows of time._

"Yep. Blubs darted you when you flipped Durland," Dipper added, in case I didn't remember. "How'd you learn to do that anyway?"

"I was in a dark cave, and was already a little on edge since Gideon and the ghosts." _And Bill, of course._ "Paranoia got the best of me, and I just… reacted."

"Reacted?" Kat repeated incredulously. "Durland had to get a wrap for his head due to the rough impact he made with the ground."

He did? "Oops. I didn't mean to hurt him that much." I looked at the blue haired teen. "Still, darting me was a little on the extreme side."

Mabel nodded at my excuse and let out a sad sigh. "Oh. I can't believe I left a trail of candy wrappers. This is all my fault. Pacifica was right to peg me. I'm only ever going to be a silly failure, like that embarrassing president what's-his-name." She broke a piece of peanut brittle off the large block, eating it. The space started to crack, shattering the entire piece of peanut brittle and freeing Trembley.

"Aahh!" Dipper and Mabel hugged each other, and Kat helped me to my feet to put distance between the strange odd man.

"It is I, Quentin Trembley," the man announced, and proceeded to rip of his pants to reveal old-fashioned underpants.

"You're alive!" Dipper exclaimed, releasing Mabel. "But how?"

"Peanut brittle really does have life-sustaining properties! You're not silly, you're brilliant!" Mabel commended.

"And so are you, dear girl, for following my clues and freeing me from my delicious tomb!" Trembley added.

"Mabel, he's right!" I said. "Everything you've done today with making maps into hats and hanging upside-down; your silliness solved a puzzle that serious cops couldn't crack in over a hundred years!" I wrapped my arm around Mabel. "I told you silliness was something to be proud of." _Who cares if I copied Dipper's lines. Mabel's worries had to be put to rest, and since I was the one to cheer her up earlier, I'll do it again._

"Oh, stop it," she said playfully, shoving my arm.

"By Jefferson! We seem to be trapped in some sort of crate-shaped box," Trembley observed.

"It's a crate, Mr. President," Kat told him.

"Good thing I have the President's Key, which can open any lock in America!" Trembley made an odd hacking sound, and we grimaced as a golden key was coughed up. _What the-since when was the key inside him? When was that a thing?_ Wiping off the saliva on his coat, he moved towards one of the crate's sides, and repeatedly slammed the key into the wood.

"I… don't think that's gonna work," Dipper pointed out as we watched, our initial excitement dying down with each failed attempt.

"Wood! My age-old enemy." Trembley squinted at the wall. "In order to get out of here, this is going to take the silliest plan ever conceived."

"I think we know who can help out with that," I said, smiling at Mabel.

"Hmmm. How 'bout… that hole?" She suggested, pointing at a tiny hole near the corner of the crate.

"We will leap through it!" Trembley shouted as he and Mabel launched themselves at the hole. The young girl poked her finger through the hole, moving it around. "Almost. Almost there. Good! Keep pushing," he encouraged.

"I'm not quite sure this is gonna work, Mabel," Kat said.

"Trust… the silliness!" She shouted back at her.

"Fiddlesticks! Keep going!" Trembley cut into their conversation. They continued their silly attempt to get out before we heard a tapping noise outside of the box. "Is that my third wife? Sandy?" The plank of wood the hole fell forward, and the rest of the crate collapsed with it. __That… was completely by chance.__ "Well, we didn't fit through the hole. Let's rebuild the box and try again!"

"We gotta get out of here!" Dipper told him, picking up the documents and rushing towards the door.

"Also good!"

Dipper opened the door to reveal Durland getting ice from the machine, a thick bandage still wrapped around his head. His eyes widened when he saw the five of us, and dropped the bucket. "Blubs!" The dark skinned officer poked his head around the corner, scaring us back the way we came. We ran to the end of the train, and saw the emergency exit on the roof. Trembley climbed up the ladder and started pressing his key against the door, despite it having no lock.

"Give me that!" Dipper cried. He took the key from Trembley and turned the handle to open the door to the roof. We quickly climbed out and ran onto the roof of the train, followed by Blubs and Durland.

"There… is… no… escape!" Blubs panted. I gotta take a knee."

"Are you okay? Can I get you anything?" Durland asked.

"Edwin, darlin', you are a diamond in the rough," he complimented the younger man, smiling.

"Sheriff Blubs, do you really want to lock us all up in a government facility somewhere?" Dipper asked.

"I've got no choice!" He answered. "Our orders come from the very top!"

"Very..." Kat mumbled. "Wait! Quentin, did you ever sign an official resignation?"

"No, ma'am. I ate a salamander and jumped out the window," Trembley stated, completely serious.

"Then… technically you're still legally the President of the United States, right?" Dipper continued before turning to Blubs and Durland. "You've gotta answer to this guy now!"

"Huh?" The officers said.

"As president of these several United States," Trembley said. "I hereby order you to pretend none of this ever happened. And- and go on a delightful vacation." A metal sign whacked him upside the head as the train continued moving. "Ow! Mmm, yeeees!"

"Vacation?" Blubs asked before smiling at Durland. "What place have you always wanted to visit? One, two-"

"Silly Water Fun Slides in Grand Lakes, Michigan!"

(Time Skip)

We waved the officers off as the train departed once again, this time with us off it. I made sure to apologize to Durland for flipping him before he left. Smiling, he accepted it, and Blubs added that they were impressed with my quick reflexes. _Should that be a compliment? I wouldn't be too impressed is a short girl could take out an officer so easily._ Once the train had disappeared, Trembley took a knee in front of Mabel. "You've done a great service to your country, Mabel. As thanks, I'd like to make you an official U.S. congressman." He unfolded a black top hat, and placed it on her head.

"I'm legalizing everything!" She declared.

"Hehehe. There's no way that will blow up in our faces," I sarcastically said to Kat, earning a laugh.

"And Roderick," Trembley said to Dipper.

That... wasn't even close to his actual name. Dipper looked just as confused, and went to correct the man. "Uh-actually-uh-"

"You dear boy are on your way to unlocking the mysteries of this great land. So I'd like you to have my President's Key!" He took it out of his coat again, and held it in front of the boy's face. "It's made from a part of the Liberty Bell."

His face lit up, hearing that bit of information, and took the key with a smile. _If you remembered he'd coughed it up, kid, that smile might be a little more forced._ Opening up his vest, Dipper slid it into the pocket that didn't hold the journal. "Thanks. Come on, guys. We've got a bit of a walk ahead of us."

As the five of us started our walk back towards town, I leaned in to whisper something to Dipper. "You know, you probably could ask Trembley a few questions and jot them down in the journal. He's from the 1800's, so he might have some interesting stuff to say."

Dipper grinned at me and took the book out from under his vest. "That's a good idea, Elaine. Um, Trembley? Could I ask you a couple questions about your time as president?"

"Why certainly, dear boy!" Trembley said. "What is it you'd like to know?"

(Time Skip)

"And then he chased me around and spanked me with a paddle for like, three hours," he finished his story as we walked through town square. "Bottom line, George Washington was a jerk."

"A-greed!" Mabel said. _Yeah, well if you kept popping into the bedroom of the seventh president while he was changing_ _with that key_ _, I'm surprised the first president didn't act even harsher_ _for what you did_ _._ Turned out Andrew Jackson shot at him 14 times, each on a different occasion.

We stopped in front a small maypole with several girls running around it, playfully winding ribbons around the pole. Pacifica said something to her friends nearby, and had them walk up to one of the girls and shoo her away. Asger stood next to her, reshuffling stuff in his book bag. His head perked up, hearing our footsteps, and turned towards us. "Well, look who finally showed up," he commented. "Where have you guys been all day?"

"Don't ask. We've been running all over town, and had to walk for about two hours to get back after getting stuck on a train." I let out a loud groan, and rubbed my aching shoulder. "Everything hurts."

"Hey, Pacifica! I uncovered a government conspiracy about the eighth-and-a-half president of the United States!" Mabel shouted. "Who's silly now?"

Pacifica blinked, trying to understand what Mabel was talking about. "What? Who is that idiot?"

We watched as Trembley ran past us, trying to fight a bald eagle. "Put up your dukes, you bald fiend!"

"The eighth-and-a-half president of America," Mabel explained. "I know what you're thinking; how is he still alive? Well, it turns out you can hibernate in peanut brittle and it-"

Pacifica cut her off with a loud laugh. "Wow! You really are a sad, dumb little girl. Nice top hat, by the way." We heard mocking laughter, and saw Pacifica's parents watching us. __No wonder she's acting like this. The kid's__ _ _really__ _ _y under surveillance.__ _From how she and Asger had sounded earlier in the day, I didn't think too much of it, since I was more focused on how she had hurt Mabel's feelings. But watching it now, knowing Mabel was happier… it was actually sort of tragic._

"Um, guys?" Asger spoke up. "It looks like your car's stuck in the mud." He gave us a pity smile and took Pacifica's hand, walking towards their own ride. "See you later, guys!"

"Bye Asger!" Kat called out. I watched as Pacifica took one last glance at me, and gave an almost invisible smile. Nodding my head in understanding, I turned to find Kat grinning at me. "I better head home too. Thanks again for letting me tag along. And, uh, hope your arm feels better."

"Thanks. And it was no problem at all. It was nice to have someone else join in our strange exploits," I said. "See ya later."

The blue haired girl waved goodbye and started off down the road. Dipper frowned at Pacifica's car, and turned to look at Mabel. "Aren't you gonna tell her about her ate-gray ampa-gray?"

"You know what, Dipper? I've got nothing to prove. I've learned that being silly is awesome!" She untied the sweater from her waist and pulled it back on over her head and the hat.

"That-a-girl, Mabel. I'm proud of you." I patted her back. "So, you're no longer mad at Pacifica?"

"Nope. In fact, I think we've made a little progress." Mabel shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe we'll be friends one day."

I thought ahead to the third episode in season two, and chuckled. _I don't know if everything ran exactly the same here, but if things were close enough, than I'm certain that by then they'll get along just fine._ "I'm certain you will be. What about you, Dipper?"

He glared at the car as it started driving away. "Well, I haven't learned anything!" He brought his hand up to his mouth, and gave a loud whistle. "Hey, Pacifica!"

The car came to a stop as he ran up to the window. Asger and Pacifica looked at him curiously, not expecting him to chase after. "Nathaniel Northwest didn't found Gravity Falls, and your whole family is a sham. Deal with it!" He passed the documents through the window, allowing the two to look them over.

Dipper walked proudly back over to us as we heard Pacifica yell from the back seat as the sedan drove away. "Man, revenge is underrated. That felt awesome!"

"Maybe, but I bet Asger's gonna be mad at you for a while," I commented.

"Meh. He'll get over it eventually." The three of us smiled, and Trembley walked back over to us after giving up his fight with the eagle.

"Children, I am needed elsewhere. Just know that I'll always be right here… on the negative twelve dollar bill," he said, handing Dipper said bill.

"Whoa," Dipper exclaimed, looking it over. "This is worthless."

"It's less than worthless, my boy. Trembley away!" I laughed as he jumped backwards, landing perfectly onto a horse, and road off into the sunset saluting us.

"Now where do you suppose he's going?" I asked.

"I'm gonna say… off a cliff," Dipper answered.

"We better go find Grunkle Stan," Mabel said. "If the car's still here, he's bound to be nearby."

We set off down a side street and found Stan still stuck in the stocks, a pile of tomatoes surrounding his feet and dripping juice off his chin. "Have a nice day, Grunkle Stan?" I asked.

"Don't try me, kid. It's been a long day; I've been pelted with tomatoes, and then Soos came by and talked to me for like, an hour," he complained.

"You've been through so much," Mabel consoled him as Dipper used the key to free Stan.

"It works!" It did, but I doubted it worked on any lock made after he got stuck in that candy tomb.

Stan stood up, rubbing his wrists and swiped at the tomato juice on his face. "So what's with the top hat?" He asked Mabel.

"I am a congressman." She puffed out her chest, pleased with the position.

Stan arched a brow, wondering if he heard her right. "Pardon me?"

"You are officially pardoned." Mabel, Dipper, and I laughed, to Stan's befuddlement.

"Oy! You are never gonna make sense, are you, kid?" He asked.

"No, I'm not, Grunkle Stan. No, I'm not. Mabel, away!" Mabel shouted, throwing herself backwards just as Trembley did, only to crash into a barrel. "I'm okay!"

"Ha ha ha!" I ran over to help her off the ground, letting her dust off her skirt from the impact. "Come on. Let's go home."

(Time Skip)

" ** **Hello, journal. It's been a while, hasn't it?**** ** **Well, maybe not that long. Seeing how Bill's word was true in that the meeting in the Nightmare Realm, and the stuff I wrote in that journal passed onto this one. S**** ** **o… how about I start at the beginning?****

 ** **I've made some new friends over the past few days. I guess since I'm not officially a real character, it'd make sense that I'd find friends who usually stayed in the background too.****

 ** **Asger: a**** ** **caring and overprotective**** ** **15 year old who,**** ** **for some reason,**** ** **owns a dragon egg. He didn't tell anyone of how he found it, but I'm confident he didn't find it just lying around in the woods. He's also Pacifica's cousin, so I'm certain I'll be seeing them around together.**** **"** **I really had to get the answer as to why he had that egg. I just hoped it wasn't anything dangerous or illegal, like… I dunno, through gambling or something.**

 **"** ** **Kat: a shy but adventurous 15 year old, identified by her**** ** **dark**** ** **blue hair. She moved to Gravity Falls a few weeks before I arrived, and has a habit of playing with her bracelet**** ** **when she's nervous. As she began to open up around me and Asger, I could see she held a spark of excitement.****

 ** **I've just come back from Pioneer Day, and having myself knocked out with a tranquilizer dart. Irrational Treasure was a fun episode to watch, but man! It was a real workout.**** ** **My arm's almost fully awake now from when Blubs darted me when I accidentally flipped Durland, so that's a plus.**** ** **Not my fault that Cipher had made me so freakin' jumpy.****

 ** **And s**** ** **peaking of Bill Cipher…**** "

I hesitated, my pen hovering over the pages. I knew Bill would mostly likely see this, either in my own mind, or through one of his windows into this dimension. But he wouldn't have given me the journal if he didn't want me writing in it.

"Beep bop. Welcome to the future, Past-Man!" Mabel's voice echoed from downstairs. Ever since we got home, Dipper and Mabel had the brilliant idea of telling Soos about our adventure, even after Blubs and Durland made us promise not to say anything to anyone. Soos got really interested, and we had woken up in the morning to find him sitting in a tub of peanut brittle in the living room. He apparently wanted to preserve himself like Trembley did, in order to see what the future was like. This had given Mabel and Dipper a great chance to prank the man-child, and chose to make him believe he woke up in the future and had to save them from 'the Plasma War V'. "It is the year Bleventy-Billion! Tell us your ways of the past," Mabel continued.

I giggled at the twin's antics before I started to write in my journal again. " ** **There's a lot I wanna say about that stupid triangle demon, but most of them are too explicit**** ** **to write down.****

 ** **Bill is a lot smarter than I had given him credit for. He knew about my plan to fake my trust the whole time, and knew all of my not-so-friendly thoughts about him too. So now I have to be even more careful with what I do… this sucks.****

 ** **I have somehow gotten myself into a very intense**** ** **match**** ** **with the demon. I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but it looks like I'm gonna have to step up my**** ** **game**** ** **. No way am I letting myself lose to that sadistic demon.****

 ** **YA HEAR THAT, BILL****!?"

* * *

 ** **I had started typing this right after I posted the last chapter, and finished it in less than 24 hours. I don't really know how, but I just got really into this episode. There was a lot of potential here.****

 ** **If anyone was wondering why the key was coughed up, it was because of some hidden information cracked through a code in the graphic novel. Trembley had swallowed it to 'preserve its power' before being trapped in the peanut brittle, and coughed it up when it was needed.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	18. The Time Traveler's Pig Part 1

****Disclaimer:**** ** **Got to say, this is coming along quite nicely. We're almost at the halfway point of season one, and there's still so much more to write!****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: Thanks! I know what you mean. After getting the real life journal, I have the ability to rewrite the old episodes with never-before-seen information.****

 ** **musicalocelot: Thanks! I really enjoy writing Bill and Elaine together.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Don't worry! I will!****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks! With a sentence like that, I would've thought you had a thesaurus sitting next to you.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Muahahahaha! Fear the beginning of the ship train! FEAR IT!****

 ** **Guest: Woo hoo! I've made comedy gold! Yes!****

 ** **By the way, we have just made the last chapter my most reviewed chapter so far! Yes! Although, it doesn't really surprise me**** ** **as much as it should**** ** **. I had a feeling that the interaction with Bill and Elaine would spark a lot of interest.****

 ** **I don't any character's that you don't recognize. Asger belongs to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Aug. 15/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"There she is, girls; the cheapest fair money can rent. I spared every expense." Stan gestured to the Mystery Fair, and the various people helping to set it up. A Ferris wheel was half constructed, towering over all of the other attractions, such as spinning barrels, a farmer's booth to win animals, food, and games. The air around me was still cool from being up so early, as the summer heat hadn't set in yet.

"Um, Grunkle Stan? How legal is this?" I asked. Before Stan could answer, Dipper fell from the sky screaming, still standing inside a sky tram car. The cart smashed to the ground, and Dipper somehow still stood upright inside it with a terrified frown.

"I think the sky tram is broken. Also, most of my bones." His eyes looked down at his body, making sure nothing was out of place.

"You're moving and breathing, right?" I questioned, earning a shaky nod. "Then you're fine. But, uh, try to take it easy for the rest of the day." I should have been more concerned, but he was able to crawl out of the broken door and stumble over Mabel without any problem. His nerves were a little fired up, but other than that, he would be just fine. _Still… might want to get him an ice bag later._

"Ha ha, this guy. Alright, alright. I've got a job for you three." Stan pulled out a large packet of fake safety certificates, and handed them over to Dipper. "I printed up a bunch of fake safety inspection certificates. Go slap one on anything that looks like a lawsuit."

"Grunkle Stan, is that legal?" Mabel asked, mimicking my earlier concern.

"When there's no cops around, anything's legal!" Stan replied. "Soos, how's that dunk tank coming along?" He walked over to the handyman, checking out the game. From where we stood, we could see him welding the target to the game to prevent anyone from knocking him down.

I laughed, the reminder of how that played out for him at the end of the day coming to mind, and took a handful of the certificates from Dipper. "Come on, guys. The quicker we get this done, the quicker we get to have some fun. You've both got money on you, right?"

"Yep!" Mabel answered cheerfully. "The plan was we'll all meet up again at noon. So, see ya!" She sprinted off into the fair, sticking the signs over everything she could reach, including Sprott's back as he was loading the farm animals into the pen.

"I think she's got this covered," Dipper said, taking our papers and tossing them into the garbage a few feet. "What's your plan for the day, Elaine?"

"Me? I don't really have one, actually. I was just gonna stay in the Shack and read the whole day," I admitted. "Fairs aren't really my thing." I did enjoy going to them with my family back home, but that was before I discovered I got… motion sickness during extreme rides. One trip on the scrambler was enough to put me back several hours.

"H-how about you hang out with me and Wendy then?" Dipper asked, a slight blush on his face. "I asked her yesterday after the prank we pulled on Soos if she wanted to hang out at the fair, and she said yes!"

"Way to go, Dippin' Dots! Nice to see your sister's advice is paying off. But, are you sure you're okay with me going along? I don't want to be a third wheel." It was meant to be him and Wendy. He wanted her to come, and she said yes. So… why ruin that moment inviting me along?

"You're not a third wheel," he immediately defended. "I just thought that, well, we've been spending so much time doing mystery stuff that you haven't had as much of a chance as Mabel to enjoy staying in Gravity Falls. I sort of need a break too." No kidding, he did. Dipper would run himself ragged if he didn't take care of himself. "But yeah, I was kind of hoping you'd come too."

He really thought all that? _Oh boy, I just can't turn him down after that._ I could, but… that would be mean. Not to mention, he did have a point. I needed some personal fun time, and the fair would be the best time to get started. "Alright, Dipper. I'll go with you." I patted his shoulder in thanks, before my eyes narrowed. _Huh?_ "Wait. Are… are you blushing?"

"Uh, uh, I… bye Elaine!" Dipper ran off towards the Mystery Shack, tripping just as he neared the steps.

"Okay…? Bye, I guess." I shrugged and walked off to find Mabel, hearing her giggles from far away. "That was odd; even for Dipper. I wonder what's gotten into him?" _Maybe he's just excited to go to the fair with Wendy?_

(Time Skip)

A couple hours later, Dipper, Wendy, and I stood in front of a booth called Mystery Dogs, eating corn dogs in the shape of question marks. The main part twisted upright, while a small corn… nugget, made up the dot at the bottom. "How do they get them into this shape?" Dipper asked. "It's unnatural."

"But Dipper, they're so..." Wendy held up the corn dog next to end of a sign that said " **DELICIOUS** ". "Delicious?" The three of us laughed before mustard dripped off of Wendy's corn dog and onto her shirt's sleeve. "Aw, boo! I'll be right back." She walked away in search of napkins, leaving a still laughing Dipper.

"We'll be right here! Haha!" His voice quickly lowered to a whisper. "I love you!"

"Look at you two!" Mabel went up to him, holding two cotton candy sticks. "Getting all romantic at the fair!"

"Eh, it's no big deal," Dipper said casually.

"Uh, yeah, it is!" Elaine said. __You didn't go through cloning yourself 10 times for nothing!__ _Was it 10 times? Wasn't there that crumbled up Dipper from a jam in the machine?_

"Okay, you're right, it is!" He shouted quickly. 'Isn't this amazing? I just dove in! I said, 'hey! You wanna hang out at the fair'? And you know what she said? 'Yeah, I guess so'! It totally worked! All your advice about just going for it, it's finally paying off!"

"When are you gonna learn, Dipper? I'm always right about everything!" Mabel said before sniffing the air. "Hey, do you smell a gallon of body spray?"

"Hey, have either of you dorks seen Wendy around?" _Ugh, not him again._ Robbie strolled up to us, looking around for the younger teen.

"Who wants to know?" I shot back. _Please, give me a good reason today to take you down a notch. I'll get Waddles to do it now if I can._

"Uh, I do, Short Stack," Robbie replied, returning my heated glare and taking a piece of one of Mabel's cotton candy treats.

"Hey!" She exclaimed.

 _ _Short Stack!?__ I thought furiously. __I'm fine with being called Ellie, kid... heck, even Bill calling me Angel is not as insulting!__ _ _Don't you dare bring my height into this! I'm older than you, dang it!__

"Yeah, I got some new super tight jeans." Robbie put his foot on a wooden box, and bent his legs. I scrunched up my face, hearing the fabric stretching."Thought she might want to check 'em out."

"Yeah! You know, I think I saw her in the Bottomless Pit. You should really go jump in there," Dipper suggested sarcastically. _Wow, never knew you had that one in you, kid._ The Bottomless Pit itself wouldn't be investigated until later, but it was nice to know Dipper had paid attention to that page in the journal.

"Maybe I will, smart guy." Robbie roughly bumped Dipper as he walked away, making the younger boy rub his arm in discomfort.

"He is such a jerk," Mabel commented.

"Yeah, but he's a jerk with tight pants and a guitar," Dipper countered. "I need to keep him away from Wendy at all costs."

"I'll be there with you, brother. Whatever happens, I'll be right here, supporting you every step of the-OH MY GOSH, A PIG!" Mabel shrieked, running off to Sprott's booth once again. _Guess that means she saw Waddles._

"And there goes Mabel," Dipper deadpanned. "Well, let's hope Robbie doesn't come back." _You and me both, Dipper._

"Heh, well good luck with that, kid." A new voice cut into our conversation, and we turned to where it came from. "It's hard to get rid of Robbie, trust me."

"Good afternoon, Asger." I gave a small wave. Honestly, I did expect to see him there. If Pacifica was going to win Waddles in that one timeline where Dipper won over Wendy, then it made sense Asger would tag along too. "What are you doing here?"

"Pacifica wanted to go on the rides, and I wanted to get a few laughs out of the booths. Stan's dunk tank was a pretty clever, although unethical, idea." He looked down at Dipper, and raised a brow. "Do I wanna know how you got those documents about our family?"

"Not really, no," Dipper replied, dodging the topic the best he could. "It's a long story, and we're sort of forbidden to discuss it."

"Didn't stop you from telling Soos though," I muttered, earning a brief annoyed look from the boy.

Asger shrugged, letting it slide. "Alright. I'm just warning you; while I may be easily forgiving, Pacifica will hold a grudge for a while. Not even her, but her parents are in a panic about this. They'll calling a ton of people trying to get this sorted out."

"I don't think we have to worry 'bout that," I said. "Things should die down eventually." The sound of heavy boots came closer, and Wendy came back with a clean shirt and a few napkins sticking out of one of her pockets. "Got the mustard off?"

"Yep. Grabbed some more, just in case. Oh, hey, Asger." She grinned at the dark teen, waving with what remained of her treat. "How's it been?"

"A-alright," he stuttered before gulping down his nervousness. "I'm just here with Pacifica. You know how it is." _Wow, and I thought Dipper was a nervous wreck. Asger could give him a run for his money._

The red head laughed, catching on to what he was hinting at. "Yeah, I know. My brothers are exactly the same. Oh!" Wendy turned to the rest of her audience. "I saw a couple prize booths while walking around. You wanna check them out?"

"Sure!" Dipper said.

"I'm game," I added. "See you later, Asger. Maybe we can catch up later."

Asger was still staring at Wendy before he snapped out of his daze, turning back to me. "Uh, right! See you later, Elaine." He rushed, running off to find Pacifica. _Wow, that is exactly like what happened earlier with Dipper. Except without the tripping part._

"What was that about?" Dipper wondered. I covered her mouth, giggling enough not to give a proper answer until they died down..

"Oh, nothing," I eventually said. "Come on. We're wasting daylight." We walked around the game booths, before Dipper led us over to a ball toss game.

"Whoa, check it out! I don't know if it's a duck or a panda, but I want one!" We looked at the top of the booth, seeing what was a purple panda, but with blue arms, webbed feet, and a duck bill.

"My uncle taught me the secret to these games. You aim for the carnie's head, and take the prize when he's unconscious," he instructed.

"Ha ha ha!" Wendy laughed. "Nice!"

"One ball, please." Dipper gave the carnie one ticket, who gave him one ball. How unusual. Normally, whenever I played games like that, you would get three balls.

"You only get one chance." _That is a money-grabbing opportunity, right there. Instead of three chances, you only get the one._ _Though, it is only worth one ticket, so it isn't entirely all bad._

Dipper aimed the ball at the stack of pins, and looked over at us. We both gave him a thumbs up, grinning. _Come on, kid. You got this._ "And a-one, and a-two, and a-three!" He threw the ball, only to have it bounce off the table it hit Wendy right in the middle of her eye.

"AH! MY EYE!" She exclaimed, hands flying up to hold it tenderly.

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Wendy! Are you okay?" Dipper panicked.

Wendy hissed in pain, turning to look at Elaine and Dipper, showing a rapidly swelling black eye. "Does it look swollen?"

Dipper jumped back in alarm, and I grimaced at the sight. _Ooh, that does not look pretty._ "Everything's gonna be fine! Don't worry! I'll-I'll go get some ice!" He ran off towards the Mystery Shack, leaving the teens alone.

"Don't worry, Wendy. Dipper'll get something to put on that shiner." I patted her back, doing a very awkward job at comforting her. "Anything I could help you with?"

"Nah, but thanks for asking," Wendy replied. "Um, Elaine? How exactly do you know Asger?"

"Oh. I, um, accidentally collided into the guy while walking around in the forest. We've just sort of became friends after that." I laughed awkwardly., recalling how he literally bounced me onto the ground when I wasn't paying attention. "It was pretty embarrassing."

"I bet. Him and me go way back. He started coming to Gravity Falls when he was a kid, and we were friends ever since." Wendy frowned, suddenly looking puzzled. "Although, lately he's been acting kinda strange. Like, he keeps rambling and running into stuff." She leaned in, and whispered into my ear. "I think he's turning into Dipper."

I slapped a hand to my mouth, giving a muffled laugh. "Do-don't worry, Wendy. I'm sure Asger will tell you what's going on soon. If not, I'll pressure him into telling."

"Thanks." We smiled at each other before Robbie returned, holding a grape snow cone. _Still don't like him, but the snow cone was a good move._ "Hi, Robbie. What's up?"

"What's up? More like, what's up with your eye?" He gestured to the black eye. "Here. Just ease your eyeball into that freezy cone." Robbie brought the cone up to her face, and Wendy brought her head onto the ice, sighing in relief.

"Robbie, thanks. That's really sweet." Wendy smiled at the boy., touched "The gesture, and the flavored syrup."

I saw Asger and Pacifica standing by the cotton candy stand, the teen glaring daggers at Robbie as Pacifica held her own fluffy pink candy. "Yeah, I was just here at the right place at the right time." Robbie fiddled with the drawstrings on his hoodie, still using his other hand to keep the cone in place. "Y'know, I've been meaning to ask you… we've been spending a lot of time together and I was wondering if, maybe, you want to go out with me?"

Wendy glanced at of the corner of her eye at me, looking for an opinion. Inwardly sighing, I gave a weak grin. Robbie was a jerk, but I didn't want to be the one to stop the good times she would have with him before they broke up. "Yeah, I guess so," she answered, making his face brighten.

"Sweet!" Robbie cheered. "Come on, I saw a ride you might enjoy over there." He took Wendy's hand, leading her over to the Tunnel of Love and Corn Dogs. I watched them board the ride before walking over to Asger, seeing him almost frozen in shock.

"You okay?" Pacifica was looking at him with the same concern I held, hoping he'd snap out of it.

"Just… dying a little on the inside, that's all." Asger finally responded, his face blank.

"I'm sure it won't last," Pacifica said. "They're like, not even compatible." _Got to agree with you on that one, Pacifica._

"She's right, Asger. It will only take a few weeks before Wendy sees how much of a pain Robbie is and drop his sorry butt like yesterday's news." If he was going to be like this until she did break up with him, then this summer would be very… very long for him.

"Hehe." The teen gave us a sad smile, emotion leaking out of the stunned expression. "Thanks, guys. That… that helped." Asger looked over my shoulder, and sighed. "But it looks like Dipper's going through shock too."

Raising an eyebrow, she turned around and saw Dipper gaping in the direction Wendy had went with Robbie, still holding an empty ice bag and gaping openly as Mabel shook her pig beside him. "Oh no."

"How long do you think he'll be like that?" Pacifica asked.

"A while. This is going to ruin his day, for sure." I looked from Mabel, who was trying to get some sort of reaction from her brother, and back to the two cousins. _I'm sure they won't mind too much._ Dipper was going to be in that mourning phase for a while, and it wouldn't help anyone in snapping him out of it right now. _Just let him be to his thoughts. He'll sort it out._ "Um… y-you two mind if I hang out with you for the rest of the day?"

(Time Skip)

"Ha ha ha! So, they actually bought that?" Pacifica laughed.

Our little trio sat at a picnic table, eating caramel apples we had bought.. The sun had already started to set, bathing the fair in an orange glow with the lights turning on in a soft hum. The Ferris wheel towered overhead, with a giant question mark in the center alight with bulbs.

"Yep. Even though Blubs and Durland are officers, they sure aren't smart. Then me, the twins, and Kat had to walk all the way back into town. Trembley may be crazy, but the guy had some interesting stories to tell," I finished my story. Yeah, I told someone-err… two someones. Soos was a terrible choice, seeing how he thought he could preserve himself in a tub of peanut brittle in our living room. I wasn't sure how Trembley was able to pull it off, but he was a special kind of crazy. Plus, I figured Pacifica deserved to know the truth behind how her ancestor was the town founder.

"Huh. I sorta feel… weird for picking on Mabel now," Pacifica admitted. "Like… a bad feeling. What do you call that, when someone gives you last season's clothing line by mistake?"

Uh… what? "I-I think what you're looking for is guilt, Pacifica," I tried to explain. "And, well, you'd think she was being silly too if you weren't actually there. How did your parents react to the discovery?" I knew a little from what Asger said earlier, but I was curious from her point of view.

"Shocked and furious. They're trying to cover it up before the documents end up getting leaked to the reporters." She looked at Asger. "They're not exactly proud of you for being friends with Elaine too."

"What?" I blinked, turning to look at Asger as well. "Wh-what did I do?"

"Nothing!" Asger protested. "It's just that… well, my aunt and uncle are extremely against us befriending people not in our social status. My parents are much more easy going, and despite being wealthy, we live a fairly normal life." He took a bite from his apple, and looked at the slowly darkening sky. "My father is Pacifica's mom's sister, and during this beauty contest of hers, he met my mom. She was one of the people helping out. Heh… he said she was the most beautiful of all of the woman who appeared on stage, all because of her patience and control with dealing in the inner-workings of the business. Honestly, I could care less what my aunt and uncle think about who I'm friends with. You're much better company than all those rich snobs I've met those parties I've been dragged into."

"Thanks." I sat down the finished apple, leaving it a core on a stick. "That mean's a lot, Asger." Wow. That certainly showed he had an interesting upbringing. _I wonder what Kat's is like… wouldn't hurt to ask._

"I wish I was like you, Asger," Pacifica spoke up, drawing our attention to her. The heiress had remained unusually quiet during his explanation on his past, and while she could keep a good mask, there was… hurt in her eyes. Any other choice of explanation seemed to be lost, but Asger seemed to accept that.

"I'm sure things will get better. Just need to be patient is all, and if you need to go against their wishes, then so be it." I was surprised that those words came from me, the slight shock showing on my face. So, first I was giving the girl a death glare for insulting Mabel, and now I was trying to cheer her up? Where did that come from? _You know full well._ _The fact she wants to be accepted for something that she can't be, mirrors what happened with Mabel and her silliness. Pacifica just wants acceptance, and not to be pressured._

Asger looked at me with respect, touched I had said something. "You sure are good at cheering people up, you know that? And yet, it's almost like you're speaking from past experience."

 _ _Oh, you have no idea. Dealing with Bill will make one very sensitive to their mentality and emotions.__ "It's… a long story. I said something similar to Mabel during the festival, about her being silly, and she broke down into my arms with happy tears." Pacifica's eyes widened. Did she not know how much those comments had hurt her? "I'd love to tell you Asger, about the personal experience thing, but I think…" I stopped talking as Dipper and Mabel ran up to us, looking behind them to make sure they weren't being followed. _At least he snapped out of his daze._ "Something wrong, guys?"

"Hey, Asger? Could we just borrow Elaine for a while?" Dipper asked, holding something behind his back.

"Um, sure?" We looked at the twins oddly. "You guys aren't in trouble again, are you?"

"No trouble!" Mabel answered cheerfully. "We just figured out a way to get Robbie away from Wendy!"

"I don't know what weird idea you two have come up with..." __yes, I do.__ "… but I'm all for it." I stood up from the picnic table. "If it means taking Robbie down, then let's do it. Talk to you later, Asger. It was nice to talk to you too, Pacifica."

"Likewise," she said, glancing at Mabel and Dipper. The boy was glaring at her, showing that even with the revenge he exacted during Pioneer Day, it wasn't enough for him to fully go back to normal around her presence."

"Come on." Grabbing my hand, he led-more like dragged-me back into the Mystery Shack, and sat me down at the poker table in the living room. Mabel sat down on the other side of us, grinning at her brother. The light fixture overhead lit up the table, and Waddles hopped up beside her.

"Alright, Dippin' Dots." I looked at him curiously. "What's your plan?"

Checking the door by the TV set to make sure Soos or Stan didn't come barging in, he placed the time machine on the table. It was nothing crazy. Just a tape measuring device with the time symbol on the front. "We got it off this weird time traveler, who's actually pretty bad at his job. Apparently, he came to this period to try and stop some 'anomalies', but he hasn't seen any yet. And then we..."

"You two stole it off him, didn't you?" I cut in. I didn't really need to hear about them tricking the man, but the general basics of my statement were the same.

"Yeah. Yeah, we did," Mabel replied, smiling. "Isn't it cool!?" She gasped. "Let's go get two dodos and force them to make out!"

"No!" Dipper protested. "We gotta be smart about this. All that paradox talk kinda freaked me out. All I'm gonna do is go back and fix my one mistake. If I don't miss that base ball throw, I won't hit Wendy in the eye, and Robbie won't comfort her, and they won't start going out."

 _Please. I've seen enough movies to know one small change can affect a whole lot more._ "I know I'm gonna regret this, but I'm coming with you two," I said, crossing my arms on the table.

"Why would you regret coming?" Dipper asked, knitting his brows together in confusion. "I thought you already were on board."

"Kid, it's time travel. I've seen enough movies to know that something usually goes wrong with tampering with a timeline." I leaned in to look at the machine, frowning. "I want to be rid of Robbie as much as you do, but this seems… a little much. Still, I-I did say I would help you out." Not to mention to them out loud, but another reason was I didn't want them getting into trouble. We would be running all over the place, and I refused to be subject to time travel. I'd like my mind in one piece, then it being rewound and played again, and again, and again. _Not like I'd remember it anyway. It's time travel._ Still, Dipper had a point. The whole concept freaked me out.

Dipper shrugged. "Alright then." He pulled on the tape, and stopped at 6 hours. The number glowed for a moment, flashing to show the set time. "See you later," he said to Waddles, who blinked back at him.

"See you earlier!" Mabel corrected. "Ha yuk yuk yuk!"

Dipper released the tape, and wrapped an arm around me. I in turn swung her arm around Mabel, who grinned happily. Direct contact was necessary for this to work, so we'd better not let go by accident. A bright blue light flashed in our eyes, and the three blinked as we found ourselves still in the living room. The only difference was the lack of Waddles, the deck of cards, and Dipper's hat was now on fire.

"Ah! Ha! Ha!" He exclaimed, patting out the flame, and leaving a singed spot. Once it was out, the twins exchanged smiles and ran out the door with me hot on their heels.

"It's 12 o'clock!" Stan said over a megaphone. "The dunk tank is now open! Step right up and dunk me folks! I'm talking to you, Cut-offs!"

"Do-over?" Dipper asked us, making sure we were in agreement with the plan.

"Do-over," we responded. The cooler air from the evening was swapped with the same warmth of the summer sun, and the fair was once again packed with people I saw not that long ago. Mabel ran off to claim Waddles again, while Dipper and I went over to Wendy.

"Hey, Wendy!" Dipper said.

"There you two are." Wendy raised an eyebrow at the burnt spot on his hat. "Hey, what happened to your hat?"

Dipper and I glanced at the pine tree hat, and he stumbled to change the subject. "Uh, nothing. Hey, look! What's that?" He walked the us over to the ball toss game as fast as he could without raising suspicion, and Wendy looked at the panda-duck in interest.

"Whoa! Check it out! I don't know if it's a duck or a panda, but I want one." If this time travel thing would happen a few times, I could tell that that one line was going to get on my nerves. And, well, everything about today was going to wear thin. I wanted to stop it, and take the time piece away from him, but at the same time I knew I shouldn't. Dipper had to learn this himself, through trial and error and going back a few centuries by accident.

"One ball, please." Dipper fished out the ticket and handed it to the carnie, who waited patiently behind the counter for him to pay up.

"You only get one chance," he warned.

"That's what you think..." Dipper whispered. "One panda-duck, comin' right up! Okay, Dipper, second chance, don't mess this up," he said quietly, not loud enough for Wendy to hear but enough for me to pick up on it. He threw the ball, and successfully knocked down the stacked bottles. "Yes!" His victory was short lived as the ball bounced off the back of the tent, flying back and hitting Wendy in the face.

"AAAHH! MY EYE!"

"What!?" Dipper exclaimed. The red head turned to look at us, revealing the purple eyelid swelling shut.

"Does it look swollen?" She asked, wincing from the impact.

Dipper looked down at his hands, confused. _Ah, time travel._ One change could create many different outcomes. So… would that also relate to different dimensions? How a different choice could create a new reality altogether? _Nope. Elaine, we are not going down that road today. No thinking about the multiverse, as that will only lead to confusion._ "That's so weird..."

"No kidding..." I whispered to him, just as confused.

"Oh, hey Robbie." The two looked back up to see Robbie holding the snow cone against Wendy's face. Where did he come from? He wasn't there a few seconds ago, and I could've sworn we would have heard him come up? _Where we that confused by what happened we didn't even notice?_

"So anyway, we've been hanging out a lot and I've been wondering if, maybe, you would want to go out with me?" Wow, Robbie did not beat around the bush. He wasn't as nervous in this timeline, and seemed a little more confident in his approach.

"Yeah, I guess so," Wendy answered, making Dipper's eye twitch. As the two took off to the Tunnel of Love and Corndogs, we hunted down Mabel and her regained pig. The girl was sitting on the test-your-strength game feeding a caramel apple to Waddles, who's front hooves were up on her lap. I sat down on the grass next to her, and watched Dipper glare at the ride as the teens disappeared into the tunnel itself.

"The exact same thing happened twice; it was spooky."

"Oo, maybe it's a time-curse. Waddles, can you say 'time-curse'?" The apple was moved away from Waddles' mouth, who was making a smacking noise with each bite. He oinked in response, and Mabel dropped her apple as she cupped her cheeks. "Oooohhhh!" She squealed, and picked up the pig. "Your face is so fat!" She squished his own cheeks around, making odd expressions.

"Is it possible that the forces of time naturally conspire to undo any new outcomes?" Dipper paced before coming to a halt, looking at the three of us. "No, I just need to try again. Third time's the charm!"

"How hard could it be?" Mabel shrugged. She placed Waddles down and walked over to her brother, and I stood in between. Dipper pulled the tape, and the we grabbed a hold of the device, disappearing in a blue flash.

(Time Skip)

 _ _Oh, Mabel. Way to go ahead and jinx Dipper.__

I sat on a picnic table, staring at Dipper who was busy writing a series of math formulas on a popcorn machine. We had gone back in time three times already, and Dipper kept hitting Wendy in the face. It was funny the first time around, but now it was just getting repetitive. _Hehe. Time joke._ I giggled at the pun, and continued to listen to Dipper mumble under his breath.

"… I just thought the wind speed… factoring cotton candy..."

"Face it, Dipper, you're obviously fated to have a bad day at the fair, just like I'm fated to be with Waddles." Mabel grinned as she held up a red sweater with a pig's face sewn into it. The girl was back on the strength game, knitting away at the project. "Almost… done..."

"Maybe 'fated' is the wrong choice in wording," I suggested, glancing to Mabel. "Pretty sure you jinxed us earlier, Mabel. We've been having nothing but bad luck since.

"Like there's one variable missing..."

"What's a variable?" Mabel asked as she popped up on the other side of the popcorn machine. Dipper's eyes widened as he looked from his equation to his sister before smiling wildly. _Light bulb!_

"That's it! I've figured out a way to win the toss, not hit Wendy, and stop Wendy and Robbie from going out!" He exclaimed, backing away from the popcorn.

"Awesome! I'm gonna win my pig again," Mabel announced as she started to walk off.

"Whoa whoa whoa, you can't leave, I need you for my plan!" Dipper shouted, running over to her and pulling her back by her arm.

"But what about Waddles?" Mabel asked, pointing towards the booth.

"It'll just take a few minutes, let's go!" He grabbed her arm again and dragged her over to the Mystery Shack. "When the ball comes your way, I need you to lift the drain pipe up, okay?"

Mabel looked upwards, and nodded. "Alright. Elaine, can I get a boost?" I could have told her she could have used the ladder to get up onto the roof, but the drain pipe itself was on that small roof part over the deck with the couch. It would have been to difficult for her to climb down.

"Sure, kid." I cupped my hands together, and hoisted Mabel up so she could climb onto the metal roof. "You got a job for me, Dipper?"

"Just stay next to me and Wendy," he replied, still smiling. "That's all you need to do."

"Okay, then? But for curiosity sake, why?" I had done that the last few timelines, so why was it so important?

Dipper grinned, pleased I was wondering. "Every factor has to be exact. Mabel directs the ball, but the other factors in the fair have to remain the same. Which is why you need to be at the booth, while I throw the ball, right beside me." _Wow…_

He, um, really thought that through. He must have been planning this last rewind a lot more than the others, even with the formula on the glass. "O-okay then. Let's go get that toy for Wendy." Returning to the game, and Dipper bringing Wendy over after finding her walking around, he paid the ticket fee. Once he got the ball, Dipper started checking the wind speed and blowing the dust off the ball, to Wendy's confusion.

"Are you gonna go, man?" She asked, hands on her hips.

Dipper smiled, and aimed the ball. "And a-one, and a-two, and a-uh!" He threw the ball up into the air, letting it fly just enough to go over the top of the game.

"Ah! Dude! You missed!" She said, looking upwards.

"Did I?" We watched the ball bounce across the fair and Mystery Shack, and started flying towards us. I dove out of the way with Dipper, as Wendy jumped the other direction, as the ball sailed by and knocked over the cans. I saw the ball bounce off the back and fly through the top off the tent. _Farewell, ball. May we never see you again._

"Your stuffed creature of indeterminate species, miss." The carnie handed over the duck-panda to Wendy, as we picked ourselves off the ground. Even the carnie himself seemed a little shaken from how hard the ball came flying at us.

Wendy squeezed the toy, making it squeak. 'Oh, awesome!" We turned to Dipper, who had take off his hat to catch the ball.

"Smooth, Dippin' Dots," I said. _Curses. I guess the ball's here to stay._

"There you are, Wendy!" We turned to look at Robbie, who had walked up to us with his snow cone missing. All that remained in his hand was the paper cone itself and melted slush that wasn't taken off by the ball.

"Hey, Robbie," Wendy said.

"So I was wondering if, uh… you, uh…" Robbie, unlike the last few times, didn't seem to have the nerve to spit out the question. He was stumbling over it, trying to work up the courage.

"Look what Dipper got for me!" She held up the stuffed animal, and I let out a laugh as Dipper popped out from behind Wendy, grinning at Robbie. __Heh. That'll show him… well, at least in this timeline.__

"Pfft. Whatever. Can't even tell what species it is." Robbie pulled up his hood, and drew the drawstrings closed so only his nose was showing. "Stupid." He mumbled, walking away.

"What's his deal?" Wendy wondered. "Looks like I came to the fair with the right guy." She gave Dipper a smile, making the boy grin back at her.

"We have a winner!" A carnie shouted from behind us from the test-your-strength game, just as a bell went off.

 _ _Ain't that the truth,__ I nodded in approval as he turned around and gave Mabel a thumbs up. She smiled, copying the gesture and walked away. "So, what's next?"

"How 'bout that ride?" Wendy tucked the toy under her arm, and pointed at the Tunnel of Love and Corndogs.

"Perfect!" Dipper said. We raced over to the ride, and quickly walked up to one of the cars. "Aw man! It's a two-seater."

"It's okay, Dipper. I'll sit outside and wait. You two go on ahead." I walked over and sat down on the platform's edge, letting my legs swing a foot off the ground.

"Are you sure, Elaine? I mean, you could just ride behind us," Wendy suggested.

"Nah. I'm just a little sore. Dipper had me running all over the fair before we met up with you." I smirked at Dipper, earning a small blush. __Heh. Still fun to pick on him.__

"Alright, then. Have fun," she relented. The two got into their seats, and disappeared into the tunnel. Once I was sure they were gone, I relaxed my body and let out a long sigh.

"Finally. I can rest." Closing my eyes, I gave a fond smile. __This is… nice. I really need to find time to just take it easy once and a while. Either I'm with the twins, or with Bill, and usually both involve me getting hurt in some way; physically or mentally.__ I exhaled softly, venting my slight frustration. How long had it been since I just… relaxed? It felt like that heavy weight on my shoulders, the weight of making that deal with Bill and being so far from home… actually lessened a little. __I love this show, I really do. But couldn't I have been sucked into one that was a little more safe? Or at least lacked a sadistic demon who's trying to destroy the universe?__ _ _Phineas and Ferb would have been an easier dimension to handle, with a lot less danger and mental breakdowns to boot.__ _Though… I didn't think I could handle a song every single day, or a summer that lasted for almost eight years._

"Hey, Elaine!" Turning around, I watched Dipper and Wendy climb out of the car. "Feeling any better?"

"A little, yeah. Amazing what a little peace and quiet can do for you." I would definitely try and savor those moments in the future, I could say that for sure.

"Funnel cake!" Wendy shouted excitedly, pointing at a booth a little ways from the ride. "Let's go get some, guys!" She ran off, leaving Dipper and me alone. Before we got a chance to follow however, we heard someone screaming in the distance. Dipper checked his ear, wondering if it was just him, only for Mabel to run up to us, screaming her head off.

"What's-?"

"AAAAA!"

"Mabel, what's-?"

"AAAAAAA!"

"We'll just wait until you're done," I cut in.

"I'm done," she said, lowering her arms after flailing them about.

"Okay, what is wrong?" Dipper asked.

"We messed up the timeline! Pacifica saw the flyer and won Waddles before I did! She TOOK Waddles, guys!" Mabel cried, burying her face into her hands.

"Oh, Mabel, I'm so sorry." I rubbed her back, trying to calm her down. Still, the fact it was Pacifica of all people winning a pig was a little strange. Even when it happened back home, I could never figure out why the rich girl wanted a pig in the first place.

"It's okay. We just need to go back..." Mabel grabbed the time machine from Dipper's hands, who for some reason that I didn't understand, decided to take it out of his vest. _Why would you do that, Dipper? You don't want to lose that!_ "… and do things differently."

"Mabel! Wait." Dipper quickly took the device back, holding it close. "Look. I did the math. In any other timeline, Wendy ends up going out with Robbie. I can't mess up this day again!"

"But if we don't go, I'll lose Waddles forever!" Mabel launched herself at Dipper, and tried to pry the time machine from his hands. I grabbed Mabel and Dipper, desperately trying to separate them.

"Guys! Stop this! You're both acting ridiculo-!" I fell forward as Mabel tripped Dipper, knocking us onto the ground. I stared in horror as the measuring tape got hooked onto a passing cart, dragging several feet down the track, and was sent flying back towards us.

"Oh n-" I didn't even have time to finish the sentence, as our bodies were enveloped in a blue flash, and vanished into the time stream once again.

* * *

 ** **Next week's chapter will be posted on Friday, on account of a skiing trip and delicious Beavertails.**** ** **Canadians truly outdid themselves with that pastry treat.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	19. The Time Traveler's Pig Part 2

****Disclaimer: Hey, guys! Told you I'd be updating early.****

 ** **RillFipher: Alright, let's wind the fangirl back in. There are a lot more things to freak out over in the story.****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: It was the core of justice's idea for Asger and Wendy, which is pretty great in my opinion. Pacifica in a positive light was one of the things I wanted to incorporate into my story, as after Northwest Manor Mystery, it's hard to hate her anymore. As for Elaine calling Dipper, 'Dippin' Dots', I just thought it was an adorable nickname.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Sorry, but I think Beavertails are more situated in the New England states? Anything really southern of America might not sell them. Shame really. They're one of my favorite treats. And for anyone who has no idea what I'm talking about, Beavertails are a deep fried pastry treat, NOT an actual beaver tail. That'd... that'd be just plain gross.****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls. All OCs belong to their respective owners.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Aug. 15/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"AAHHH!" Dipper, Mabel, and I screamed, falling face-first onto a dirt road. _Well, that happened!_

"Err..." I groaned, pulling myself back to my feet. "That could have been better." I looked down at the twins, and helped them stand up.

"When are we?" Dipper asked, dusting himself off. He had a point. We were nowhere near any sign of the fair, and the road we were on went straight through a forest that showed signs of the season being one ahead of ours. _Wow, I can a mountain from here!_

"The real question is: when are we?" Mabel corrected, before realizing what Dipper said. "Oh wait, did you already-"

"Yeah, I already-"

"Alright."

"It's the same thing," Dipper finished, and raised a hand to single her to stop talking. "Do you hear that?"

I saw a dust cloud appear over the hill, and watched in disbelief as a herd of buffalo stampeded towards us. __Seriously, Alex!? What is it with you and buffaloes!?__

"AAAAA!" Dipper and Mabel screamed. The three of us spun around and took of running down the path, trying to outrun the large animals. We looked behind us to see how far ahead we were, not noticing where we were going. "AAAAAAAA!" I joined in screaming as we fell off a cliff and through a covered wagon's roof, landing on bags of flour.

Dipper helped us back onto our feet, listening to the men shout from outside the wagon. "Where are we? The 70s?" Mabel asked.

"You sent us back 150 years, genius, it's pioneer times!" Dipper shouted.

"Hey!" I drew his attention to me. "Don't be blaming Mabel for all this, Dipper. This is your fault just as much as it is hers. You were the one flashing that device around." Dipper gave me a heated glare, but wisely kept his mouth shut. I understood why. I was in the right in being upset. With Dipper repeatedly going back in time himself, his reasoning was severely flawed at the moment.

"Bye, Trembley!" The man driving the wagon yelled back. "Fertilia, it seems you've given birth to three more children!" _Trembley, huh? Guess we wounded up in his time._

We looked behind us, and saw a woman sitting on a box with several children of all ages standing around her. "It appears I have. More little hands to render the tallow."

"Tallow? What?" Mabel asked.

"Her mouth is filled with silver, mother!" A pale boy exclaimed, pointing at Mabel's mouth.

"These are called braces," she explained, pointing to her grinning mouth.

"Mabel, we can't start messing with the past!" Dipper criticized her.

"Oh, said the guy who messed with the past all day and cost me my pig?" Mabel retorted. "I'll mess with the past all I want!" She pulled out a calculator from within Dipper's vest, and handed it to the boy. "Check it out! A magic button machine!" Mabel pointed to her shoes, and stomped them on the ground, making them light up. "Shoes that blink!" _Since when did she have those?_

"Mabel..." I walked over to her, leaving the annoyed Dipper behind. "I get that you're mad, but this is going a little-"

The brunette ignored me, either too upset with Dipper to register my warning, or too wrapped up in her own thing to listen. Dipper quickly took the calculator from the pioneer boy and walked over to Mabel, who had just finished teaching Fertilia the high five. He yanked the time machine out of Mabel's hands, and pulled the tape out. "Give me that! I'm gonna set the timeline right!" Mabel glared at Dipper, and launched herself at him. I quickly threw my arms around Dipper's shoulders, vanishing along with them. _Were they about to leave me there!?_

When we reappeared, our eyes widened in horror at the massive dinosaur in front of us, rearing its head back in a roar. "GET US OUT OF HERE!" I screeched, overlapping their panicked screams. The dinosaur brought itself down on us, mouth filled with razor sharp teeth, ready to eat us. Mabel repeatedly pressed the button on the time machine, and we disappeared before it could rip us apart, missing the maw by mere seconds. When the light vanished, the twins and I stood in an apocalyptic wasteland. All around us, buildings were crumbling down, and futuristic scrap metal was scattered about. Two yellow moons gave the disturbing scenery a tense feeling, and the men running by shooting lasers behind them didn't help either.

"Run! Run!"

"IT'S COMING!"

Dipper, Mabel, and I watched as none other than Time Baby float through the wreckage. The symbol etched into his forehead glowed a dark red, along with his eyes. Lasers flew out of his pupils, destroying an already damaged building and letting it crumble to the ground far below. I could faintly hear the screams of pain and anguish from those trapped or hiding still inside, and those who were burned alive in the street which he set fire to. _So… that was Time Baby._ Yep, I was scared. If Bill and him had some sort of history, as this book that came out a few years ago stated, then encountering him would not end well. _And I for sure don't want to be on the receiving end of his laser eyes._

"HA HA HA HA HA!" Time Baby's deep, booming laughter echoed around us as he moved along in his wake of destruction.

"This future seems neat!" Mabel remarked, somehow oblivious to the terror we had brought ourselves to. Dipper ripped the machine out of her hands, and pressed the button frantically. We gripped his arms, leaving the terrible apocalyptic future and returned to the Gravity Falls lake on the opening day of fishing season. _Okay, so we're getting closer now…_ _and my heart is still going crazy._

"I'M COMING, WADDLES!" Mabel yelled, ripping the measuring tape out of Dipper's hands and running off.

"Hey!" Dipper exclaimed. We ran after the excited girl, and tackled her before she could leave us in the past. Once she touched the ground again, Mabel pulled herself out of my grip and ran. I dragged Dipper behind me, the male twin losing his shoe on the mic cable that led up to the Mystery Shack. I stole a glance, and saw Mabel had brought us to the day she made the wax Stan. _Right. Forgot about seeing Blendin that day. Eh, he'll get Dipper's shoe._ Once we got up to her, she hit the button again, and we found ourselves running past the giant gnome, cornering our past selves against the house.

Mabel hit the button one last time, and we ran in front of the Mystery Shack, the ground covered in a foot of snow. _Oh, this is freezing!_ The snow melted through my jeans, leaving my skin cold and damp. "This thing is getting hotter!" She yelled back at us. "HOT! HOTHOTHOT!"

Dipper and I stopped when she did, and stared at the time machine. The device crackled in blue light, letting out a loud hissing noise. "WHAT DID YOU DO!" Dipper shouted.

"I DON'T KNOW!" Mabel replied. The light got even brighter, and enveloped us in a gleaming flash, leaving us screaming as we were taken away from the Mystery Shack. I knew that if we were just a few seconds longer, Ford would've seen us when he checked to see what all the commotion was about. Thank goodness we weren't there any more than we were.

Our feet landed back on the ground, or at least, I think they did. All we could see was pitch black, and we couldn't tell where or when we were. "Where are we?" I asked, taking Dipper and Mabel's hands in mine so we didn't lose each other.

"There's nothing but inky blackness for miles!" Dipper said. "Mabel, don't you see? We've transported to the end of time!"

"AAAGH!" Mabel screamed.

"AAAAAAGH!" Dipper screamed as well.

"AAAGH!"

"AAAAAAGH!"

"AAAGH! Wait, why does it smell so bad in here?" Mabel let go of my hand, and felt around in front of her. She rapped her knuckles against a solid frame, and pushed it forward slowly, letting bright light shine into our faces. _Ah. Finally!_ The time machine had booted us back to the air, specifically the inside of a portable toilet. We walked out of the stall, panting from exhaustion, and the smell. "Look, we're back in the present!"

"But which present?" I asked. We checked our surroundings, and saw Wendy with the panda-duck. Robbie walked past behind her, his hoodie still pulled up around his face and avoiding the redhead.

"This is the best present ever!"

"Yes!" Dipper said, taking the time machine from Mabel.

"NO!" Mabel shouted. I looked to see Pacifica was still holding onto Waddles' leash, walking him through the fair happily. The pig trotted a foot behind her, with a cob of corn in his mouth. __At least she's not being mean to him like in the show.__ _Though I didn't understand what could have changed her personality so much so soon, I really liked this ver… ver…_ _ _what am I doing?__

"Gimme that thing!" Mabel yelled, and started to chase Dipper. "Dipper, give it back!"

Dipper scurried onto the top of the portable toilet, as Mabel ran circles around it. "Look, Mabel, it's over! Okay? Give it up! I've worked too hard to lose this!"

Mabel stopped running, and stood next to me, looking up desperately at her brother. All the while, I was blinking, and trying to let my mind work. Wh-why did I keep doing that? Versions? Relating back the cartoon? I knew all this was happening around me, but… always thinking of events as episodes and seasons? Comparing real people, with emotions a-and problems to a kid's show? _What… what on earth am I doing?_ "But what about Waddles? He was my soulmate!"

"You said that about a ball of yarn once! Do you really want Wendy to date Robbie?" Dipper asked.

"I don't know..." Mabel pulled out her pictures of her and Waddles from her pocket, staring down at them sadly. With a heavy sigh, she closed her eyes and walked away. Once she reached the totem pole, she started to hit her head against the wood.

"You're not guilt-tripping me, Mabel. Not this time," Dipper said, hopping down from the top of the portable toilet. Mabel continued hitting her head against the pole, ignoring him. "Come on, Mabel, I know you. You're gonna forget about this in a day!" He pulled the time machine out of his pocket. "Here! Hey! We'll prove it!" Dipper hooked his arm around mine, and took us forward a day. "See?"

I frowned, seeing the depressed girl continue to hit her head against the totem pole. "Um, Dipper?" _Why did I do that? And… would I always keep doing that?_

"Okay, maybe you'll forget in a week..." Dipper took us forward again, only to see no improvement. Sweat started to drip down his forehead, and he looked at the time machine nervously. "A month! She'll be better in a month!"

"Oh, Mabel." A month didn't change anything. Instead, Mabel was in worse shape. Her skin was covered in dirt, her hair was in knots, and vines had started to grow on her. Her eyes were still closed, and showed signs of lacking sleep.

"Waddles… Waddles..." Mabel repeated, still hitting her head on the post.

Soos walked past us, leading a tourist group. "… and when you look to your left, you'll see Miserable Mabel: a girl who went bonkers after her dreams were shattered by some heartless jerk. Oh, hey, guys!"

Dipper looked at Soos, and then back to Mabel. "Oh..." I gave him a sad smile, wrapping my arm once again around his shoulders.

"It's for the best," I said in solace. _For… the best…_

I had to stop.

I had to stop relating so much to the show. Sure, relating to the episodes was fine with helping me keep track of days and key events, but… but I couldn't think of Dipper, or Mabel, or anyone else as just being similar to animations. It was wrong, and I-I had to put an end to that. _I'll… it's going to take a while, but… but I can fix this._ I tightened my arm around him, but he might as well have thought it was for his comfort instead of me. _For them._

Sighing, Dipper me gave a weak grin before staring at the time machine in discomfort. Closing his eyes, he released the measuring tape. And for the last time, we vanished in a blue light.

(Time Skip)

"I don't know if it's a duck or a panda, but I want one!" I gave a sideways glance at Wendy, who didn't notice Dipper's depressed state.

Sighing, he looked up at Wendy. "Wendy, I just wanted to say that, well I just wanted to say that people makes mistakes, and when they do, you should forgive them. And also that tight pants are overrated." _Ahem to that one._

"Dude, you lost me," Wendy said.

"I know… one ball, please." He handed the carnie the ticket, and took the ball.

"You only get one chance." In reality, we've had several, but in the end, only the one really counted.

"And a-one, and a-two, and a-huh!" Dipper said, his voice monotone. The ball hit the bottom of the stand, and flew back to meet Wendy's eye.

"AUUGH! MY EYE!"

"Hey, Wendy are you okay?" Robbie asked, walking up to her with the snow cone in hand. He brought his arm around her, and led Wendy away from the booth. "You know this is the perfect time for me to to ah… ask you something..."

Dipper looked at me. "It is done."

Before I could respond, Mabel tackled Dipper and me in a hug, managing to hoist both of us off the ground. "GUYS! THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU!"

"WE-WOW!" Waddles squealed.

"He's saying thank you in Pig!" Mabel clarified. "Aren't you, Waddles?"

"WE-WOW, WE-WOW, WE-WOW!"

"I couldn't break your heart, Mabel." Dipper and I were put back down on the ground, grinning at her _Man, how strong is that girl?_ "Besides, there's no way Wendy can date Robbie all summer, right?" He directed the last part towards me.

"Don't worry, Dipper. I'll tell you the same thing I told Asger: Wendy will eventually see how much of a jerk Robbie is, and will dump his sorry butt. And when that happens, I'm certain you'll be there on the rebound." Not really, but their friendship would become much stronger. _And, as a loyal friend, I'll be there to tease him until the cows come home._

"Thanks, Elaine." Dipper smiled, before having Blendin Blandin rip the time machine out of his hands.

"YOU TWO!"

"AAAGH!" We screamed. Mabel bent down and picked up Waddles, having him join in.

"WEEE!" He squealed.

"Do you have any idea, how many rules you just broke!?" Blendin asked. _He was aware of it all?_ Even with us jumping through time, he somehow knew we had done it. Considering we took the device in the evening, and it was now daytime once again, part of me wondered how the laws of time travel even applied to him. "I'm asking; I wasn't there with you… it was probably a lot, right?" In a small flash of bright light, Lolph and Dundgren appeared on either side of him, towering over the man angrily. "AAAGH! The Time Paradox Avoidment Enforcement Squadron!"

"That's right, and our phones have been ringing off the hook!" Lolph stated. "There are settles high fiving in the 1800's and calculators littered through eight centuries!"

"You're under arrest for violation of the Time Traveler's Code of Conduct," Dundgren finished. He and Lolph hooked their arms under Blendin, and dragged him away.

"It was those kids!" He cried. "And their leader, Waddles!"

"That's a pig, Blendin," Lolph said, not even bothering to look at him.

As they vanished into the crowd, Blendin waved his arms, wanting to grab at Dipper and Mabel. "I'll get you for this! I'll go back in time and make sure your parents never MEET!"

Dipper examined his arms before smiling at Mabel and me. "Well, we're still here."

"Guess he forgot to go back," Mabel said.

"Yeah, yeah." Laughing, I hugged the twins, ruffling their hair. "Hey, how about we get some snow cones, huh?"

"Alright, but I'm paying," Dipper said, prying my arm off of him.

"What? But Dipper, we have our own money," Mabel said. "Why would you wanna do that?"

"I just finished dragging you two across time in my desperate attempt to stop Wendy from dating Robbie," Dipper explained. "I think it's time we made it even."

"I wouldn't say snow cones make us even, but it'll do." I shrugged, and led the way over to the booth. Dipper and Mabel both got grape flavor, same as Robbie had, while I got cherry. As we walked through the fair, eating our treats, Mabel looked at us in thought.

"So I guess we never found out who was causing those time anomalies Blendin was looking for."

"Wait, Mabel; I think it was us," Dipper said in realization, stopping us in front of the Ferris wheel. "I mean, I am missing my shoe… and I think it's somewhere back during the wax figure fiasco."

"Ugh, my brain hurts," Mabel complained. "And I'm missing my flower barrette too."

"Yeah, time travel will do that to you." I patted her back, chuckling. "A good night's sleep will fix that."

"Oh, geez, I gotta deal with this all summer?" Dipper questioned, pointing behind Mabel. Turning around, we watched Robbie feed Wendy a caramel apple, who somehow maintained her relaxed demeanor. _How can she still look so laid-back even when eating?_

"Ew," I grimaced, pausing mid-bite.

"I'm on it." Mabel sat Waddles back down, who had been tucked under her arm, and pointed him towards the two teens. Patting his hide, the pig's eyes widened at the sight of the apple. Waddles shrieked, and ran at Robbie. The teen cried out in alarm and took off running, leaving the caramel apple behind for Waddles to eat. Robbie backed away from the pig, still frightened, and accidentally knocked over a bucket of hot water on a table.

"My pants! They're shrinking!" Robbie yelled. He doubled over in discomfort and fell onto the ground, feeling the fabric shrink around him. Everyone laughed, and Dipper looked down at Waddles in approval.

"That'll do pig, that'll do."

I smirked, looking at Wendy who had walked over to us. "Have fun dating that, Wendy."

"Hehehe, I will." Wendy returned my smirk, and then developed a worried look. "Pacifica?"

"Huh?" Seeing that she was no longer looking at me, I spun around to find the Northwest girl run over to us, a chicken tucked under her arm. "Pacifica, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she panted. "But Asger needs your help. It's that blue haired girl." _Kat?_

"Is she alright?" Mabel asked curiously.

Pacifica gave the brunette a quick head shake and turned back to me. "They're over on the couch by the Mystery Shack. Come on!" She grabbed my wrist, and pulled me over to the house, leaving a confused pair of twins and Wendy behind. When we got closer, I saw Asger and Kat sitting on the couch. The girl in question was looking down at her lap, a small frown on her face and noticeable tear streaks on her cheeks. Asger was also frowning, but his head turned in our direction as we slowed down. "I got her," Pacifica announced, bringing me up the steps.

"Thanks, Pacifica. Can you do me a favor and tell the twins Elaine will be back in a bit?" He instructed.

"Um, sure." She hopped back off the deck, and walked back towards the fair. Her speed had considerably slowed, and it didn't take a genius to know it was because she really didn't want to speak to Mabel or Dipper… especially Dipper.

"Okay." I watched the blonde fade back into the crowd, and turned back to my friends. "What's going on?"

"I-it's nothing, Elaine," Kat said quietly. "I-I'm fine."

"It's not 'fine', Kat. Have you seen the bags under your eyes lately?" Asger asked in disbelief. "When was the last time you got any decent sleep?"

"So, what happened here?" I sat down on the other side of Kat. What was going on with her? She's more quiet than when I first met her at the party. This was a complete change from the adventure not that long ago.

"I..." Asger gave her a small glare, pressuring her to continue. "… I've had trouble sleeping the past couple of nights."

"That explains the bags," I said, gesturing to her face. "Why have you had trouble sleeping?"

"Night..." Kat took a deep breath. "Nightmares. I-I don't mean the simple kind, you know, the ones where you lose all your teeth or fall off a cliff. I'm talking about the ones with..." her face paled, and her eyes widened. "… blood. Everywhere. And people screaming all around me, but I couldn't find where they were. No matter how much I wanted to find the people who were crying out, I couldn't see them!" Kat's voice raised a few octaves. "I only wanted to save them, I really did! But no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't find them! And the mad, insane cackling! H-how it enjoyed all of what was going on, l-like some sick joke, I-!"

"Kat!" Asger exclaimed. He and I wrapped an arm around her, trying to console her outbursts. This was-what was going on inside her head!? These were anything but nightmares! That was a freaking polite way to call them!

Kat turned towards me and buried her face into my shirt. I could feel her body shaking as she sobbed silently into my shoulder. "Shhh… shhh..." I rubbed her back in smooth circles. "It's okay, Kat. It's okay. That was just a dream, alright. No one's hurting, everyone is fine."

"B-but it was so real," she mumbled, still stuttering. "W-why did that… voice have to keep bringing me back to that place?"

 _ _Voice…?__ _ _Oh no. No, no, no. Please, tell me it's not-?__ _My_ face immediately drained of all color, any thoughts and words dying out.

"E-Elaine?" Kat spoke up, pushing herself off of me as my arm fell from her back. "Is something wrong?"

"..."

"Elaine, what's wrong?" Asger asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"… something among that line," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. I searched the fair, and saw Dipper and Mabel finish talking to Pacifica. Dipper looked over in my direction, and tilted his head in a questioning look. I gave a quick thumbs up before returning to my friends. "Let's… go somewhere private."

"Okay?" They replied slowly. I led them in the Mystery Shack, and up into my private room. No one else should be following us, and I really hoped it stayed that way. N-no one needed to hear this. I should keep this secret, but… but if he's involving others now…

Asger and Kat sat on the bay window seat as I locked the door. I trusted Dipper and Mabel, I really did, but… what I was about to say couldn't be revealed to them until the time they meet Bill, at least. I-I needed to maintain my cover. _Y_ _ _ou're about to reveal your most personal secret to your friends! As if they'd understand what you're going through right now! They'd probably just you're crazy!__ _My mind argued about how it was a bad idea, and I really, really wanted to listen to it._

"Elaine?" Kat asked. "What is it that's got you so freaked out?" _But… I have to do this._

"It's… you and Asger have to promise me something, okay?" Asger and her glanced at each other and looked back at me, giving a firm but hesitant nod. "You have to promise me that you will not tell anyone, and I mean anyone what I am about to tell you. The stuff I know can't be revealed to Dipper and Mabel until a much later time, until I say so. Do you promise?"

"O-okay, Elaine," Kat rushed out, actually looking a little terrified. Considering her current state with the dreams, I didn't blame her. "I promise I won't tell."

"Same here," Asger agreed, a little more relaxed, but not by much. "Now, what is it you wanna tell us?"

Before walking over, I reached behind the stack of boxes, and pulled out my journal. I stood up and went over to them, holding out the book so they could get a good look at the cover. "This is my own personal journal. I've written all about my adventures with the twins, and anything I've learned about from Dipper's journal."

"Cool," Asger, seeing the light from outside bounce off the wings. "So how does this revolve around yours and Kat's freak-out exactly?"

"That's the difficult part. Move over." He shuffled to the side, and I sat down in between them. I placed my book beside me, and rolled up my right sleeve. I held out my bandaged hand, the appendage shaking slightly. Taking in a sharp breath, I began to unravel the dressings.

 _ _This is it, Elaine. No going back.__ _The gauze fell to the floor, and I heard the sharp inhales of the younger teens._

"Oh gosh," Kat murmured, her face melted into one of horror as Asger stared in shock, speechless. My right hand was now back to its normal peach color, except the branding of Bill hadn't faded in the slightest. It's blackened form had burned deep enough to not leave a normal scar, and the lines were still a sore red.

"Elaine," Asger managed to say, finding his voice again. "Wh… what have you done?"

What… I had done? "I… I did what I had to do."

"Did what you had to-Elaine, are you insane!?" Kat shrieked. "You have some demonic symbol carved into your flesh! What could have possibly have done to deserve that!?"

I hung my head, the pressure of guilt already weighing me down. "Nothing. But… I had no other choice. It was the only way to get back home. I-I tried to argue, I did, but… there was no other way I could think of. He pushed me into it."

"He-? Elaine." I looked back up, and saw Asger's green eyes filled with concern. "Please, tell us what you've done."

"Hehe." I gave a sad, almost twisted chuckle. "Kat's right in that this is a symbol," I began, waving my hand in the air. "When I first woke up in Gravity Falls, I was… terrified. I had no idea how I got there, if my family was looking for me… I was so scared. And then, he came and offered me a deal. He said that… if I helped out in his plans for this dimension, he would take me back home."

"He?" Kat asked. "You've said that a few times already. Who is he?"

"His name is... Bill Cipher." I traced the symbol on my hand with my index finger. "An omniscient, omnipotent dream demon who has it out for the people of this world. I don't really know what he's planning, but I didn't really have a choice in saying no."

"Back up." Asger raised a hand, motioning me to slow down. "Why do you keep going on about dimensions and worlds? You're making it sound like..."

"Like I'm not from this universe? Yeah, heh… I'm not." Sighing, I looked over at Kat. "I'm actually from another dimension entirely. And where I'm from… everything here is… a cartoon." I gave her a sad grin. "Where I'm from, nothing here is real."

"But…" Kat tried to speak, her mind struggling to catch up with what I was saying. "But how did you end up here then?"

"Dunno. It's exactly like I said before. Grunkle Stan found me passed out on the steps to the Mystery Shack, covered in open bleeding gashes." I gestured to my arms, the rest of the bandages covered in my shirt. "That's why I made the deal with Bill. He's the only one who could possibly bring me back home, back to my family. I… I had no other choice, guys. I was that desperate as to put my life in the hands of a sadistic demon who wants to destroy humanity."

"Oh, Elaine." Asger pulled me close to him, and I could feel tears start to well up in my eyes. How had I not fully broken down yet? Bawling tears, and being unable to speak reasonably? "It's okay. It's not your fault for any of this."

"But it will be, Asger! Don't you get it!" I cried, hands tugging at my ponytail. "The moment Dipper and Mabel come to realize my relationship with the demon, th-they'll hate me! And I don't want to be responsible for whatever Bill has planned! I just… I just… I just wanna go home." I sighed, letting my arms fall and hung my head.

"But, Elaine." Kat moved closer to me, and rubbed my shoulder. "Having yourself wallow in despair won't solve anything. We get it, you were desperate and a deal with a demon was the only thing you could think of. But that doesn't mean it's all over for you."

"She's right," Asger added. "You have the knowledge of this entire summer, right? Well, do something with it! Can't you change what's gonna happen?"

"My knowledge of the show only goes so far, Asger. I never saw the last four episodes." I unconsciously gripped my injured hand. "It's hopeless."

"No, it's not." I turned to looked at Kat curiously. "Sure, you can't change what Bill has planned then. But what about other stuff. Has your presence alone done anything to change the show?"

"It…" _it has._ _ _Ever since I've arrived in this sleepy town of Oregon, I've helped Mabel become more confident in herself, and had given a new friend to her and Dipper. Dipper… before Ford showed up, he had no one to openly discuss the wonders of the town with. But now he has me. And I have them, Stan, Soos, Wendy… and Asger, and Kat, and Pacifica too.__ "It has. I've already changed so much in this show, even if I didn't really mean to."

"Then isn't that a good sign?" Kat said. "If you've already done so much to this town, then maybe you'll affect what Bill has planned after all."

"Yeah, yeah I guess you're right." I grinned at the blue haired girl, wiping at the water under my glasses. "And, uh, Kat?"

"Yeah, Elaine?"

"That 'voice' you were talking about? I'll make sure to have a nice long chat with him later," I smirked darkly, hitting a fist into an open palm. I couldn't hurt Bill. That would be signing my death wish. However, that didn't mean I wasn't going to go off and yell at him about it.

"You mean that demon's the one messing with my mind!?" Kat exclaimed. "Why'd he do that!?"

"Because you're my friend," I stated. "Bill told me not that long ago that he wouldn't mess with you or Asger… yet. Guess that means time's up. I'll try my hardest, but for now, maybe try and put up a few dream catchers or something. It might not stop him, but it could distract him from doing the damage he's been dealing out."

"Apparently," she muttered bitterly. "I kept hearing the same mocking laughter every time I fell asleep. I didn't know it had to do with some sadistic triangle." She looked at my hand as she said that, making the connection that the demon was the exact representation on my skin. "I'll keep that in mind, about the dream catchers. I'll look into other methods too, while I'm at it."

"So, Dipper and Mabel will find out about Bill in the future?" Asger asked.

"Yep. But let's try to keep this a secret between us until that time, alright? I don't want to hurt Mabel's feelings, or destroy my friendship with Dipper." The guilt fell even heavier upon my chest, despite it lessening a little from saying the truth for the first time to someone. I knew Mabel was an easily forgiving person, but Dipper? Dipper could quite possibly never forgive me if he found out… and I didn't want that.

"Okay," he replied. "So, what now?"

"I… I don't know." I let out a forced laugh. "Honestly, I've never planned on letting anyone know about this. If I did end up saying anything, it wouldn't have been until much later in the summer. But seeing how I just dropped a bombshell on you guys, how about we do something fun to lighten the mood? You know, just the three of us?"

"I like that," Kat agreed. "What could we do?"

"Hmmm. How 'bout camping?" Asger suggested. "I've got a tent back at the mansion that I got this past year, and I know a couple places in the forest that would be perfect to set it up."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Asger." I scooped up my journal from beside me, holding it close to my chest. "Um, you guys wouldn't mind if I brought this along with me, right? I'm going to have to write about the, um… big reveal. It'll help in getting it off my mind more easily."

"Sure thing, Elaine. Kat, you and I better go and tell our families first. We'll meet up back at the Mystery Shack later, say, 6 o'clock?" He suggested, looking from me to her.

"Perfect." We stood up from the window, and I went to unlock the door. As I reached for the doorknob, I felt Asger and Kat take hold of each of my wrists. "Wha-" The two pulled me backwards, and I found myself forced into a hug. My face was squished in between their shoulders, their arms wrapped around my frame, almost as if they were afraid to let go. _This is… very similar to Dipper and Mabel at the start of the summer._ "Guys?"

"Please Elaine," Kat said quietly. "Don't do this to yourself. If you ever need to talk to someone about Bill, your home, anything, just let us know and we'll be right there." She gripped tighter. "I don't… like seeing people I care about get hurt."

"You may be the older one in the group Elaine, but that doesn't excuse you from trying to be the strong leader," Asger added. "We're friends; so try to keep that in mind before you store up all these feelings."

"Heh... I'll try." They eventually released me, and I unlocked the attic door. Kat and Asger gave me one last smile before leaving the room to go home. I stood, almost frozen for a few minutes before closing the door and sliding down to the dusty floor. I gazed out at the empty room, and gave a long, drawn out sigh. "Well… this differently did not go the way I planned."

 _ _Ain't that the truth. But… Asger and Kat don't hate me. They actually seemed to understand what I was going through. H__ _ _eh.__ _ _As if they really know how I'm feeling. They aren't the ones being forced into the Nightmare Realm, being tied up by a demon's powerful magic, and having the life squeezed out of you to the point you're seeing stars.__

 _ _Yet, despite the fact they will never truly understand my feelings about Bill, they at least support me in what I'm going through. Asger and Kat don't want to see me suffer and are willing to help me, even if it puts them in danger with Bill. On the other hand, Bill already had messed with Kat…__ I laughed, and pulled myself back up off the floor. Firmly taking the doorknob in my hand, I opened the door and marched out, but not before giving one last glance at the bay window. The triangular shaped glass reflected the fading sunlight into the vacant room.

"Well, Bill?" I asked, hinting towards his presence in the window to my dimension. He did use them to spy on us, after all. "I warned ya that I wasn't going to play easy." Smirking, I closed the door, and walked back through the Mystery Shack.

3rd POV

He stared in disbelief through the bubble that looked into the third dimension, as his newest puppet seemed to smirk directly at him before closing the door. It was strange, how a simple human was so willing to play against him, despite how she obviously felt towards him.

Bill didn't know how to respond, which was a first for him. He thought he had all of humanity figured out. They were supposed to be boring, idiotic beings, not… like her. Then again, she wasn't from that dimension to begin with, so did she fit into a different category.

"Hehehe." He chuckled, and drifted away from the window. Settling back into his throne of optical illusions, he looked over at his minions who were watching him curiously. "Don't worry boys," he waved them away. "I just got some thinking to do."

Shrugging off their boss' behavior, they went back to their own discussions about the upcoming apocalypse. Bill's eye watched them to make sure they had completely left, and then closed it, sighing. "What makes you so interesting, Angel? Why are you so different?"

* * *

 ** **I'll see you all next Saturday, sort of, maybe. I have a shooting competition, so I might post early. Anyway, until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	20. Fight Fighters

****Disclaimer: I'm back! Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed me! 20 chapters, huh. I'm pretty proud of how it's going, and we're not even close to being done yet.****

 ** **Now, who wants to hear some reviews?****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: I know, right? Elaine and Bill's relationship will only go up from here… until Weirdmageddon hits, then it all goes down hill.****

 ** **muscialocelot: Thanks! If you think that's interesting, just wait for when Dipper and Mabel find out. And let me tell you, that will not end well. As for Dipper, Asger, and Robbie going after Wendy… hehehehe!****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks!****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Same here!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Tonight, it's gonna get… WEIRD!****

 ** **I own Elaine, the core of justice owns Asger, and RillFipher owns Kat.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Aug. 1** **8** **/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Flashlights?"

"Check."

"Granola bars?"

"Check!"

"Awesome tent that Asger brought with him?

"It's on my back, Elaine!" He laughed, playfully punching me in the arm. "I'm pretty sure that's a check."

"Alright then." I rolled up the supply list and tucked it into my black bag, throwing it over my shoulders. Camping. I couldn't recall the last time I had done this with this many people. Usually, my sister and I would hike out into the woods and stay there late into the night, and there was the off-chance we'd fall asleep. _I'm actually looking forward to this._ "Looks like we're ready to go. You both told your families you'd be back tomorrow afternoon, right?"

"Yep. Pacifica's parents weren't entirely thrilled about it, but they let it slide when they saw how happy she was after coming home from the fair. I just find it hard to believe they're letting her keep the chicken she won," Asger said. He gave a small laugh, suddenly remembering something. "She needed her Mrs. Beakley."

I paused, glancing from my bag to Asger, before giving a loud laugh. "Oh my-really!?" She gave the chicken the same name as a character from Ducktales!? _Ha ha! That's awesome!_ Even though that cartoon didn't exist there, in this dimension, the cleverness behind it was brilliant. Plus, with the name coming from Pacifica, it suited the bird.

"I'm sure she'll be a great chicken owner," Kat said, picking up her own bag as I was unable to give a reasonable response in my laughing fit. "Ready, guys?"

"Ready." Asger and I said, my glee finally fading to normal levels. Before I opened the door, Mabel and Dipper ran down the stairs. Judging from their clothes, they were already getting ready for bed, or at least calming down for the night. _After the time travel stuff, it wouldn't surprise me._

"Elaine?" Dipper called. "You're heading out already?"

"Yep. Hold down the fort for me while I'm gone, alright?" I asked. "I don't want to miss out on anything important."

"Elaine! You're only spending a night in the woods!" Mabel laughed. "What could possibly happen?"

"A lot, Mabel. A lot. Just… try to stay out of trouble, please?" The only thing I could think of that could happen was the video game character coming to life, but I didn't think to much on it. I mean, while it only happened over one or two days, I doubted it'd happen while we were gone.

"Don't worry, Elaine." Dipper hopped off the steps, and walked over to me. "We'll be fine."

"Alright. Heh. Guess your paranoia is rubbing off on me," I said.

"Apparently," Dipper laughed. We grinned at each other before I gave him a quick hug. I looked around his head, and saw Asger and Kat holding back laughs. __What's with them?__

"So… bye, Elaine!" Dipper rushed the goodbye, and sprinted back up the stairs past his sister.

"Um… bye?" I looked at Mabel, who only gave me a shrug and followed her brother back up to their room. Turning around, Asger and Kat let loose their laughter, with the latter hunched over in her giggles. "What's so funny?"

"Dipper's face!" Kat cackled. "Is-is he always so flustered around you?"

"I have made it a habit of teasing him at least once a day. It's fun to see him so embarrassed. Now." I opened the door, the sun already starting to set over the tops of the trees. "Are we ready?"

"Yep… yeah, I'm ready..." Asger and Kat replied. Grinning, the three of us walked out of the Mystery Shack, and off down the trail into the woods. __It's not like Dipper being flustered around me is anything new. He's been like that for a while.__ _ _Though, part of me wonders why…__ I shook away my thoughts, and focused on the scenery. The twilight adorned the large pines in an orange glow, and fireflies already started to buzz around the growing wildflowers. Kat looked around her in wonder, and hopped on top of a fallen log, balancing on it. "This is incredible, guys. How have I not been out here before?"

"Because most of the town is terrified of the forest," Asger explained as the blue haired girl hopped down beside him. "Not sure why, but even though most of the townsfolk are ignorant, they seem to be able to sense that something's seriously weird about it." He ran a hand through his hair that stuck out from under his hat. "I don't know if it's me, but you'd figure people would catch on more quickly."

"It wouldn't surprise me. This whole town is pretty strange," I remarked. "And if people have lived here for so long, maybe they're just immune to the weirdness that it would take something huge to get their attention. Anyway, Asger, where is this camping spot you got picked out?"

"Right… here!" He stopped in front of us, making Kat and I quit walking behind him. I looked around, and saw an open clearing with several pine trees towering above us, taller than all the rest. The glade led down into a large hill, and I could easily see the lake from where I was standing. The sunset bounced off the still water, creating a glowing reflection of sunlight.

"Whoa," Kat breathed.

"Ya got that right. Asger, this is incredible!" I stood on the edge of the hill, and looked off into the distance. "I can see the water tower from up here!" Indeed I could. The structure was off towards the direction of town, and the roof of it was clearly poking over the top of some of the trees.

"I had a feeling you two would like this." Asger joined me in checking out the scenery. A warm breeze blew through us, warming me and making me even more happy to get out of the Shack for a while. "With all of the craziness that comes with living in Gravity Falls, it's the only place I can go and just… be myself."

"It's a perfect spot," Kat agreed. She dropped her bag, and stretched her back. "We better get this tent put up before it gets dark."

"Right. Asger, can you help Kat with the tent? I'm gonna go get some firewood." I dropped my own luggage next to Kat's. "I'll be back in a bit."

"Don't get lost, Elaine," Asger warned. "There's a lot of trails in the woods, and it's easy to get confused if you haven't taken the time to explore them yet."

"I won't!" I disappeared into the woods again, and started picking up fallen tree limbs. _If I had a pocket knife, or a hatchet, this would be so much easier._ I wiped the damp dirt gathering on my palms off on my jeans, and looked up at the sky. The golden glow had already faded, and the sky was now covered in glittering stars. I grinned as I could make out the Milky Way, as the cluster of stars standing out against the midnight sky in a large band.

"Beautiful." I felt tears build up in my eyes, and tucked the wood under my arm, and used my spare hand to dry them. _It… really does remind me of home._ "Hehe. Elaine, you really are a sap."

"I'll vouch for that!"

Spinning around, my face turned into an annoyed glare at the triangle. "Not the time, Cipher. I don't want anything to do with you right now, especially since you went and hurt Kat! What the heck was with those nightmares!?"

"I told you I was gonna wait before going after Kitten, didn't I? It's not like nightmares are gonna physically hurt her. Mentally traumatize, maybe. But not physically. Besides, it turned out well for you. You finally got to tell someone about your deal with me! Isn't that what you wanted?" Bill leered at me, running around the problem with ease.

"Not this early in the show." Sighing, I loosened my glower. "At least it's better than Dipper finding out." _Still ticked though. I would've preferred no one to have found out already._

"Ah, Pine Tree. Now that would be fun to watch!" Bill laughed, and floated down next to me. There was a pause, and I waited for him to continue. _Is… that it?_ Seeing that he was done speaking, I started making my way back towards the campsite.

"Uh, Bill?" I looked over at him cautiously, seeing that instead of vanishing, he was drifting behind me. "What are you doing?"

"Just watching," he replied. "Why? You bothered by it, Angel?" Bill 'smirked' at me, making me inch back. "And to think, you already knew I was watching you from the Nightmare Realm, so what makes this any different?"

"O-of course I'm bothered by it!" __Dang it, girl. Stop stuttering!__ "It's just I'm surprised you're not mad at me."

Bill seemed partially surprised by my remark, but he could have just been easily faking it. "Kid, you haven't been getting into trouble without me knowing, have you?"

"N-no. I just thought that, well, since I pretty much taunted you in the attic," I hinted towards my previous discussion with Asger and Kat. I knew he was watching me. Why else would he appear now, of all times? "I know you know I was aware of you watching me through the window. If my memory serves correct, you are able to use items with your image on them to spy on the real world."

"You're right there, Angel. I'm always watching; and I am especially interested in watching my favorite puppet." Bill shrugged his thin arms, and sped up so he was floating next to me. "As for your taunting..." he laughed. "… you surprised me there, kid."

"I surprised you?" I stopped walking. "But-but you're Bill Cipher! How the heck was me taunting you surprising?" Hadn't I been doing that for a while now?

"Exactly my point, kid." Bill went around me, and crossed his arms. "You're not stopping, and no matter how hard I try, you continue to show no fear in this game of ours. So here's my question: why are you so insistent on making our deal so difficult? You obviously know that you can't get out of it, so why bother making it more challenging for yourself?"

I took a moment to think it over. Why did I make it more challenging? What was there to gain from it…? "Just because I already doomed myself, doesn't mean I don't want to have at least a little fun, I guess. You have something I want, I have something that you want. We both know that you can't get rid of me, so why not make things interesting for me and see how far I can succeed in ticking you off?"

I internally laughed at Bill's reaction. His eye widened, and I grinned as he was lost of a response. __Ha ha! Wow. Has Bill never met a human that showed a backbone before? I mean, what about Fo-?__ "Sixer was a paranoid mess by the time I was done with him," Bill interrupted me, regaining his composure. "Angel, that's not backbone you're giving me. That's a lack of common sense."

"So? That just gives us something in common," I replied. I leaned forward, and mimicked his previous smirk. "You wouldn't keep showing up if you hated me."

Bill's eyelid curved up, mimicking a raised brow. "How much do you enjoy being so complicated, Angel?"

"It's what I live for, Cipher."

The two of us glared at each other for a minute, until Bill finally backed up. "Well, Angel. It looks like I was right."

 _He was… right?_ "Right about what?" I asked cautiously, as I straightened back up as well.

"You are definitely not like the humans I've made deals with before. You're a lot more clever than they were." Bill drifted back down the path we came from. "That's what makes you such an intriguing puppet."

 _ _Did… did Bill just compliment me?__ "What can I say? Normalcy is overrated," I shrugged.

"Ha ha! Ain't that the truth, kid." He looked back at me, and 'grinned'. "Until next time, Angel!"

"W-wait! What about my question of the day!?" I yelled back at his fading form. I didn't want to break this deal!

"Don't worry, kid. I'll let it slide for today," Bill said. _Really?_ _ _That's… unexpected.__ "See you in your nightmares!"

"I'm counting on it!" I shouted back at his retreating form, and reopened my eyes to the real world. _Huh. Guess I am getting used to returning to the Mindscape and real world. The transition is getting much more sm-huh?_ Asger and Kat leaned over me, looking at me curiously. "Uh, hi?"

"Elaine, why were you asleep in a bush?" Asger asked. Kat grabbed my hands, and pulled me to my feet. The sticks and twigs I had previously gathered were scattered on the ground, showing I didn't keep my grip on them when I passed out.

"Bill decided to have a quick chat with me." I dusted off the leaves stuck to my shirt. "Nothing to horrible." Nightmares… I hoped he meant the Mindscape and Nightmare Realm, and not anything similar to what Kat had seen for the past few days.

"Okay, Elaine. Just checking." Kat picked up the wood, and handed it back to me. "Just… remember what we said." She looked off towards the path we had come from. "We've already set up the tent."

"We've also prepped the lantern," Asger added. "So… I guess we can forget about that fire now. You were out for a while."

"Oh. Then forget this." I threw the wood into the bush. "Let's get ready for bed then."

"Fine by me. This way." Asger led us back into the clearing, and stopped in the middle of it. "Here you go."

"Uh..." I looked around, trying to spot the tent. Was it too dark to see it? "Where is it?"

"Ahem." Kat cleared her throat, and pointed to the sky. I followed her direction, bringing my head upwards to see a black shape suspended above our heads, attached to the trees around us.

"Oh my… you have a sky tent!? Dude!" I grinned up at the dark object. "Where's the entrance?"

"Right here." Asger led me to a rope ladder hanging down from higher up. "This leads right into the tent. After you."

"Why thank you, kind sir," I laughed, and took a hold of the ladder. Asger and Kat climbed after me, and I unzipped the hatch at the bottom. I crawled into the tent, feeling the slight bounciness from being supported by the ropes. The lantern hung from the ceiling, and I could see my bag was already unpacked. My blankets were laid out on the far right side, with Kat's sleeping bag on the left and Asger's in the middle. "So cool." _Wish I could see the color and the outside of the tent, but I guess I have to wait until morning._

"You did say earlier that I had an awesome tent. Guess this wasn't what you had in mind." Asger crawled in next to me, followed by Kat. The girl turned around, and zippered the opening to not let any animals or bugs in. "I begged my parents to get me this type of tent. Not exactly sure why, but the idea of one of these always appealed to me."

"Well duh. Who wouldn't love sleeping while hanging several meters above the ground?" Kat asked. "Come on, guys. Let's get some sleep."

"Hehe. Right." I unbuttoned my flannel shirt, revealing my white tank top underneath. "That's better… uh, why are you guys staring at me like that?"

"Are all those scars from… Bill?" Asger asked, gesturing to my arms. Since I usually always wore long sleeves, nobody except Grunkle Stan had ever really seen my the extent of my injuries. Unlike the burn on my hand, everything else had healed nicely, with only scars remaining. But even with everything that demon had done, he hadn't caused them. That was… I still didn't know what caused them.

"Nope. These came from getting sucked into this dimension," I said, rubbing a hand over the faded injuries. "Bill convinced me to make another deal to speed up the healing process. We ask each other a question every time we see each other, and as long as I answer honestly, he'll keep them healed." I inhaled, and flopped backwards onto my bed. "I wish I knew what did these though.

Kat shuffled into her own bed. "It's better than your other deal, that's for sure."

"Ain't that the truth," Asger agreed. "But I'm certain you'll find the answer to your problem… one day." He grinned sleepily at me, trying to fight through a yawn. "Elaine, did you talk to him about messing with Kat's dreams?"

"Yep. I don't think we'll have to worry about that happening for a while." I looked up at the ceiling, and saw an unzipped hatch in the roof, displaying the starry sky above us. Smiling softly, I rolled over and buried my face into my blanket bundle. _I'll… get that answer… one day._ "Thanks, guys… goodnight."

"Goodnight… night, Elaine..."

(Time Skip)

Asger's POV

 _ _Man, that was a great sleep. Haven't had one like that in a while.__ I rolled up my sleeping bag, sticking it onto the top of my hiking bag. Looking up, Elaine and Kat finished dealing with their own gear, and moved on to dealing with the tent. "You guys need any help?"

"No, w-we got it!" Elaine shouted, and messily tried to fold the tent and pack it up. "Gah! I hate this!"

"Ha ha! Hold on. Let me help." I sat my bag back down, and walked over to the girls. "Use the bag to measure how wide you have to make the tent before rolling it, and then keep pressing down to get rid of the air stuck inside." I mimicked my instructions, and effortlessly shoved the tent into its bag, handing it to a gaping Elaine. "See?"

"Showoff," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "We gonna eat first before we head back?"

"Of course," Kat replied. She sat down on the edge of the hill, and pulled out the cereal bars from her bag, tossing them over to us. "Here."

"Thanks," Elaine said.

"Nice aim," I acknowledged. "So… we'll still going to try and make things normal, right?"

"Why wouldn't they be normal?" Elaine asked, taking a bite from her bar.

"You dropped a bombshell on us yesterday, Elaine. Something like that won't easily be ignored. But, Kat and I will try to act like we never heard anything around the twins." I frowned at the brunette. "The moment you decide to tell Dipper and Mabel, we'll be there to help."

"Thanks, guys." Elaine grinned, before her face slowly changed into one of confusion. She sniffed the air, and looked at me. "Uh… do you smell something burning?"

 _ _What?__ Sniffing the air, I noticed a faint scent of smoke coming from behind us. We looked around, and we stared at my book bag, smoke drifting from the opening. "Whoa" I ran over, and yanked out the egg, wincing at the scalding touch it made in contact with my bare hands. I roughly placed it on the grass, and Kat and Elaine ran over next to me.

"Asger, please tell me it's not… hatching, is it?" Elaine asked worriedly. I understood her fear. I didn't know exactly how an egg hatched, and I doubted it'd be so simple.

"I think it's time," I remarked. The egg made a loud hissing sound, and we watched as fractures started appearing on the shell, releasing more smoke. _It's going to blow!_ "Get down!" I grabbed the girls' hands, and threw them backwards, all three of us shielding our heads as the egg exploded behind us.

"AAHHH!" We screamed, feeling the hot pieces of eggshell pelt our backs. Breathing heavily, we slowly turned around, and stared back at where the egg once sat. A small black dragon sat in part of the shell that remained intact; its thin, leathery wings flexing, and bright green eyes blinked as they got used to the sunlight.

"Oh my… I-I know that breed," I heard Elaine whisper behind me. "But… but they shouldn't even exist in the show."

"What is it?" Kat asked.

"That's a… n-never mind." Her voice was low, like she was uncertain of something. What? What was so bad about telling us what type of dragon it was? "Guys? I-I think I messed up the dimension…"

"If dragons didn't exist here before, then I'd probably agree with you. Getting down low, I inched my way towards the dragon. "H-hey, little guy. How are you feelin'?" The dragon looked at me in shock, and made a small warning growl. I brought my hand close to its head, only to narrowly miss losing a finger. It retracted its head, flashing tiny but sharp teeth. "Whoa!" The dragon seemed proud of itself, and opened its mouth widely, giving me a reptilian grin.

"Smug little thing, isn't she?" Elaine noticed.

"She?" I looked back at her. "How do you know?"

"I've seen pictures of what the male looks like, and that's not it. Her body is too thin, and you can see her scales are a lighter shade than what a boy should look like." She… scales? Color?

"You really know your stuff, you know that?" I looked back to the dragon, who was watching us curiously. "It's okay, girl. We're not gonna hurt you. Just… trust me, okay?"

She huffed, blowing a small amount of smoke from her nostrils. The dragon looked away in distaste, before returning to meet my hopeful gaze, and Elaine and Kat's grinning faces behind me. Slowly, she crawled towards us, tripping slightly on her new legs. "That's it. Nice and slow." I held up my hand, holding it in front of me a few inches away. No way did I plan on losing any appendages. "It's okay, girl. You can trust me." She looked at my hand, still doubting. __Forget it. She's not going to-__ I felt smooth, warm scales against my palm, and grinned at the tiny head pressed against my hand. "Cool," I said breathlessly.

"Hehehe!" Elaine giggled behind me, and I glanced back at her. "Asger just had a Hiccup moment!" She squealed, hands to her cheeks in aw.

"I'm just gonna pretend I understood what you said," Kat looked at her weirdly and turned back to me. "Now how are we gonna get back? I'm fairly certain a small lizard with wings wasn't what we originally planned for. We don't want to attract any attention."

"Oh. Um… h-hold on a moment." I held out my arms, and the dragon jumped into them, allowing me to pick her up. The heat inside her warmed me against my chest, and I was so, so thankful she couldn't breathe fire yet. "Kat, can you get me my bag?"

"Sure." She rushed to grab my stuff, and helped me slide it on around the dragon. Trying to juggle a creature with that could breathe fire, while throwing a bag on… not as easy as it sounded. "There you go."

"Thanks." The girls put on their gear, and we smiled at the baby dragon. "So, what are we gonna name her?"

"Hmmm… h-how about we think of a name later once we get home?" Elaine suggested. "I'm certain your guys' families are waiting for you."

"Fair enough," I shrugged. We walked back through the trail, and I decided to lead them through another path. As much as Stan Pines was a nice person, I'm pretty sure he wouldn't react well to my little friend. I led us into a back area of Gravity Falls, and stopped when I saw Wendy up ahead talking to Robbie and Dipper. _Why is everything all wrecked? It looks like a tornado came through here._ "Guys?"

"Oh boy. Fight Fighters," Elaine said. "Looks like I skipped this episode after all. Um, Asger? You might wanna try and hide her."

"How? She won't fit in my bag..." I stopped as a silly idea popped into my head. __This… is gonna be a bad idea.__ I tucked the dragon under one arm, and proceeded to gently shove her under my shirt. "T-there!"

"Great idea, Asger. A living, breathing dragon hiding under your clothes," Elaine said sarcastically. "That won't end well at all."

"Hey, I panicked okay. Come on." We walked over to the others, and we saw the trees were broken, and there were small fires all over the place. Fir-wh-why do they look all like pixels? "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Asger," Wendy grinned. Robbie and Dipper looked at us, the smaller boy grinning at Elaine. _Is that grin relieved, or is it just me?_ "Where have you been?"

"Camping, same as you. Right guys?" Kat and Elaine nodded, shuffling their gear on their backs.

"He had a sky tent, Dipper. A sky tent," Elaine said. She leaned forward, eyes wide in wonder. "It was awesome."

"Glad you had fun, Elaine," Dipper replied, giving a small laugh. "Was she this excited when you brought it out?"

"Yep," I replied. "She had this silly smile for several minutes before finally falling asleep. So, how did it go, Wendy?" I directed my question back to her, wondering how her trip went.

"Well, we tried, but our normal camping spot was taken by some couple and their little four year old daughter. Then dad got into a fight with the father, the girl started crying when her dad was in a chokehold… we were asked to leave," she chuckled, ending with a small sigh. "I don't think we're going back to that campground ever again. So, guys, why are your faces all jacked up?" She gestured to Robbie's disheveled appearance and Dipper's black eye. "You guys weren't fighting each other, were you? I hate it when guys fight."

"No! Fighting?" Dipper asked.

"Why would we be fighting?" Robbie said in the same tone. "Never!"

"Yeah, we actually fell over trying to stop two other guys from fighting each other," Dipper explained.

Wendy grinned at them, pleased with their answers. Something clearly happened while we were all gone, but I had to agree with the two guys. I didn't think they were fighting, but then what caused all of this? "Cool! It really makes me happy to see my two boys hanging out. I got some unpacking to do. I'll text you guys later." I frowned as Wendy placed a kiss on Robbie's cheek, but relaxed as she patted Dipper on the head and walked away. "Hey, Asger!"

"Y-yeah!?" My voice went up an octave as I felt the dragon's sharp claws dig into the skin. __Ow!__

"Our movie night's still on for later, right?" Wendy continued, not seeing my discomfort.

"Uh-huh! I'll be over in a bit! I-I just have to unpack my own gear!" __Stop squirming!__

"Alright. See ya!" The redhead walked away with her family, leaving the five of us alone.

"Movie night?" Robbie asked, glaring at me.

"Don't be angry, Robbie. Wendy and I have always done movie nights ever since childhood. It's nothing new." __Although, I'm glad it's annoying you so much.__

"Did you hear that? She called me one of her two boys!" Dipper exclaimed.

"She was looking at me, though," Robbie argued.

"Look, Robbie, if we're gonna stay at each others throats, we're both gonna lose Wendy. We need to make a cold war pack," Dipper explained.

Robbie looked at me and the girls, only to get confused looks. "Okay. What's that?"

"We need to learn to hate each other, in silence."

"You mean like, what girls do?"

"Hey!" Kat spoke up. "Not all girls do that, you know!"

"No, Kat," Elaine countered. "Some do. And apparently, it's something more common than we thought."

"Yeah. Exactly!" Dipper agreed. "What girls do."

"Still think your overreacting, but whatever," Elaine shrugged. "Thanks again for the camping trip guys, it helped."

"N-no problem, Elaine!" I glanced down at my shirt, and crossed my arms to prevent the dragon from sticking her head out from the top of my collar. "I-I gotta go. B-bye, guys!" Before they could react, I sprinted towards the mansion, and took the dragon out from her hiding spot. "You're a real troublemaker, you know that?" _I hope I don't have any scratches on my chest from this._

She let out a rumbling laugh, and snuggled into the crook of my arm. "Yeah, yeah. Love you too," I couldn't help but grin at the lizard, before sighing. "Elaine and Kat are really not gonna like how I got you. But… hopefully he won't say anything to her yet." __I hope…__

(Time Skip)

Elaine's POV

"You brought a video game character to life?"

Dipper and me sat on the edge of his bed, the brunette writing in the journal about today's events. "Yep. Not one my greatest ideas, I know. I just… I didn't like how Robbie acted towards Wendy. If he was a little nicer, I probably wouldn't have done anything."

"Back up a moment, Dippin' Dots. Are you saying you're over Wendy?" Where did that come from? I thought he hated him!

"N-no! It's just… I don't want her to end up hurt." Dipper rubbed his arm, and looked away. "Have… have you ever been in a relationship Elaine?"

"Me?" __That's an odd question.__ "Well… yeah. Once, when I was younger. We dated for almost a year, and then I called it off."

"You broke up with him?" Dipper asked. "Why?"

"I just didn't feel that way towards him anymore. There was no longer a spark, Dipper." Seeing his confused face, I sighed. "Oh, boy. How do I explain this…?" __Romantic advice to Dipper, hehe… not what I had in mind.__ "Dipper, when you have a couple, there is a certain quality between the two that attracts them together. Whether it's something stupid like looks and wealth, or something sweeter like personality and humor."

"What do you look for in a guy then, Elaine?" Dipper had flipped to a new page in the journal, and seemed to be writing another chapter.

"Uh, w-well… looks aren't really that important to me. I really like someone with brains. You know, someone who can keep up with me intellectually. I also look for a strange and unusual sense of humor." I stopped to laugh awkwardly. "Not many people can handle my sarcasm and attitude. Usually, it's a huge turn off."

"Well, it's their loss," Dipper said, placing his arm around my shoulders. "You're pretty awesome already, Elaine. I don't see why people would want you to change."

"Thanks, Dipper. That's… really sweet of you to say that. So, what were you writing about?" He pulled back, giving a slight blush, and handed over the journal.

"Just… don't look at the next page, please?"

"I won't. Trust me, Dipper, the only parts of the journal I am interested in are the ones the author wrote." I looked at the pages, and saw he had written about Rumble McSkirmish. "… his belt and bandana are soaked in the blood of his enemies?"

"That's what he told me," Dipper shrugged. "Don't think to much into it, it gets a little creepy."

"Okay. Well, I'm gonna go take a shower. I'll talk to you later, kid." I walked over to the door, and glanced back at Dipper. "One more thing you ought to know. When it comes to age and relationships, it doesn't really matter. As long as you're both within the legal age and don't do anything stupid. It's gets more technical when you're below 18."

"So… you'd date someone not your age?" Dipper asked. _Why was he asking that?_

"Why not? My ex was almost a year below me, so a few years below or above me wouldn't freak me out too much. Though, if they're too old, then that'd definitely stop mel," I ended in a laugh. "Well, see ya, kid!" I closed the door, and walked to the bathroom. _I hope that clears things up for him. Guess he just wanted another opinion on his crush with Wendy, since they're 3 years apart._ Oh well. Best of luck to him.

3rd POV

Asger sighed, leaning onto his bed. It wasn't easy sneaking the dragon in, but Pacifica was more than willing to help. The small firedrake was curled up next to him in a ball, snoring softly. "Hehe. You're pretty cute when you're not biting my hand, aren't you, Axel?"

Axel. It wasn't his first pick, but when he found the hatchling chasing after a toy car around his room, it seemed to stick with her. She had bitten the rear axle of the car, shaking it around like a rag doll. She seemed to like the unique name too, snorting a small ball of smoke in approval.

But yet, the dragon was the furthest thing from his mind. Asger groaned, and shifted onto his side. As if one could actually find a dragon egg just lying around in the forest. Axel was… more of a bargaining chip, and this fact weighed deeply on him.

"Heh… Elaine, you really aren't the only one who's screwed up big time." He closed his eyes, and pulled himself up to a seated position. Opening them, he frowned, gazing across the suddenly gray room at a dark shadow on the wall. It pulled itself off the plaster, and floated in front of him, staring at him with a large red eye. "Hello… boss."

* * *

 ** **Ha ha! Didn't see that coming, did you? Now we get to see a bit into Asger's past. Cliffhangers, huh? Man, I must be addicted to them.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	21. Little Dipper Part 1

****Disclaimer: Good morning everyone!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Because I can! Plot twist!****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: I totally agree with you! This seemed like a filler chapter, but yet, so many things happened!****

 ** **RillFipher: Hehehe. Gladly!****

 ** **musicalocelot: I believe you mean 'done'. Oh, Asger… he done goofed up! Dipper playin' casual was pretty fun to write too! As for Axel, it was the core of justice's idea for the name.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. As for Asger's 'boss'… you'll just have to wait and see what Bill has in store. Ha ha ha!****

 ** **Also, congrats to WarriorNinjaRed2 and musicalocelot for getting the dragon reference! Have a digital cookie (::)!****

 ** **I own Elaine, end of story.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 18/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Alright, people. Who wants Pitt Cola?" I walked into the living room, holding up several cans. Dipper, Mabel, and Grunkle Stan looked over at me. Everyone was gathered on or around the couch, watching Duck-tective No Mystery Shack today, nope. Just relaxing, and taking things easy for once. _Man, I love days like this._

"I do!" Mabel shouted. Grinning, I tossed a can at her, having it land in her outstretched hands. The girl was upside-down on the floor, her body propped against the dinosaur skull table.

"Shouldn't you turn yourself upright first, Mabel?" Dipper asked. He sat on top of the couch, with Stan taking up the entire seat below.

"Nah. I'm good." Alright. If she spilled her can all over herself, I wouldn't be the one to clean up the mess.

"Toss them over, kid," Stan said. He easily caught the pink cans, and handed one up to Dipper. "Thanks."

"No problem, Grunkle Stan." I sat down on the arm rest nearest to me, and cracked open my drink. Taking a sip, I heard the doorbell ring. "Who's that?" I didn't think Asger or Kat were coming over. We just hung out yesterday, and it was too early for any possible visits.

"I got it," Stan grumbled, sitting his can down on the table. He stood up and went to the door, leaving us three to the television.

"I wonder what-" Dipper got cut off as Stan ran back into the room, ripping a picture off the wall behind us to reveal a large duffle bag with money falling out of it. "What?" Where did Stan even get all of that money? _Is hiding a bag behind a wall containing possible thousands illegal? Because I think it might be._

Stan starting feeling around the stone wall, searching for something that was invisible to the eye. "Aah… uh… which one of these is the trap door?" _Who keeps a trap door next to a hidden bag of money? Stan, what the heck were you up to before we arrived here?_

"Mister Pines." A man in a suit walked in through the front door, it being left open in Stan's rush. "I'm from the Winnington Coupon Savers contest, and YOU ARE OUR BIIIG WINNER!" A camera man ran in, along with two ladies carrying an enormous check and balloons. The lady on the end threw confetti over Stan, giving a much happier smile than the woman on the other side.

"Heh? My one and only dream, which was to possess money, has come true!" Stan grinned, soaking in the moment.

"We're rich!" Dipper shouted as we hopped off the couch. "I'm gonna get a butler!"

"I'm gonna buy a talking horse!" Mabel cheered, getting up off the floor. The two sat their cans down, while I did the same as I moved in closer to the twins.

"Private library, here I come!" I laughed. __Hey, even if I know this is fake, it's still fun to pretend!__ Stan knew it was a ploy from the start, and I admired how well he could put on a mask. _Hmm. Guess we're both good at keeping emotions in check. Well… sometimes. I needed a little work._

"Just sign here for the money," the man said with a sly grin.

"You bet!" Stan took the pen, and quickly wrote his name on the paper the man held out. The moment he finished, Gideon burst through the oversized check.

"Ha! Stanford, you fool!" The two women holding the check walked out the way they came, along with the cameraman. "You just signed over the Mystery Shack to lil' ol' me!" Gideon did a little dance in victory, as Mabel and Dipper gasped. _Aw, man. I'm gonna have to clean up pieces of cardboard now._

"Uh, you might wanna take another look there!" Stan smirked, pointing to the paper with the pen.

Gideon held up the paper, reading it over. " ** **The Shack is hereby signed over to… SUCK A LEMON LITTLE MAN****!?" He ripped up the paper, glaring at a now laughing Stan. "How dare you!" I snickered next to the twins, who were also chuckling at Gideon's misfortune. "I am not a threat to be taken lightly!" He held up his arms, reaching for the man behind him. "Come here hon', I need your arms." He picked Gideon up, holding him at arms length. How he could do that with a serious face, I didn't know. But seeing a more normal-sized Gideon being held up by a grown man was pretty funny to see. _He's short, yes, but not that much shorter than Dipper and Mabel._ "I'll get you, Stanford Pines! I'LL GET YOU ALL!" The two backed out of the house, and closed the front door on the way out.

Stan looked back at us, seeing the weird moment was finally over. "Wanna see what else is on TV?"

"Yeah, Okay," Dipper said.

"Whatever," I shrugged. "As long as its something half-decent, I'm game."

"My favorite part's the theme song," Mabel added.

(Time Skip)

"Alright, Ford. Let's see what you've got for me today." I smiled down at the maroon book in my lap, with my personal journal lying next to me. Dipper and Mabel were in the middle of a chess game in the gift shop as Soos was restocking, which gave me plenty of time to catch up some reading. Certain chapters were invalid at this point, such as the ones that described the town's past. Since Bill was more than willing to tell me about it, there was no use in looking at them. But there several things that I found interesting.

The reason there were all those zombies underneath the Mystery Shack was because of the flood that resulted in the Northwest curse. The bodies were of the lumberjacks that were swept away by the water, and washed up under where the house now stood. This led directly into the next chapter about zombies, but there wasn't anything to gain from there. Neither were the other chapters any help.

"Come on," I mumbled. "Who cares about about something called a Crystal Baldwin. If I wanted to know the future, I'd go hunt down that mailbox in the woods. At least that'd be more reliable." As long as Mabel didn't submit that recording of shoving gummy worms up her nose, I'd probably get a good chance at receiving decent answers.

There were pages full of random objects Ford had found in the woods, ranging from a giant's thumb he'd used as a coffee table, to the truth telling teeth. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to worry about Grunkle Stan's lying for a while longer. I wasn't in the mood for car-driving bears and falling down the Bottomless Pit anytime soon.

Before I could continue, Dipper ran into the room, looking more frazzled than normal. "Elaine, can I borrow the journal for a moment?" _Gee, someone's in a spazz._

"Sure. What's up?" Dipper took the book from me, and sat down on the opposite side of my book.

"Mabel and Grunkle Stan have been making fun of my height. I was wondering if there was anything in the journal to fix that." He paused to look at the chapter I was on, and grinned. "Perfect! ****Legends of miniature buffalo and giant squirrels have led me to believe there are height-altering properties hidden deep within the forest****."

"Um, Dipper, is that a good idea?" I took the book back from him. "No offense, but couldn't you just talk it out with Mabel?"

"Maybe, but it would be pretty fun to still go check it out, right?" He was-the nerve! The kid was actually lying straight to my face! I mean, yeah, I did it, but I had a good reason! Did he really think that this was a good idea, or that I didn't care about the teasing going on with Mabel and Stan? _Or is he doing this because he doesn't want me to know_ _the severity of it?_ How he had worded it made it seem small, but it was more than that. He was annoyed, stupidly desperate, and wanted a way to fix it. "I've seen that trail in the woods before. I'll search along there, and be back when I found something."

"Alright, Dipper. Just, try not to get eaten alive out there, okay? I don't wanna be responsible for telling Mabel her brother got swallowed by a leprecorn or something." Fine, fine. If he wanted to act as if nothing was wrong, fine by me. But I would definitely hear the end of it later… and probably get tangled up in the mess too.

"Leprecorn?" I flipped back a couple pages, and held up the journal to show a short, pudgy unicorn-like creature with a leprechaun's head. It had a horn, its tail and beard were colors of the rainbow, and it wore a small hat. "Oh."

"Yeah, try to stay away from those," I laughed. That was an… interesting chapter to read. Plastic gold coins fell from its beard, its horn played a never-ending loop of Danny Boy, and it drove poor Ford nuts while he was exploring the end location of a rainbow. "Oh, Dipper? Could you… bring me back one of the crystals?" __It'll make regrowing Soos a lot easier than gluing the old crystal back together again.__

"Alright, Elaine. See ya!" He raced out the door, and I glanced out the window to see him disappear into the woods.

"Hehe. Have fun, Dippin' Dots." I flipped to the next page, and grinned. "Now, we're getting somewhere!" The next couple of pages talked about the levels of ghosts Ford had encountered during his stay at Manly Dan's cottage in the woods, all because he screwed up a seance. The first levels weren't very interesting. The lowest threat was a rip-off of Casper the Friendly Ghost, even going as far as to say it wanted to have adventures with a thirteen-year-old girl, despite the fact Ford was in his thirties.

"Haunted paintings… freaky haunted key with arms… is that blood?" I stopped at the category 9 ghost, which was a parody of Freddy Krueger. The Dream Hipster, a wrinkly ghost with an eye patch and a glove with utensils attached to the fingertips, gave its victims horrific nightmares, and than would start bragging about had gotten a nightmare about his hand breaking off his wrist, growing to unproportionate size. It then started squeezing Stan to death, and before he was done for, the ghost appeared and delivered a stupid one-liner. The page was littered in small splatters of blood, from what I wasn't exactly sure. __Please don't be Ford's. Please don't be Ford's.__

Category 10's seemed to sum up the ghost from Northwest Manor Mystery in a nutshell. " ** **When the temperature in my cabin dropped 30 degrees, the deer heads on the wall started screaming, and the fireplace started to fill with blood, it occurred to me that I might have a category 10 on my hands****." The picture next to the description showed a dark cloaked figure with a scythe, breathing fire.

I scribbled about the similarities between Ford's ghost and the lumberjack ghost in my book, giving a detailed sketch of the flaming bearded nightmare. I smiled as I carefully curled my pen along the parchment, giving depth to the flames around his face. My drawings tended to be more on the cartoonish side of things. I never could handle drawing realistically, so while some of the sketches in my journal were of real life, any times I had drawn people or animals came out more like how I imagined or saw them in the show.

"Morning, Angel!"

"Hey, Cipher." I looked at the triangle in front of me, still smiling. Not so much at seeing him, as I was so wrapped up in my little research mission. "Morning."

Bill chuckled, seeing how occupied I was, and floated closer to peer down at my drawing. "Impressive, kid. But, uh, aren't you still angry at me?"

"Truth?" He nodded. "Not really. Ever since the camping trip, I've been in a really good mood. My friends are willing to help out in any way possible, I've seen a baby dragon, and the two of us actually found something in common." I cracked a grin, winking. "We're both complete goofballs!"

Bill's eye crinkled in what I assumed was a smile. "And I thought you didn't want to warm up to me, Angel. You didn't lie to me again, did you?"

I gave a mocking gasp, pressing a hand to my chest. "Bill! How dare you! Of course I hate you!" I sputtered at the very end, and giggled. "But yeah, I'm really starting to enjoy our meet ups. In the beginning I was only just getting used to them, but now I'm looking forward to them. I've gotten so much more information than what the journal could've shown me, and I managed to see the Nightmare Realm without fear of painful and instant death."

"Well, it's nice to see that, kid," Bill replied. "You willingly liking me will make our meetings so much easier than they originally were."

"You mean tying me up against my will, choking me, and shouting until I almost lost my hearing?" I already had bad eyes. I didn't want to lose my ears next.

"Exactly!" He laughed. "So tell me, Angel, what's your question of the day?" Bill floated down, and sat on the window seat, next to me. Due to his size, he easily took up the rest of the empty space, but I still had to shuffle over to avoid touching him. Sure, I could now handle being in the same room as him, but I didn't want to be any closer than that.

"Let's see… oh! I got it!" I closed Ford's journal, and brought mine to a clean page. "Explain to me why Asger's dragon is, of all possible things, a night fury. Last time I checked, those don't belong in this dimension." No, they did not. That was something that should've existed in a dimension all on its own. It made no sense, and was beyond what I thought I knew of this dimension I found myself residing in.

"They don't," Bill casually began. "I thought you already figured out that you being in this dimension would mess up this world. Looks like you didn't think about other things changing like animals and people too, did you?"

"People?" I asked, confused. What did he mean by that? "What are you talking about?"

"Your friends, kid. In the original version of this world back where you're from, they didn't exist, did they? But when you showed up to this dimension, they were added too," he explained.

"So what you're saying is… whatever brought me here… is changing the story line altogether?" I stopped writing Bill's explanation, almost letting the pen fall from my hold. This world was already much different than the show, I knew that after living there for a few days. But… but the reality and people changing to allow me to fit inside it? "Wow, that's… wow. Wait, so does this mean… you don't know how I got here?"

"Sorry, Angel. I may be omnipotent, but transferring random fleshbags across the multiverse is not something I do." Bill shrugged, looking almost as confused as I was. "Didn't exactly plan on making that deal with you until your mind entered my radar."

"Crud," I mumbled. __There goes that idea.__ _Out of any person or creature, I had figured Bill would have known why I had brought to Gravity Falls._ _But if_ ** _he_** _didn't know… then who did?_ Closing the book, I leaned against the glass, giving a sad smile to the demon. "So, what's your question of the day, Bill?" The fact did lower my spirits, so I hoped that the conversation would bring my mood back up.

"What do you know about the zodiac, kid?" Well, wasn't he getting straight to the point.

"The zodiac? Well…" I wracked my brain for an answer, trying to come up with a reasonable answer. "I have a feeling the answer to what it really does was revealed in one of the four episodes I missed. From what I and the fandom have personally gathered though, is that the ten symbols around the circle represent certain people residing in Gravity Falls. For example, Dipper being the pine tree, and Mabel being the shooting star. What the wheel does exactly… I honestly don't know." I shrugged hopelessly, seeing that what I knew really wasn't that much. "I think it has to do with defeating you, right?"

"Correct, Angel," Bill agreed, impressed. "You're definitely proving yourself here, kid. Who knows, maybe I'll introduce you to my Henchmaniacs one day. I think they'd get a real kick out of you."

"Hench… maniacs?" I repeated slowly. __Did I hear that right?__ _ _What sort of name is that?__

"Yep! The Nightmare Realm is home to the multiverse's most insane criminals. Each one of them was exiled to that doomed crawlspace we call home." Insane criminals. That meant… more beings like Bill. The idea was terrifying in itself. More monsters that were twisted, and capable of unspeakable acts. But when I thought of Bill, the term 'hench' made it clear that these other monsters were lesser. They must have been underlings of his. _How many minions does he have?_

"Why is it doomed?" I tilted my head to the side, trying to avoid thinking back on the residents of the other dimension I had crossed into during the summer. _Gravity Falls seems so much more kinder than what he's talking about._

"Because Angel, while I love not following rules, the lack of any physics in the Nightmare Realm has fated it to self-destruct." Bill leaned against the window, and brought his arms up behind his 'head'. "Been that way for as long as I can remember. I want to get out because, heh… well..." his eye drifted over to me. "Would you want to waste away in a decaying world, destined to implode on itself from no natural laws?"

"Of course not. It sounds… terrible." It did. While I hated the idea of what he was trying to do, I wouldn't say his reason wasn't wrong. He was ancient, yes, but immortality was a curse. If it was me, I wouldn't live to see it collapse in on itself. But Bill? Bill would see its destruction one day, and possibly experience it firsthand. "You probably have lots of reasons for what you're doing. Even more than the one you told me." I started listing off ideas on my hand. "Thirst for power, wanting to see what you're fully capable of…" I raised an eyebrow at the triangle. "… being a complete sadist and torturing so many people you've lost count."

"You know me so well, kid." He sat back up, and floated off the seat. "Well, our time's up for now, kid. I'll be seeing you!"

"I know," I smiled. "I really have to say, I am... enjoying these conversations. No wonder Ford was so intrigued with you at the start." _Until he found out the truth and started fighting back with everything he had._ The triangle's eye crinkled, showing he was pleased by my words. "Until next time, Cipher."

My eyes snapped open when I heard Dipper shouting from outside the room, and I bolted upright from my slumped over position. "Elaine!" Quickly, I fixed the journals on my lap so it didn't look like I had fallen asleep, and that I had been in the land of the living since he last saw me. Dipper ran into the room, and tossed something at me from his vest pocket. I reached out to catch it, and saw the small blue crystal sitting in my hands. "Here you go, as promised!"

"Thanks, kid. Try not to do anything foolish with your crystal," I said when he ran out of the room again. I went to pocket the crystal in my jeans, making sure it was safely secure.

"I won't!" Dipper shouted over his shoulder. A door slammed, meaning he had probably ran to our bedroom to build the size-changing device.

I shook my head fondly, and gave a small laugh. "Oh, you will."

(Time Skip)

I strolled down the steps to the gift shop, having given Dipper back his journal. Well, not really giving it to him. I had walked in on Mabel and Dipper yelling about some invisible wizard, so I slid the book over to him across the floor, backed out of the room, and closed the door. The crystal continued to sit in my jeans pocket for later, and I gave it a small pat to make sure it was still there. I didn't want to lose it. That would make tings so much more difficult for Soos later when he got himself shrunk.

"Lemme see that thing!"

"Wha-hey!" I felt myself get pushed into the wall, and Dipper and Mabel ran past me and out the door to the front yard. "Guys! Wait for me!" I hopped down the rest of the steps, and sprinted after them. I stood in the deck, watching them wrestle with the flashlight. "Guys!"

"Normal hand karate chop!" Mabel cried, hitting the light from his hand. She scooped it up, and ran away. Sliding to a halt, she spun around and grew Dipper's head. I winced at the sight, wondering how it was his neck didn't snap. _Or his spine, for that matter._

"Oh, ah, ah!" Bobble-head Dipper shouted, stumbling backwards and knocking his head against one of the Mystery Shack's pillars. The wood splintered on impact, letting part of the metal roof over the deck dip down without a support beam. He regained his footing, and ripped the flashlight from her hands. Switching the crystal, he shrunk Mabel's head and fixed his own.

"Ahh!" Mabel dove at Dipper, making him run away and fix her head. Mabel ripped it out of his hands, and shone the pink beam at him, forcing Dipper to quickly duck.

"Hey, give it back!" Dipper yelled, tackling her.

"Never!" Mabel shouted back. She grabbed the bulb end, while Dipper held the pole as they got to their feet. The two tugged at the flashlight, and I ran off the steps from under the damaged roof towards them.

"Guys, sto-!" I watched in horror as the flashlight flew out of their hands, and landed in front of a furiously pacing Gideon. "Crud!" Gideon played with the different colored beams, seeing how easy it was to alter the sizing crystal. And with how he had seen Mabel and Dipper demonstrate it, he knew exactly how it operated. "Gideon, I swear if you- AHHH!" Before I could reach the twins, and rip them away from the crazed child, Gideon shone the pink light at me.

Honestly, having your entire body suddenly become only a few inches tall was a very… weird experience. One minute, you're average height for your age; the next you're the size of a small doll. I couldn't even find the words to describe it physically. But, for his sake, he's glad he used the shrink beam instead of the growth one. We didn't want to deal with a whole 'attack of the 50-foot teenager' fiasco. Although… I'm sure Dipper wouldn't mind me stepping on Gideon, if I said it was an 'accident'.

"Elaine!" The twins cried, and turned back to Gideon, who gave them a devious grin. Spinning around, he shone the pink light at them as well, shrinking the kids down to my height. I could make out the tiny forms of the twins huddle together, as Gideon gave a bellowing laugh. _Or was that because I have smaller ears now?_ Gideon smirked, pulling out a jar from a pocket in his jacket and scooping the twins up in it. He turned around, his face darkening as he saw me only a few feet away.

"Oh no." I started to run, only to be picked up by my shirt. "Ahh!" I watched the ground get farther and farther away from me, and started kicking my legs in a futile attempt to get away. Turning myself around, I was lifted up to meet the pale kid's smug face. "Gideon Gleeful! Put me down this instant!" I fumed.

"Oh ho! Why I'd be glad to do so, Elaine!" Gideon laughed. He brought out the jar and held it out under me, and carelessly dropped me inside.

"Ah-ooof!" I landed on the glass bottom. "Huh. That didn't hurt as much as I'd thought it would."

"Yeah, that's because you're lying on me." Glancing down, I saw I had fallen on top of Dipper, the boy's face mushed against the glass underneath me. Gideon hadn't put the jar back into his pocket. Instead, he carried it under his arm, so we were sitting on the long side.

"Whoops. Hehe, sorry." I slid off Dipper, and pulled him into a seated position. Mabel sat down next to me, looking around fearfully. "Are you guys alright?"

"I'm fine," Dipper replied. Mabel remained silent, choosing instead to watch the scenery through the glass as Gideon walked us back to his house. A part of me knew I still had my own crystal in my possession, but I couldn't exactly use it. I had no method to amplify the light so it would hit the intended target.

"Mabel?" I wrapped an arm around the young girl, and she looked up at me. My heart clenched. Her face was pale, and I could feel her slightly shaking through her sweater.

"What's he gonna do to us, Elaine?" She asked, her voice wavering. _Aw, kid._ Seeing Mabel scared hurt. Gideon had almost hurt her before, and in our current state, we were even more vulnerable. _I hate being weak._ _I hated it back during my first night, after that nightmare, and I hated it now._

"I… I dunno, Mabel." I brought her closer to me, and she buried her face into my shoulder. I stroked my fingers through her thick locks, trying to reassure her. "I dunno." I lifted my head to look at her brother. Dipper smiled at me briefly, before looking outside again. I could make out the shapes of cars, and realized we had arrived at Bud's dealership. Gideon paused to talk to his dad, before walking into the house muttering under his breath. He swung open his bedroom door, and walked over to his desk. Unscrewing the lid, he violently shook us out onto the tabletop.

"Ahh!" We screamed. I pulled Mabel towards me once I stood up, using my pathetic height as a shield. Was tha-did he make a doll of me!? _Oh my g-that's creepy!_

"You three!" Gideon snarled.

"W-what are you going to do with us?" Mabel stuttered.

He laughed, amused by the question. "Why Mabel, I wouldn't hurt a hair on your itty-bitty head-" Gideon reached to stroke Mabel's head, before I yanked the girl away from him. "- if you agree to be my queen!" He finished, glaring daggers at me.

"We live in a democracy!" Mabel shouted, as I stuck my tongue out at him. "And never!"

"Maybe you'll change your mind after THIS!" Before I could react, Gideon picked Mabel up by her collar. The brunette twisted her body around in protest, trying to break free as I jumped and tried to bring her back down to me. Even though I knew it was silly, I didn't want her anywhere near him.

"No! I will fight you until the day I-" Mabel gasped when Gideon held up a bag of Gummy Koalas next to her. "Gummy Koalas!" He dropped her into the bag, and set them down off to the side. Mabel happily began eating one of the candies, while I watched in amusement before remembering where I was. _Well, at least I know he isn't going to hurt her… yet._

"As for you two…" Gideon shone the lamp light at us, making me flinch from the sudden brightness. "Tell me. How exactly did you two come upon this magic item? Hmm? Did somebody tell you about it? Did you… READ about it somewhere?"

 _ _As if we'd ever tell you!__ I internally shouted. Journal two seemed to be much more dangerous than ours, as I hadn't seen anything that could threaten the town or ourselves. Monsters, yes. But Gideon would never dive into anything that crazy… though, he would end up summoning Bill. So, what did I know? Dipper checked his vest, and I could make out the book's binding in the shadow. __At least that's safe for now.__ He looked at me, and I made a motion towards the air horn beside us with my hand, smirking. Dipper nodded, and faced Gideon again. "Lean closer and I'll tell you!"

"Well don't mind if I-" I grinned and pressed the button on the machine, sending a loud noise straight into the brat's ear.

"HA! In your FACE!" I shouted joyously, watching Gideon shriek in pain. He turned around, taking deep breaths before spinning around and knocking the light away. Gideon raised a fist above his head threateningly, baring his teeth.

"Grrrr! I COULD SQUASH YOU BOTH RIGHT NOW!" I stumbled backwards alongside Dipper, the sudden mood swing catching us unready. Gideon looked from us to his fist, before calming down. "Steel yourself, Gideon. You can use them," he said to himself, drumming his fingers together. "You can use them…"

He sent a warning glare at us, before sitting in his chair in front of his boudoir and dialing someone on the phone. "Who do you suppose he's calling?" I glanced at Dipper, who was watching the other boy worriedly.

"My guess is Grunkle Stan. But I doubt he'll actually do what that psycho wants." I smirked as Gideon started getting frustrated due to Stan's lack of modern technology knowledge, shown by Gideon mentioning texting a photo of us. _I don't think that phone of his is capable of texting and taking photos anyway._

"But-hello? Hello?" Gideon looked at the phone before throwing it at the wall above us. "Arrgh!" Dipper and me ducked, avoiding the raining pieces of metal around us that threatened to cut into our skin and impale us. "Wait." He started laughing insanely, and smacked his hand on his forehead. "I don't need ransom!" Dipper, Mabel, and I exchanged worried looks, seeing Gideon's mood improve disturbingly fast. "I have THIS!" He hopped off the chair, and held the flashlight above his head. "I'll just shrink Stan and take the Shack for myself!" He walked back over towards us, and held up the four dolls. I shivered at the sight of mine, seeing its blank eyes in his hand. "Y'all be helpless to stop me. And if any of you step out of line, SMASH!" He violently snapped the heads of the dolls, throwing them onto the table. I gulped, reaching for my own neck. Dipper and Mabel paled at the gruesome warning, and it looked like Dipper was about to vomit. _Easy, Dipper. Keep your stomach settled, please._

"Gideon! The ice cream truck is here!"

"Oh! Coming!" Gideon giggled at his father's calling, and started walking towards the door. __Seriously, what is wrong with this kid? His moods flip more than Bill's does!__ He paused before walking back and setting a cage next to us. Gideon opened the door, letting a light brown hamster crawl out and sit between Dipper and me. "Guard them, Cheekums," he instructed. He finally headed back to the door, leaving us alone. "I'm coming!" He panted heavily at the end, leaving the door open a crack.

"Wow. If I were him, I'd lay off the evil plans and hop on a treadmill," I mused, earning a laugh from Mabel. Dipper looked warily at the hamster, and poked it with the Q-tip left on the table from creating the Mystery Shack model. The rodent squeaked, but did nothing else. Seeing how we were finally safe, and that Cheekums wasn't going to 'attack', we ran over to Mabel.

"We've gotta get out of here and save Stan!" Dipper said.

"I know!" Mabel grinned at the green gummy, and stuck it in her sweater pocket. "I will see you later."

"So, how exactly are we gonna do this?" I asked. "Gideon's got the crystal, and a heck of a lot more height than we do."

"Yeah. On the bright side, at least we're finally the same height again," Dipper said to Mabel.

"Actually…" she said. We pushed the bag over, letting her crawl out of it, and I went to get a small ruler to put in between them.

"You're still taller?" Dipper asked. "Arrgh! How did this happen?"

"I guess it's just another mystery," Mabel shrugged, grinning.

"Just another reason we've gotta get that flashlight back," Dipper muttered. He and I peered over the table, staring down at the carpet.

"You know…" Dipper turned to look at me. "We wouldn't be in this mess if you hadn't found that rock. You tried to play it off casually at the start, but kid, it was clear it bothered you more than you told me. Didn't I warn you, Dipper?"

"Yeah," he looked at his feet. "You did. It's just… I got so frustrated with the guys picking on me!"

"Don't you think I know how that feels, kid?" I pulled Mabel off of Cheekums, and started tying pieces of hair together from Gideon's brush. _Ew. This is-ew!_ "I'm one of the shortest kids in my grade level, I'm 16 going on 17 soon, and I highly doubt I'll ever grow another inch. But that doesn't bother me in the slightest, and do you know why?"

"Why?" Dipper asked curiously, wondering where I was going with this.

"Because although it makes me get accidentally shoved against lockers, it makes it easier to relate to my younger friends," I grinned. "Dipper, when we stand side-by-side, you only go up to my eyes. We're shorties, kid. Shorties need to stick together!"

Dipper stared at me blankly, before chuckling awkwardly. "Thanks, Elaine. That, uh, helps… I think."

"Aw!" Mabel cheered. "You two are adorable!"

"I-I wouldn't say adorable," I said, noticing Dipper's red face. Finishing tying off the rope to the cage, I gave the twins a determined grin. "Now, c'mon! Let's go save Grunkle Stan!"

* * *

 ** **This chapter annoyed me to no end. The episode was too long for one chapter, yet too short for two. Hopefully, next week's will be a decent length.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	22. Little Dipper Part 2

****Disclaimer: Hello again, people of the internet! Yeah, I know it's another early update, but I'm gone all day tomorrow so I had to get it done.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Thanks! Dipper's crush on Elaine vs his crush on Wendy is something I enjoy pitting against each other. Of course, his crush on our main protagonist is gonna cause a lot of troubles in the future.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: That pun was completely intentional. But… I'm glad you find it humerous! Nyeh heh heh!****

 ** **musicalocelot: Well, who wouldn't be creeped out over someone ripping apart a doll version of you?****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: Yeah, this is what I get for posting on April Fools. I agree with you about Bill; it's almost sort of tragic that he resides in a doomed dimension. Then again, it's his fault for putting himself there in the first place.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Thanks!****

 ** **Lex: Updates are every Saturday unless something comes up, then I post on Fridays. Thanks for the review!****

 ** **I only own Elaine, not Gravity Falls. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher. Everything Stays belongs to Adventure Time.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" **Reading** "

 **Edited: Aug. 22/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Dipper, Mabel, and I slid down the gross makeshift rope, landing onto the shag carpet below. Once we hit the ground, they sprinted out of Gideon's bedroom, and crept into the living room. "In here!" Dipper pointed to a large brown boot, and Mabel and I crawled inside after him. The three of us poked our heads out of the top, and frowned at Gideon, who was sitting across the room noisily eating from an ice cream container. _Man, this boot smells. Eugh._

"He's such a pig," I remarked, the noises reminding me of such animal.

"Yeah, but not even the cute kind like Waddles," Mabel added.

Gideon sat the tub of strawberry ice cream down, licking his hands. "Clean me!" He shouted, having Bud wipe his face with a cloth. _What sort of kid his age acts so bossy? If I ever did that, I'd get such a lecturing._ "Father, could you give widdle old me a ride to the Mystery Shack?" Gideon asked sweetly, his brief anger fading away.

"Oh, I'd love to, sugarpot, but I have a heck of a lot of cars to sell, I do!" Bud teased, tugging on Gideon's cheek for a moment before tickling him. "I do!" Gideon's arms waved in the air, unable to fight back.

"No, no, NO, DON'T TICKLE MEEE!" With a sharp screech, Gideon grabbed the ice cream container and hurled it across the room, barely missing his mother. The pink food stained the purple wallpaper, and dripped onto the floor. "NEVER! Never tickle me! What have I told you? What have I-look at me-what have I told you!?"

"Ticklin' is no laughing matter," Bud said, looking down in shame.

"The boy has his whole family under his thumb!" I said, horrified. "His father's practically a servant, and he traumatized his own mother!" We watched Gideon knock over a table with a lamp, shattering it across the floor as he chose instead to take the bus instead of getting a drive.

"Come on!" Dipper jumped out of the boot, and we chased after him once again. Dashing past Bud's feet, we pushed at the dog flap at the bottom of the front door, and escaped into the car lot. _Since when did Gideon even have a dog? Or a pet that could use one?_

"This way," I said, leading the twins behind a car. I poked my head out, and frowned when I couldn't see anything. "This isn't gonna work, guys."

"We need to get higher," Dipper agreed.

"Yeah, especially you…" Mabel started, only to see my quick warning glare. "Never mind."

"Mabel! Up there!" Dipper pointed up to the flying discount dollar on the roof. _Oh, this is going to be a climb._ We ran to the main building where Bud did his business, and climbed up to the top of the dollar to see Gideon and Lazy Susan at the bus stop. The two seemed to be having a discussion, until Gideon finally boarded the bus. Our height did shrink, but our strength mostly remained the same. Though, we were still panting from moving so fast, so high, in such a short amount of time.

"He's heading to shrink Stan!" I cried.

"Oh flying discount dollar, if only you could fly us back to the Mystery Shack," Mabel said as she hugged the green dollar sign.

"Maybe it can." Dipper pulled the Swiss army knife from his pocket, and cut the rope holding down the inflatable. _Where did he get the knife? And what other stuff is he carrying on him?_ If he the journal, and probably several pens, he must have had other gear for mystery hunting too.

"Use the wings!" I instructed, throwing my arms out to point to the sides. Mabel and I took control of the right wing, while Dipper dealt with the left. Directing the wings against the wind current, we took off down the road after Gideon and the flashlight.

"Yaaay!" Dipper cheered.

"Wooh hooo!" Mabel whooped gleefully.

"To the Mystery Shack!" I announced. The bus vanished under us, and we dived up and down against the wind over the treetops. Not just a few minutes later, we saw the totem poll of the Shack… and crashed into it. "Stuck that landing, huh?"

"It could have gone better," Dipper agreed. Anyways, we're just in time." We crawled off the balloon, and watched the bus pull up from the top of the pole. "But how are we going to stop him?" A woodpecker landed behind him and started pecking his head, startling him. "Ah shoo ah ha ah!" He scared the bird away, and checked the top of his skull for any indents made by the beak.

"Leave that to Mabel." She ran to the wire attached to the totem poll that connected to the Mystery Shack. Mabel swung her legs around the cord, and began inching her way down towards the roof.

"Uh, is there any other option?" Dipper asked nervously, looking to me for an opinion that didn't have us crawling far, far above the ground on a fragile wire that could snap very easily..

"Nope!" I hooked myself around the wire, and crawled after Mabel. As long as I didn't look down, it wasn't too difficult to do. That… and after the cliff problem, heights had started to bother me a little. Not like I had a fear of them, but they did unsettle me a little more than they should. "So, Mabel… how are we gonna stall Gideon?"

"By using the gummy!" She shouted back. _Ah. Gummy power._ We dropped ourselves onto the porch roof, which now had been repaired-probably thanks to Soos, to his confusion-and waited for Dipper to land next to us. Mabel fished out her gummy, and threw it at Gideon's hair without a second thought. "I'm sorry, gummy friend," she frowned, seeing her treat wasted on her enemy.

"It's for the greater good," Dipper said in consolation as he moved over to us. We watched Gideon try to pick the gummy out of his hair, and dropped the flashlight onto the porch.

"Hurry, guys!" I shouted, and ran to one of the wooden poles. I glanced down at Gideon, and once I was certain he wasn't going to turn around, slid down the post to the deck. Dipper and Mabel followed right behind me, and the three of us rushed over to the flashlight. Mabel pulled herself onto the machine, and Dipper flipped the crystal.

"Quick, get in front and I'll re-grow you," Mabel instructed.

"Okay," Dipper said before pausing. "Wait, you're gonna grow us back to equal height right?"

"Dipper!" I exclaimed. "That doesn't matter right now!"

"Well if it doesn't matter, then why isn't she doing it?" He argued back.

"AWWW!" Mabel shouted. "Why you acting so weird!? Why can't you just accept that I'm a little bit taller than you!?"

"Oh, I'm acting weird? You're the one who keeps calling me names and stuff!" Dipper shot back.

"Oh, what?" Mabel stood up on the flashlight, and walked over to Dipper, staring angrily down at him. "You mean like little-!?"

"Don't say it!"

"Little Dipper." Before we could react, Gideon snatched us up off the deck by their shirts and vest, dangling them in front of his face. "I dare say you would have defeated me, if it wasn't for your sibling bickering!" He gripped our bodies in his hand, thankfully not tight enough to choke us, and kicked open the door. "The Shack is mine, Stanford Pines!"

I watched as Gideon shone the shrink ray, and giggled internally. __You idiot__ _._ _ _Did you honestly think that just because someone wears a fez, makes them Stan Pines?__ _He really could have thought for a second before firing the ray._ "Nooo!" Dipper and Mabel cried, not catching the faint glimpse of Soos as I had. Gideon walked over to the dropped fez, and knelt down to pick it up.

"Well, well, Stanford it appears I finally got the best of-what!?" Gideon exclaimed. Soos straightened up, and pulled his own hat out of his pocket and put it on.

"Alright, something's definitely different here..." he mumbled, while I let a small laugh out. Gideon angrily grabbed the handyman, sparing me a small glance when he saw I knew he had missed, and threw him and us into the jar that was stored in his pocket. The child shook the container, making us stumble about before he brought it up to his face.

"Tell me where Stan is!" Gideon demanded.

"Never!" Soos declared. Dipper, Mabel, and I leaned against the walls of our prison, rubbing our heads. _Oh, that impact hurt._ He shook the jar enough to have us smack into each other, and the wall. Though, I didn't think it would be enough to make any bruises. "You'll never find Stan: on the second door to the left down the hall." The twins and I looked up at him in shock, wondering how he had managed to make such a silly mistake. __Soos, why?__ "Wait, why did I say that?" Gideon smirked, attaching the lid to the jar and tucking it into his coat pocket. Once we were certain Gideon wasn't going to look at us anymore, we started trying to break the glass, with little success. "I guess I kinda Soosed that one up, didn't I?" Soos asked miserably, sitting down.

"It's not your fault, Soos, I'm the guy who put together that shrinking device," Dipper explained. Mabel and I sat down beside the man-child, watching him. True, he did make that mistake, but he wasn't the reason we were even in this mess to begin with. "I guess it's just you kept teasing me Mabel, like all day. What was that all about?"

Mabel glanced away quietly, and tossed her brother a notebook from her sweater's pocket. "I guess it's that… you're like better than me at like everything, and you always rub it in my face… chess, checkers, ping pong." Dipper flipped through the pages, and gave a sad frown at the young girl. "I guess I finally felt like I was winning at something for once," Mabel admitted, looking away in shame.

"Oh man, now I feel like a big jerk," Dipper said.

"Don't you mean a little jerk?" Mabel asked, trying to cheer herself up again with the pun.

"Oh!" The two laughed, and Dipper sat down next to her. "Alright I walked into that one. Are we cool?"

"We're cool," Mabel said, giving Dipper a fist bump.

"Am I cool?" Soos asked, leaning forward.

"You're cool, Soos," Mabel added, giving him a fist bump too.

"Yes!" He cheered.

"Alright then, people." I stood up, gaining their attention. "Now that we're all cool, we gotta get out of here and stop Gideon before shrinking Stan."

"But how are we gonna do that?" Dipper asked.

"Ahem." I pointed to the lid overhead. "Human ladder, anyone?"

Soos scrambled up, and stood in the center of the jar. Dipper climbed onto his shoulders, and Mabel got on top of him. With a strong push, she popped the lid off. In Gideon's rush, he didn't even think to twist the cap on like had done when he first kidnapped us. _Heh. Not so smart now, are you?_ "Let's get back that flashlight before Gideon gets Stan," Dipper said. We climbed out off the jar, and peeked out of the pocket. "There it is!" Dipper pointed to the flashlight in Gideon's other pocket. Knowing it was too difficult to cross from one side of his chest to the other, without attracting his attention, we climbed up and trekked along the back of his neck and shoulders.

"Whoa! His hair's so shiny!" Mabel said, walking closer to the white styled hair.

"No! Don't look directly at it!" Dipper shouted, pulling her back before she could touch it.

"His neck is really squishy!" Soos jumped onto Gideon's neck. "Hey look, I'm making fat angels."

"No, Soos!" I tried to warn him, only for a hand to fly back and swat Soos off. _Too late._

"Tell my storyyyy!" He yelled, falling onto the carpet. I winced, and looked at the twins' faces.

"He'll be fine. The carpet should break his fall. Now let's go!" We couldn't waste anymore time. Stan was counting on us. Taking their hands, we rushed to the other side of his jacket, and hid in the flap of his collar. We watched Gideon corner Grunkle Stan in a room filled with mirrors, pointing the flashlight at him threateningly.

"Grunkle Stan is doomed!" Mabel cried.

"Not completely doomed! To his armpit!" Dipper shouted.

"Eh, what?" I gave him a disgusted look, while Mabel shook her head in protest. Sorry, but I still tried to maintain standards. Even if I spoke with Bill, at least that wasn't gross and… probably smelled.

"Just! Uh! Come on!" Dipper pushed them down into the shirt, and moved quickly to their destination. _Oh, thank goodness. His deodorant smells like baby powder._ "Hurry! Tickle him!"

"I swear, I'm gonna need some serious therapy after this," I mumbled, and started tickling. A pleased and triumphant smile spread across my face, hearing Gideon cry out angrily in his hysterical laughter. Once the child started to actually move across the floor, not by his own control, Dipper cast us a quick grin.

"Let's go!" He said, and rushed back towards the collar. Mabel and I crawled after him, and ended up running on top of a rolling Gideon, Stan pushing him out the door he had left open after capturing us.

"Ah, ah, ah, whoa!" We exclaimed, and jumped off Gideon as he fell off the steps and onto the dirt. Gideon felt around for the flashlight, and realized it was dropped inside the Mystery Shack. "My light!" He desperately shouted, reaching his hand out.

"You're the light of my life too, pal," Stan replied sarcastically. He closed the door and sighed, wiping his forehead. "Whoa, freak show."

Stan walked back towards the mirror room, not noticing the three of us pressed up against the door to avoid his feet. Once he was gone, we ran over to the flashlight abandoned on the floor. Dipper flipped the crystal, and bowed to Mabel. "After you."

"It's okay, you can go first if you want to-whoa!" Mabel started before the blue beam of light hit her, growing her back to her normal height. Grinning, she picked up the device, and shone the light on Dipper and me, returning our own height to normal.

"Phew! Glad that's over with," I said. "Wait." I patted my body, and gave a firm nod. "Yep. Everything's normal. No shrunken organs."

"Hehe," Mabel chuckled, and brought herself back-to-back with Dipper. She brought her hand up, and measured their heights. "Hey, you let me keep my extra millimeter!" _Is it really that easy to tell such a small difference without a ruler?_

"You earned it," Dipper replied.

"Awww! Thanks!" Mabel threw her arm around Dipper's neck, forcing him to bend over. "Little brothe-!"

"Stop it," he cut her off.

"Well I guess we should destroy this thing." Mabel handed Dipper the flashlight. "You know, so it doesn't fall into the wrong hands and junk."

"Seems like the smart thing to do," Dipper agreed. He detached the crystal, and handed it back to her. As if he would waste a perfectly good flashlight like that. Mabel raised it above her head, and brought the crystal down roughly against the floor.

"Die, die!" She exclaimed, crushing it under her foot. Once Mabel was done, she grinned back at Dipper and me.

"There you dudes are!" They looked over to the mirror room, and saw a still-shrunken Soos, a pile of glass spelling " **HELP SOOS** " on the floor behind him. "I've been trying to get your attention."

Mabel lifted her foot off the shattered crystal. "Glue," she muttered.

"Lots of glue," Dipper added, looking down as well.

"Um, Dipper?" The twins turned to look at me, who gave them a knowing smirk. Reaching into my jeans pocket, I pulled out the small crystal, letting it dangle in between my fingers. "Would this be of any use?" I tossed it over to Dipper, who clumsily caught it.

"Y-yeah. I forgot I gave this to… why did you have that in your pocket?" Dipper asked, now wondering why I still had that one the entire time.

 _ _Because I didn't want to have to sit for an hour and glue it back together.__ _ _And I never moved it to another place in fear of losing track of it.__ "Because I thought we might've needed a back up. And I was right," I replied. "Hurry up and re-grow him before Stan comes back."

"Right." Dipper quickly hooked the smaller crystal to the flashlight, and re-grew Soos to his original size.

"Thanks dudes," he said, and headed back to the gift shop to retrieve the fez for Stan.

"Elaine, is it okay if…?"

"If you can keep that crystal?" I interrupted Dipper. "As much as I hate to say this, that thing might come in handy in the future. Used correctly, it could be a good weapon. It'd be best if you store that in a safe place though. Don't need Stan finding it, or Gideon getting his hands on it again either."

"Good idea, Elaine." Dipper started walking through the Shack, with us tagging along behind him. "Come on. It's already pretty late, and I think Grunkle Stan had something planned tomorrow."

"What do you think it is?" Mabel asked.

"Dunno," I shrugged. "But before I go to bed, I gotta make a quick call."

"Alright," Dipper said. The twins branched off, heading up to the attic as I went to grab the phone in the kitchen. _Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get a cell soon. That would be much easier than using the home phone._ Dialing, I sat down in the chair, and grinned when I heard it pick up. _Besides, Stan is giving me some allowance for work. Not free like the twins, and not as much as Soos and Wendy, but there's money there._ How else was I to pay for half of my meal at the diner during Dipper's attempt to become a man?

"Hello?"

"Hey, Kat?" I grinned, hearing the girl's voice come through. "Can you get Asger on this call too? I wanna talk about tomorrow."

"Um… sure." The sound of dialing echoed from the speaker, and I heard the teen's voice ring out in the room.

"Hey, everyone. What's up?"

"Tomorrow is what's up," I replied, a little excitement creeping into my voice. "The twins don't know it yet, but tomorrow is Summerween, and I was wondering what you two had planned."

"Hold up," Kat interrupted. "Summerween?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that," Asger said. "The people of Gravity Falls love Halloween so much, they celebrate it twice."

"He's right. I'll probably go with Dipper and Mabel trick-or-treating, and Mabel's friends will most likely join us. I was curious if you guys wanted to tag along too," I said. I might have been getting old for it, but I loved dressing up in costume. It got me a chance to show off my skills, and make me laugh. Never went for princesses though. The sparkling dresses didn't appeal to me.

"Hmmm… that sounds like fun," Kat finally replied. "I have some old costumes in storage still. I'll look through those and see what still fits. What about you, Asger?"

"I don't know, actually. I wanna bring Axel along with me, but what could I possibly wear that goes along with a baby dragon with an attitude?" He paused for a moment. "And it has to make it seem like she's part of the costume. The people of the town can't know she's, you know, an actual dragon."

"Axel, huh? That's a nice name," I commented. _Wonder where that name came from. Better than Toothless, that's for sure._ "Well, how about a viking? They were pretty involved with dragons, and the character who owned a night fury was around your age. Do you happen to own a fur vest?"

"Uh… I'll have to check," Asger said slowly. "Anything else I'd need?"

"Let's see… brown fur vest, pants, belt, and fur boots. There's a brown belt that goes around your waist with a green tunic." Elaine paused to chuckle. "The guy actually only has one leg after the first film, but I'm confident you won't try to replicate that."

"Duh."

"What about you, Elaine? Do you have any ideas?" Kat asked.

"I think I've got one. But I'm gonna have to wait until Stan takes us to the Summerween Superstore in the morning. I'm gonna need a lot of face paint." I smirked, wheels already spinning in my head. I'd have to take a run to a thrift shop too in order to get the clothes I needed as well.

"I can't see you right now, but I can tell you're planning something interesting," Asger said. "Your voice gets all… creepy when you plot."

"Oh no," I said in a mocking tone, not unlike the one I had used around Bill a few hours ago. "I've been founded out! Whatever should I do now?" I snickered at the end, and burst out laughing. "I-I'm sorry! I just… can't!"

"So, she's the odd one in the group then," Kat stated, giggling. "What does this make us, Asger?"

"Her victims, of course," he replied, laughing as well. "You almost done there, Elaine?"

"I'm… I'm good." I took a shaky breath, and wiped my eyes. "I'm fine," Elaine wheezed.

"Alright. Well, we better get ready for tomorrow, if we're gonna go candy hunting," Kat said.

"Yeah. One more thing, guys. Is it alright if I bring Pacifica along?" Asger asked. "I know Dipper isn't very fond of my cousin, but I was hoping this could help them become friends."

 _ _But… that's not part of the ep-__ _ _Elaine, stop that__ _ _.__ I told myself I'd stop thinking like that. I had to forget that this wasn't a show anymore, and that I wasn't following a script. I should have remembered that things weren't always going to happen as I had originally thought. _Things aren't the same, Elaine. Remember that or else something bad might happen._ I closed my eyes, and sighed. Bill already confirmed that I screwed up the dimension. Not so much for how it would go anymore, but I was worried for how Dipper was going to react if the girl joined us. "Alright, Asger. Pacifica can tag along with us. Just make sure she behaves around Dipper, okay? And I'll try and keep things calm on my end. Oh, and that Axel won't try and bite off anyone's fingers."

"Hehehe. Deal. I gotta go. See you guys later!" The third member of our group vanished, and I blinked at the speaker. _Well… he could have been a little less sudden. What was that about?_

"Bye, Asger! I better go too," Kat added. "I just remembered a perfect costume, but I think it's buried in the basement somewhere still in a moving box."

"Okay, Kat. Goodnight," I said, hanging up. I sunk into the chair once again, and looked down at my hand. "Boy, what a day. Got myself shrunken by a child psycho, unintentionally started planning for a costume with my friends, and bonded with Cipher." I giggled softly, and brushed a stray piece of hair out from in front of my glasses. "What's wrong with you, Elaine? You're supposed to hate the demon, and yet… after everything that's happened… you're starting to think of Bill as a friend. Hehe, that's a joke… right?" _Friend… why's that?_

Well, for one, my strange way of thinking almost could keep up with him. I hated how he would result to harm so easily, but in decent conversations, he wasn't that bad. He had a lot to discuss, seeing how he's lived for a long time. I wouldn't say it to his face, **ever** , but he wasn't that bad to hang around. Though, I couldn't just ignore the horrible nightmares he gave Kat for being my friend, dropping in on me at the most random times and leaving my unconscious body vulnerable to everything around me. And, oh yeah! Manipulating me into a deal that I wanted no part in, and then branding me to top it all off! _He's so… difficult to understand. Can't he make anything easier for me?_ I sighed, rubbing said branded hand through my ponytail. "At least… he's kept up his deal about keeping my injuries healed."

I looked over to the doorway, and at the stairway leading up to the attic. "Dipper and Mabel… they can't find out. Not yet." They would, eventually. But I tried to keep that knowledge far, far from the forefront of my mind. "Besides," I stood up from the table, heading to the bedroom. "It's not like they can understand. No one can…" _Ford probably could, actually. But… I'd be crazy to inform him that the person living with his family is working under Cipher's thump._

I went to the washroom, finding my nightgown lying folded on the toilet seat. _Thanks, guys._ I quickly brushed my hair and teeth, threw the gown on, and quietly walked back to the bedroom with my day clothes in hand. I cracked the door open, letting the darkness of the room seep out into the hallway. The sun was setting, but I noticed a piece of black cardboard taped to the window, trying to block the setting sun. Smiling, I saw the passed out forms of Dipper and Mabel in their respective beds, snoring softly. _Heh. They're completely exhausted._ I walked over to my dresser, and stuffed my clothes inside before crawling into my own bed. "Goodnight, you two..."

(Time Skip)

"Meow… meow… meow."

I rolled over, and cracked an eye open. "Wh… what…?" Looking around, I noticed the room was still pitch black. "Then what was…?" _Did a cat sneak into the house? I knew wax Larry King was still in there, but he wouldn't make a sound like a cat…_

"Meow… meow… meow."

"M-Mabel?" I asked, finally letting my sleepy mind put the noise to a face. Sitting up, I looked over at the younger brunette on my left. Mabel's face was scrunched up in a pained look, and her body kept quivering under her blankets. "Oh, Mabel." I shuffled out from under my own covers, and I crawled over to Mabel's bed. I had seen this often enough. My sister did something similar. She would sneak into my room, and curl up at the foot of my bed in a ball. It hurt to see that happen when it did, and it hurt to see Mabel in such a position. "Did you have a nightmare?"

Mabel opened her eyes, and I could make out the dried tears around her rosy cheeks. "I… I..."

"Shhh. It's alright, kiddo," I whispered. I stroked my hand through Mabel's hair, trying to calm her down. "How 'bout I sleep with you, okay?"

"R-really?" Mabel asked. "You'd do that, Ellie?"

"Of course, Mabel. Move over." Mabel complied, and I pulled the covers back over me and the twin. I wrapped my arm around Mabel, and brought her into a hug. "That better?"

"Yeah… thanks, Elaine," Mabel whispered, smiling up at me. "Could you… n-never mind." Whatever question she was about to ask was dodged, letting her gaze lower in embarrassment.

"What, Mabel?" I asked. What did she want me to do?

"Could you… sing to me?"

 _Sing?_ "Uh… you want to hear me sing? Mabel, I-I don't-"

"Don't lie, Ellie," Mabel interrupted, giggling. "I've heard you hum when you're in the washroom." I… I only did that once. _She heard that?_ "You have a pretty voice. Like… like mom."

"I sing like your mom?" That was by no means what I expected to hear. I sounded like her mom. _I… sounded like her family_. It left a strange feeling in my stomach. Like when I had first hugged the twins after the gnome incident, and when we first fought Gideon. But this time… I treasured it. The feeling of acceptance into this odd group, and not denying it for one second.

"Uh-huh," she sleepily mumbled, barely awake now.

"Wow, hehe. Uh, thanks, Mabel." __That's… something I would never expect to come from her. Maybe it's just the lack-of-sleep talking...?__ "So, what should I sing?"

"Do you know any lullabies?" She asked.

"Lullabies, huh? Hmmm… I got one. But… promise not to judge, alright?" Seeing the tired but excited nod, I took a deep sigh, searching for the lyrics as I let my head rest against the pillow again. Mabel's head was in the crook of my shoulder, watching my face. I did know one, but it wasn't anything that was ever sang to me. I first heard it on one of my searches online, and the words just… made me feel at ease.

"Let's go in the garden, you'll find something waiting." My voice echoed around the still room as the first line was sung, choosing to focus on remembering the words instead of seeing Mabel's happy and awed expression. "Right there where you left it, lying upside down. When you finally find it, you'll see how it's faded. The underside is lighter, when you turn it around." A small movement came from Dipper's bed, and I wondered if Dipper had woken up at the slight increase in noise. Though, his eyes were still closed when I glanced over. "Everything stays, right where you left it. Everything stays, but it still changes. Ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays."

"Go down to the ocean. The crystal tide is raising. The water's gotten higher, as the shore washes out." I looked at Mabel, surprise written on my face. That song existed there? In this dimension? _And there's another verse too?_ "Keep your eyes wide open, even when the sun is blazing. The moon controls the tide, it can cause you to drown."

"Everything stays, right where you left it. Everything stays, but it still changes. Ever so slightly, daily and nightly. In little ways, when everything stays," I picked up the chorus as soon as she ended. We smiled tiredly, and I pulled her deeper into the hug. "Ever so slightly, daily and nightly..." Mabel's voice melded into my ending vocals; her soprano voice balancing my alto one. "In little ways, when everything… stays."

I looked down, and smiled. Mabel was breathing peacefully as the final word was sung out, a pleased expression on her face. Once again, lost to the dream world of sugar, puppies, and boys. "Heh." I brought the girl closer, and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams, kid." I relaxed in the bed, and let sleep welcome me for the second time. What I had missed however, during the lullaby, was our unknown audience on the other side of the room.

3rd POV

Dipper watched the older teen fall asleep, a thankful smile on his face. "… thanks, Elaine," he whispered, despite knowing said girl was already at rest. She didn't have to do that. She knew it, and he knew it, and Mabel certainly knew it. But she did. Elaine got up to check on Mabel when she just as easily could have kept sleeping. She comforted her, and when he had heard some noise and awoke to see what it was, what a surprise to find the two girls singing away Mabel's nightmare.

Whenever she had bad dreams back home, she always meowed herself to sleep. Rarely did she ever disturb him, or go get her parents. It only happened when it was really bad, and she was afraid to fall back asleep again. But for the first time in years… someone was there to help her back to sleep.

Dipper rolled back over, and closed his eyes. _You have no idea how much that means to her, Elaine. Really._ For the first time since he had arrived that summer, he didn't dream once about Wendy.

… a brunette who's history was beyond him, yet stretched her neck out for him and his sister occupied his mind instead. _Wait a second._ His eyes widened for a moment, and a look of annoyance and dread canceled out his previously happy one. _Didn't I say that I… didn't lay awake at night and dream about… Wendy? And now I'm-?_ "Oh no."

* * *

 ** **Initially, when I first wrote this out, it was much shorter. However, if you're reading this now, I had taken the time to stretch it out and add in the new lyrics for the song from the SDCC 2018.**** ** **I usually won't add to the Ans from old chapters, but I figured I'd make an exception here.****

 ** **Until next week!****

 ** **Angel****


	23. Summerween

****Disclaimer: Hello! Angel here, with another brand new chapter on this awesome**** ** **day!**** ** **On another note, Happy Easter everybody!****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: I know, right? As for the complicated love triangle I'm spinning, it will be settled soon. After all, it seems pretty clear that Dipper is starting to lose his feelings for Wendy, and gain more for Elaine instead.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Thanks! Dipper's already awkward enough, so his behavior wouldn't be too unusual around Elaine… or will it?****

 ** **musicalocelot: I know! Just because I'm following the episodes, doesn't mean things will always turn out exactly the same. As for Asger dressing as Hiccup… I just had to do it. It was a moment of weakness. Plus I really love the movie.****

 ** **Ultimate Spider Girl: So as the previous chapter showed, Dipper is starting to feel more for Elaine than Wendy. Due to his crush, their friendship is gonna be really stretched, especially when he finds out about Elaine being involved with Bill. And Elaine's costume… hehehehe. If you're a fan of skeleton's, then this is gonna be very… humerous.****

 ** **RillFipher: Yeah, it was one of my more shorter chapters, but I think it came out quite well too!****

 ** **I own Elaine, Asger and Axel are the core of justice's, and Kat is RillFipher's.****

 ** **Let's get to it, people!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Aug. 26/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Here we are, the Summerween Superstore!" Grunkle Stan announced. We-him, Soos, the twins, and myself-climbed out of the station wagon, and stared up at the store. It appeared to be one of those stores usually leased out for occasions like this; holidays that come and go, and only last for a few days or weeks. A banner was draped over the entrance, and a large inflatable bat was attached to the roof.

"Wait, Summer-what?" Dipper asked.

"Summerween!" Stan pulled out a calendar from his jacket. "The people of this town love Halloween so much, they celebrate it twice a year. And wouldn't you know it, it's today!" He said with a grin.

"Do you always carry a calendar in your coat, Grunkle Stan?" I asked. It was strange, now that I thought about it, how he had that stored in his jacket for no reason whatsoever.

"… yes," he admitted. He tucked it back into his jacket, as Mabel turned to Dipper and me in suspicion.

"Summerween? Something about this feels unnatural," she said.

"Kid, everything we've seen this summer's been unnatural. What makes today any different?" I asked with a smirk.

"There's free candy!" Soos added, wrapping his arms around the twins. Dipper and Mabel looked at each other, and broke into grins.

"TO THE COSTUME AISLE!" We rushed into the store, and the kids hopped into one of the dozen wheelbarrow by the entrance. The carts were used for supplies, instead of the usual grocery cart. Laughing, I wheeled them through the store until I came to a halt by the costume isle.

"Alright, guys. Pick something out. I've got to go find face paint pronto before we do something to get us kicked out." Which, at the pace we were going at, shouldn't be too long.

"Must you have so little faith in us, Elaine?" Mabel asked as she and Dipper hopped out of the cart.

I shrugged. "You're the Pines family. No offense, but you're bound to do something crazy at least once a week if we're lucky. Now," I spun around. "If you'll excuse me. I'm on a mission." I skipped down the aisles, searching for the makeup. "Come on, Elaine. Where is it… aha! Perfect!"

The shelf had a large display of paints, masks, and other small accessories for building your own costume. I did like the store-made ones, but something about making your own made it special. Which was also great, since I was taking the lazy path in my outfit. Nothing too crazy, but simple enough to get my point across. I took a bottle of black and white face paint, and several brushes to apply it with. I also grabbed a pair of black gloves, checking to see if they were long enough for what I had in mind. "Looks like we got everything here," I mumbled. "Now I just need the actual clothing and-"

"NOT TODAY!"

"MY EYES!" I heard the store clerk scream, and watched Stan, Soos, and the twins run out of the store.

"And there goes my ride. Great..." I tucked the supplies under my arm, and walked over to the counter. _Oh well. I'll go get my clothes before walking back to the Mystery Shack._ The clerk was looking down at a Stan Buck Grunkle Stan had left, and muttered, "I hate Summerween." _Classic, Stan. You'd think that after trying to forge money at the start of the summer with the kids, he'd try a little harder with the bills._ Chuckling, I placed the paints, brushes, and gloves in front of her.

"How much?" I asked, and fished out my money from my book bag. Before she could respond, we heard a loud crash, and watched the Pines family drive backwards into a power pole, knocking it over and deflating a Summerween decoration.

"10 bucks," she said in defeat. I handed her the money, and she raised an eyebrow as she counted the loose change. _Why couldn't they have dollar coins? All these green bills makes everything confusing._ "I said 10."

"I know," I replied with a patient smile. "I just thought the extra 5 would make up for their behavior."

I proudly waltzed out of the store, leaving a baffled woman behind me. "Like a boss, Elaine. Like a freaking boss."

(Time Skip)

I added the finishing touches to my gloves, and slipped them on. Nighttime had come quickly after returning to the house, and I was put into a rush to get everything ready to go. And, boy, did I do a good job! __Finally, I don't have to wear bandages all the time!__ _ _Gloves rule!__ Casting a grin in the mirror, I laughed at myself. "Oh my gosh, I look awesome! The guys are gonna love this!"

"Elaine, your friends are here!" Mabel yelled.

"Oh! Coming!" I tightened my hair elastic, and skipped down the steps before coming to a halt just above the main floor. "Hello, delinquents! You may now bask in my glorious presence!" I did a mock bow, and smirked at my audience. Mabel and her friends were already in the entryway, along with Kat and Asger. Pacifica stood beside her cousin, smiling at me. Grenda and Candy seemed to be trying to distance themselves from the blonde, but Mabel stood more closer to her, trying to keep the peace.

"Wow, Elaine. You really outdid yourself," Asger said. Mabel nodded furiously in agreement.

"Yeah, Ellie! That costume is incredible!" She exclaimed.

 _ _I'm glad you guys think so.__ I had wanted to dress up like this forever, and I wasn't sure if it was Mabel's love of crafts, or Bill's creepy influence that finally made me make it. I had a pair of black basketball shorts with white stripes on above a set of black leggings with skeletal legs on them, alongside my white tank top I usually wore. A pair of pink fluffy slippers sat comfortably on my feet with white socks, and I had an unzipped dark blue hoodie with white fluff on the inside. My gloves had cardboard bones glued to the fabric, allowing me to hide my burn with ease. The part that made me giddy was my face. I had carefully painted my entire skin white, with large black circles around my eyes and on my nose, and a large toothy grin that went across my lips and up to my ears.

"Elaine, why does your tank top say you're a comic?" Kat asked. I glanced down at the black construction letters on my chest, peaking out from behind my open hoodie, and looked back at them.

"Because I am a… Comic Sans!" I giggled, before seeing everyone's confused faces. "… the reference is lost here," I deadpanned. "Great." _And I thought it was clever too._

"It's alright, Elaine. I'm sure it's funny to you. How do we look though?" Asger asked, and I looked over my friends' costumes.

Mabel was dressed up as a jar of strawberry jam, Grenda was a witch, and Candy as a piece of taffy. I had already known what they would go as, although they could have just as easily changed what I had thought, so I was more interested in my teen friends and Pacifica. Kat was dressed up as a female version of Jack Sparrow; minus the dirt, beard, and horrible smell. Her long blue hair was done up in tiny braids, decorated with red beads. Asger indeed was dressed up as Hiccup, which brought a pleased smile to my face. Axel was perched on his shoulder, watching me curiously. Pacifica was in a light blue ballgown, her blonde hair up in a bun with a sparkly tiara on her head; just like Cinderella. _You know, thinking on it… she really does seem to fit that character. Ignoring the fact she's super rich, whatever love her parents gave her definitely seemed stretched._ "You guys look great. I'm really glad you could join us, Pacifica."

"Thanks," she said, giving a small curtsy. Pacifica looked over to Mabel and her friends. When it was with her two upper class friends, she had an air of snootiness, and acted as a snob. There, however, I could see the slight discomfort around her. She appeared to be trying to hide it from the other girls, but I and my older friends could see right through it. "You're okay with me joining you guys, right?"

"Of course we are, Pacifica!" Mabel said, smiling at the nervous blonde. "I'm sure Dipper won't mind you tagging along either. Right, Elaine?"

"Uh…" I rubbed the back of my neck. "Don't be so sure about that, Mabel. Keep in mind, Dipper has a bit of a grudge against her due to the whole Pioneer Day fiasco."

"That's not entirely true, actually." Pacifica adjusted her tiara. "I managed to smooth things over with him while we were at the fair, after I left you to talk to Asger. He's still a little wary around me, but I can handle it." _Sure, you can._ I could tell she was not sure of her own words. "Besides, it's not like it's anything I'm not already used to..."

"Cheer up there, kid," Asger said. "There's free candy to get, remember? No one wants to see you frowning when you're all dressed up like that. Besides, you're surrounded by real friends here. Not those fakes you came to the party with."

"Heh. Thanks, Asger." Pacifica looked back at Mabel, trying not to smile at the direct insult to her usual company. "Is your pig coming with us too?"

"I wish he could, but he has some very important meetings to attend!" She pointed towards the kitchen, and we watched Waddles walk over to her, wearing a suit attached to his chest. "File these documents under 'I', for 'I have a curly tail'!" Mabel said, making us laugh. "It's nice to see your pet too, Asger." She looked up at Axel, eyes shining in wonder. "Where'd you even find her?"

"In the woods. You know, the place where you find strange and unusual stuff," he casually replied. __Still finding that hard to believe.__

"What about your brother?" Grenda asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, what about Mr. Sweaty-and-Awkward?" I teased.

Mabel put Waddles down, having picked him up for a moment to show Candy his costume more clearly. "Oh man guys, just wait until you see Dipper's costume! It's amazing! Here he comes now!" I looked over to the staircase, and frowned.

"Seriously, kid?"

"That is a very good Dipper costume," Candy said.

"What the hey-hey bro-bro, where's your costume?" Mabel asked, walking over to him.

"Look, I can't go trick-or-treating. I'm… uh, really sick." Dipper propped himself up on the staircase railing, and let out a fakecough. "Must have been that bad candy." He flopped on the floor, holding his stomach. "Go on without me-is that a dragon?" He suddenly asked, staring wide-eyed at Axel. The reptile glared back at him, not impressed by the twin.

"Dipper, meet Axel," Asger said. "Axel, meet Dipper." Axel's eyes hardened, and hissed at him sharply. Dipper let out a gasp and shuffled backwards, running his back into the railing. _Wow, someone has trust issues._

"Don't try to change the subject, Dippin' Dots," I cut in. "Running around getting free candy ain't gonna kill you." Dipper looked up at me, and struggled not to smile.

"Nice costume, by the way. Comic Sans?" He asked. I grinned, throwing my hands up in the air. Maybe it was because I actually used said font in making the label, but I was extremely happy he got it right.

"See!? He gets it!" I cried, before hearing the door knock. "Huh. I thought everyone was already here." I walked over to the door, and opened it. "Hello?"

"Trick-or-treat."

 _ _Oh… I, uh… forgot about him.__ The Summerween Trickster towered above me, watching me from behind his small smiley face mask. The hulking mass of loser candy stood at least twice my height, and even then, he had to bend down in order to look through the door. I could feel my legs shake slightly as I picked up the bowl of candy next to me, and took a few pieces out. "H-here you, go..." I gulped. "S-sir."

The Trickster nodded, staring at the pieces of candy I deposited into his bag. I could see the stitches in his clothing, having probably been ripped apart more times than I'd ever know. "Thank you," he rumbled.

"D-don't mention it." I smiled weakly, and closed the door. Sighing, I then realized everyone was staring at me oddly.

"Are you okay, Elaine?" Kat asked. "You look really pale, even with all that face paint."

"I… I just..." I heard the door knock again, and quickly ran over to hide behind Asger. "C-can someone else answer it, please?" I didn't think my life itself was in danger, but… that creature was creepy! Like a candy version of Slender Man, who preyed after children with a specific sweet tooth.

"Sure…?" Dipper asked, watching me oddly. He went to open the door, and looked up at the Trickster. "Look man, just go to another house! She already gave you candy!" He slammed the door in the monster's face, not seeing I had gripped Asger's fur vest.

"Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed. "Where's your Summerween hospitality?" The door thumbed even more loudly than before, and Asger glanced down at me. _Hey, you go speak to a monster like that without freaking out! See how you react!_

"I'm not getting that," Dipper said pointedly.

"Well I am!" Mabel opened the door, and smiled apologetically at the Trickster. "I apologize for my brother, he came down with a case of the grumpy-grumps."

"SILENCE!" He bellowed, making Mabel jump back slightly. The monster stood up at its complete height, and pointed accusingly at her. "You have insulted me! For this you must pay..." he leaned forward in a crouch. "… with your LIVES."

"Aww, what a cute little mask!" Mabel commented. "You're a funny guy, aren't you?"

"Funny, am I?" He asked. Kat and Pacifica each grabbed the twins, pulling them away from the door as the monster stepped inside, towering over us. Asger had at one point grabbed my hand, choosing to remove myself from his outfit. Axel glared at the Trickster, hissing at him.

"Twik-owr-tweet!" A small boy greeted as he walked up to the door, oblivious to what was happening. "My name is Gourney." Before the child could react, the Trickster snatched the boy's head, and threw Gourney into his awaiting jaws that appeared right below the yellow mask. The maw snapped shut, a somewhat satisfied expression on the gooey black face, its razor sharp teeth set in a sadistic grin.

"Gourney!" Grenda cried as the rest of us screamed.

"There's only one way for you to avoid his fate," the Trickster said calmly, as if eating the small boy had never happened. The line of fangs vanished back into the black flesh revealing no sign of the opening Gourney had disappeared into. He poked Candy on the head, causing the girl to clutch Dipper in fright. "I need a treat. If you can collect 500 pieces of candy, and bring it to me before the last jack-o-melon goes out..." he picked a melon out from within his coat, lighting it ablaze with his thumb, and proceeded to blow it out. "I will let you live."

"Five hundred treats in one night?" Pacifica exclaimed in disbelief. "That's practically impossible!"

"The choice is yours, children. You must trick-or-treat… or DIE." He backed out of door, and before he left, the Trickster took off his hat and bowed towards me. "Happy Summerween, madame." _Uh… what?_ He placed the hat back on his head, and laughed, jumping onto the Shack's roof and climbing out of sight. We ran outside and looked up, but the monster was now long gone, having vanished into the night as fast as he had appeared.

"Oh my gosh Mabel, do your realize what this means?" Dipper asked.

"I do," she replied seriously, and then broke into a grin. "It means you have to come trick-or-treating! Yay!" She shook Dipper rapidly in excitement.

"You still doing okay, Elaine?" I blinked, and glanced at Asger. The dark teen's hand was still wrapped around mine, in fear that I'd collapse… and I really felt like doing so too.

"I don't know whether to faint from fear… or blush in embarrassment," I quietly replied, feeling the heat still in my cheeks. "The monster called me a madame, that's… that's not normal."

"Probably because you were actually polite to him," Kat said. "Just… warn us before you really do faint though. We don't want you cracking your head open." __No we don't. Bill probably wouldn't want that either.__

"Who was that guy?" Candy asked.

"It's the legend Soos told us about," Mabel explained. "It's true!"

Grenda hoisted Dipper into the air, and shook him by the vest. "What do we do? What do we DO!?"

"What's goin' on out here, dudes?" Grenda dropped Dipper, and we turned to see Soos walk out on the deck in his wrestler costume that was way too small on him. _Dude. No grown man should ever wear spandex tights. It's weird enough in movies, but I can distract myself with the action and plot._ "I heard a ruckus. Hehe. That's a funny word," he chuckled. "Ruckus."

"Soos, a monster is making us trick-or-treat or else he's gonna eat us!" Dipper explained as we walked up to him.

"I got a picture!" Candy added, and showed him a photo on her phone.

"The Summerween Trickster!" Soos exclaimed, seeing why we were all stressed out. "Oh man, dude, you guys are in crazy bonkers trouble."

"That like, doesn't make us feel any better," Pacifica said, poker-faced.

"How're we gonna get all that candy in a single night?" Kat asked. "There's no way!"

We paused, hearing someone clapping, and looked at Mabel standing on a hay bale. "Listen up, people." We walked over to her. "Now some might say that being cursed by a blood-thirsty holiday monster is a bad thing."

"I wet myself," Grenda said. The teens, Pacifica, and I shuffled away slightly in disgust.

"But that monster messed with the wrong crew. With Candy's and Kat's spirit, Grenda's strength, Dipper's and Elaine's brains, Pacifica's ingenuity, Asger's… whatever." Said teen frowned, and Axel let out a small dragon-like chuckle. _Pacifica has ingenuity? Well… I guess she displays that in the mansion ghost fight._ "And… Soos here, we'll get 500 pieces of candy and have fun doing it too, even of it takes all night!"

Everyone excluding Dipper cheered, and I threw my fist in the air. "To the streets!"

(Time Skip)

"I don't understand why we can't just buy our candy and be done with it," Dipper complained. We strolled down the streets of town, carrying empty sacks while Dipper rolled a wheelbarrow.

"That sorta takes the fun out of trick-or-treat-or-die," Mabel said.

"I'm pretty sure everyone here wants to take the DIE out of trick-or-treat-or-die," I said. I led our group up to Lazy Susan's house, just as she finished giving out candy to another group. "Happy Summerween, Lazy Susan!" I greeted cheerfully.

"Trick-or-treat!" Everyone else said, smiling. The strange lady was dressed up as a ball of yarn, several cats crawling over her.

"Is everyone in costume?" Lazy Susan asked. "Chimney sweep, elephant man, squeegee, ant farm," she said, pointing at Grenda, Soos, Candy, and Mabel respectively. She then looked at the rest of us, still smiling. "Peanut girl," she pointed at Kat, making me snort. __My peanut.__ _ _H__ _ _ehehe.__ _ _Ah__ _ _, references.__ "Zookeeper." Asger raised an eyebrow. "Jewelry." Pacifica smiled, amused by the woman's confusion. "Comedian." I giggled at that one, and how accurate it was.

"Oh and what are you supposed to be?" Lazy Susan asked Dipper.

"Uh, actually, I'm not dressed up as anything," Dipper explained. "We're-we're kinda in a hurry, here."

"Oh. I see." Lazy Susan walked over to us, and placed a single piece of candy in our bags, all except Dipper. "Enjoy!" She slammed the door, leaving us on her porch.

"One piece of black licorice?" Grenda said, pulling the candy out of her sack.

"Circus peanut!" Candy looked over at Mabel in dismay. "This is loser candy."

"Eight pieces of candy!? This is gonna take forever!" Dipper complained.

"We've gotta up our game, Dipper," Mabel told him. "You gotta put in your costume."

"I told you, I'm not up to it, Mabel!" Dipper said, and gave a loud cough.

"Oh, really?"

"AH!" I shrieked. __Dang it! I__ _ _told__ _ _Bill__ _ _he's to blame for__ _ _making me so jumpy.__ The Trickster was perched on a street light above us, the bulb flickering on and off. He jumped down onto Soos' shoulders, the massive beast balancing easily on the handyman. Soos's forehead was covered in sweat, as the Trickster picked out a piece of candy from his bag. "I've seen better." He placed it back in, and somersaulted off of Soos, picking up a jack-a-melon along the way. He jumped onto the top of a roof, studying us. "Tick tock." He blew out the candle, and then jumped behind the house.

"So what was that about being too sick to wear a costume?" Mabel asked. Dipper sighed, and looked at her.

"Mabel, I don't even have it with me. How are we supposed to do this without matching costumes?" Dipper asked in annoyance. Mabel hummed, and brought her hand to her face in thought.

"Elaine, you got any ideas?" She asked me.

"Well..." I scanned the two kids, trying to come up with a good idea. __Wait… hehe. Hehehehe! Oh my gosh, this is perfect!__ "I got it! And the good news is… Dipper, you won't look like a total goof."

"Really?" He said, surprised. "What is it then?"

(Time Skip)

"Introducing, for the first time ever… Undertale!" I announced. My skeletal grin widening as Mabel and Dipper walked out of the convenience store we stopped at. I had to sprint across town to find the supplies for these costumes, but it was so worth it.

Mabel's long brown hair was carefully pinned up, making it seem shoulder length. A light blue sweater with two purple stripes fit loosely over her body, along with a pair of brown shorts and a set of hiking boots. Several buttercups were woven into the sleeves of the sweater, making the girl look like she crawled out of a flower patch.

Dipper's hair I had left alone, but the male twin now sported a light green sweater with a single yellow stripe. He still wore his brownish-gray shorts and shoes, but now had a heart locket swinging from his neck; the golden chain was hooked onto a ruby red heart. In Dipper's hands, he carried a plastic toy knife, spinning it unconsciously in his hand.

"Otherwise known as: Frisk and Chara!" I finished.

"Oooh!" Grenda, Soos, and Candy said. Pacifica smirked at Dipper in amusement, seeing the potential taunting accessible to her, earning her a small glare.

"Is this part of the game?" Kat asked, turning to me.

"Yep! So is my costume. I don't know, I thought it'd be fun for us to have a theme," I shrugged. "Plus, I had started playing the game before arriving at the town."

"Well, it's better than peanut butter," Dipper noted, looking down at his sweater. "Let's go get this over with."

"Over with! Over with!" Everyone chanted, and walked to several more houses, splitting off in smaller groups. Dipper and Mabel walked up to a house, and I followed right behind them.

"Do you really think this will make a difference?" Dipper asked after ringing the bell. The door opened, and a large biker guy came out, holding a bowl of candy. _Isn't this the guy Mabel talked to at the biker joint?_ Dipper and Mabel looked at each other, nodded, and broke into a dance.

"Hat a ta tah, tah tah ta… TWIIINS!"

The biker smiled, a single tear running down his bushy beard, and dumped the entire bowl in my awaiting bag. "Oof!" I struggled to hoist it up, but Dipper and Mabel quickly took a side, and we dragged it away smiling. We ran back to Soos with a wheelbarrow on the sidewalk, and dumped the candy in alongside everyone else from their respective hunt.

"Let's get that candy, guys!" Dipper said, and we ran off again.

The rest of the night was certainly memorable, and with no close encounters with death too. I would either follow Dipper and Mabel, using my costume to boost theirs, or I'd follow Kat, Asger and Pacifica around. For being so stuck up in the show, the blonde was a lot of fun to hang out with. A little snooty, but not bad. _I wonder though, how bad the treatment was in her house. How different was it, then what I originally thought?_

Out of all the houses we ran to, Toby Determined's house was by far the funniest, if only because of everyone's reactions. Asger had rang the doorbell, and when the odd man came out, we jumped back in fright.

"What a horrible mask!" Mabel cried.

"That's just my face." Toby pulled out a green monster mask, and put it on. "This is a mask. Roar!"

"Oh, yeah… that's actually better," we said among ourselves. Toby sighed, and went back in with the bowl of candy.

After a few more houses, we stopped to count our candy total. "498, 499. We did it!" Mabel announced. "All we need is one more piece of candy."

"And it's only 8:30," Dipper said, checking his watch. "Perfect timing!" I laughed, and wrapped an arm around him.

"Looks like your cough went away too, Dippin' Dots," I grinned teasingly.

"Dude, I'm gonna go around and grab the truck," Soos said. While I had the twins get changed earlier, Soos had backtracked to the Shack to pick up his truck, just in case we needed a ride or the wheelbarrow got too heavy. "Soos, away!" He ran off down the street, arms ahead of him like a superhero.

"Last one to the last house is a pair of wax lips!" Mabel said, and she and Candy ran off around the corner.

"Not me! Nooo!" Grenda chased after the giggling girls, not wanting to be named the sad piece of candy. Kat laughed, and ran a hand through her dreadlocks.

"Should we follow them?" She asked, looking at the rest of us.

"Nah. Let's hit up one last house on our own. Hey, Dipper, guard that candy for us, alright?" Dipper looked up at me, and grinned.

"Don't worry, Elaine. I got this." I rolled my eyes, and bent down slightly to look him head-on.

 _ _Like heck you do,__ I internally scoffed. If something did go wrong, part of me would think it was due to him hiding the candy when Wendy and Robbie drove by. The other part was the one who didn't know what could happen anymore. Whatever it was, I knew something was about to go wrong. "You better, kid," I warned. Now I knew I wasn't magical in any way, but I could certainly feel myself channeling my inner Sans. I knew Dipper would learn his lesson at the end of the episode, but I couldn't stop myself from warning him. "Or else you'll find yourself having a bad time."

"Wh-what?" Dipper blinked, but I had already started walking away from him and down the street, leaving my friends to stare at me in confusion. "What was that about? What did I do?" He asked behind me, confused and a little shocked at how dark the words were.

I kept walking, and Kat, Asger, and Pacifica eventually caught up to me. "Alright, Elaine. What was that all about?" Asger asked. "Everything was all fine and dandy, and then you just got really serious back there."

"Dipper just being an idiot, of course," I frowned. "There's a party going on tonight that Wendy was going to, and Dipper was gonna go join her. Figured he was too old for going out trick-or-treating."

"He was going to ditch Mabel?" Pacifica said.

Kat shook her head, not liking what the younger boy had in mind. "He didn't want to seem younger in front of them, right? It's candy! How could anyone not like getting some? Especially when you get to dress up and work for it? It makes eating it at the end so much more satisfying!"

"No kidding," Asger said. Axel had hopped off of his shoulder, walking alongside him down the sidewalk. "I knew about the party, but I wanted to hang out with you guys more."

"Even though your girlfriend isn't here?" Kat teased, making me and Pacifica laugh. _Huh. Guess she knows about his crush too._

"She's not my girlfriend, guys!" A pause. "… not yet."

"Ha ha! I'm sure you'll win her over one day, Asger," I said, running up to a house. The woman smiled at my costume, and handed me several bags of chips, nodding to my friends in the back. "Happy Summerween!" I thanked her, and ran back to them. "Here." I handed each of them a bag. "Let's go. I'm sure Mabel and the girls have gotten the last piece of candy."

"Most likely," Kat agreed. As we ate our treats, our footsteps echoing along the paved walkway, we noticed that the street now completely empty. The blue haired girl looked around nervously, and turned back to me. "Is it… a little quiet?"

"Something's wrong." Asger held up his hand, making us stop. Axel had gotten into a crouch, growling. Her green eyes staring down the street that we had left Dipper on. "What is it, girl?"

"I think… we ran out of time," Pacifica said. A loud screeching sound came from farther down the road, and we gasped as Soos' truck came barreling towards us, with the Trickster in his true form clinging to the top: a gigantic black-purple mass of loser candy, with long spider-like limbs. The monster's large claws scratched at the roof, and I could hear everyone screaming from inside.

"Get out of the way!" I yelled, and tackled Pacifica off the sidewalk and into a small alleyway, the car missing us by inches. _Holy cr-that was close!_ I felt the wind of it go by, it was that close!

"Pacifica!" Asger cried. He, Kat, and Axel, who managed to avoid the vehicle by running into the road, sprinted back towards us. "Are you alright?" I shakily stood up, using one arm to steady my trembling body against the brick wall and the other to hoist up the Northwest. Pacifica's dress was torn, with patches of dirt and mud on it, but otherwise seemed to be just fine minus a few scratches on her arms and legs.

"I-I think so," she stuttered, still in shock. "Th-thanks, Elaine."

"No… problem." I panted, trying to catch my breath. A loud crash came from around the corner, and we ran over to see that Soos had smashed the truck into the Summerween convenience store's door. The Trickster crawled towards the building on all fours, and rushed into the store after them. "Oh no."

"Anyone have any bright ideas?" Kat asked. "Because I would really like to hear some right now."

"Okay, okay. Everyone calm down," Asger instructed. "Elaine, you know the most about the paranormal. What do we do?"

 _I did?_ I mean, well, I did get involved the most with it, despite him visiting the town every year. So… I'm the professional? "I...I..." I took in a deep breath. "We cut the monster down a peg. Asger, can Axel breath any fire yet?" _I wonder if this is how Dipper feels when we go out on adventures?_

Asger paused to think, and shook his head. "Just a few small flames. Other than that, she barely had claws, and I doubt her bite would do much."

"That's still something. Kat, you've got any weapons on you?" The teen held up a plastic sword attached to her waist, grinning. _That could… help._ "Okay. You two aim for the monster's legs. Pacifica and me will try to get the kids out of there."

"Uh, are you sure this is a safe idea?" Pacifica asked.

"Not really, no. But I don't see any other options." I zippered up my hoodie, and tightened my gloves. "Ready?" The three nodded. "Then let's go and give that monster a bad time." Not really. I knew we didn't stand a chance against it, and I had no way of knowing how the fight was going on right now. But the five needed all the help they could get right now, and we were ready to give it.

"AAHHH!" We charged into the store, only to slide to a halt just as we passed under the roof. Grenda, Candy, Mabel, and Dipper were all attacking the Trickster's arms and legs with medieval plastic weapons, making pieces of loser candy fall on the floor. The twins now wearing black cloaks, while Grenda and Candy wore plastic armor. _Great! Soos got eaten!_ _I should have sped up my explanation!_

"Salt water taffy?" Grenda said after chopping off an arm. "Gross!"

"What are you-?" Dipper said, before tasting the bits of candy flying off the leg he was hacking at. "Wait, it is."

"You really haven't figured it out yet?" Before Dipper could run, the monster grabbed him off the ground, and picked up Mabel, Grenda, and Candy. I prepared to run forward, only for Kat to hold me back. "Don't you recognize me? Look at my face. Look closely." He pulled off the mask, making the twins scream.

"Loser candy!" Mabel exclaimed, seeing the mint eyeballs and candy corn teeth.

"That's right! Did you ever stop and think about the candy at the bottom of the bag that no one likes? Every year the children of Gravity Falls throw away all of the 'REJECTED' candy into the dump. So I see revenge; revenge on the picky children who cast me aside. I'm made of every tossed piece of black licorice, every discarded bar of old chocolate with like that white, power stuff on it. You know that stuff!"

"I hate that stuff!" Mabel shouted in agreement. _Hey, I like nougat!_

"No one would eat me. But now, I'm gonna eat you." The Trickster raised the twins to his mouth, until he heard something within his stomach. "What is that?" He asked in panic, before he screamed in pain. The teens, kids, and me shrieked when Soos burst out from the monster's chest, squealing like a rodent while clawing at the air.

He swallowed whatever was in his mouth, possibly the candy from the monster, and smiled down at them as if what he just did was completely normal. _It isn't! That was absolutely terrifying!_ "Sup, bro?"

The monster wailed, jelly beans vomiting from his mouth, and collapsed onto the floor. The danger finally over, I rushed over to the fallen children, and slid on my knees towards Dipper and Mabel. "Are you two alright?"

"We're fine," Mabel said, rubbing her head. "Just a little banged up." I grinned, and looked up at Soos. The man-child was dressed up as a gorilla, eating from the monster's stomach. Piles of candy had spilled from the Trickster's body, covering the floor around them.

"Dudes, you want some of this?"

 _ _Ew.__ We all shook our heads.

"Wait, you actually think I taste good?" The Trickster asked, raising his head off the ground to look at Soos.

"Uh, sure! You know," he hesitantly replied.

"All I've ever wanted is for someone to say that I was good." His head fell back on the floor, and candy corn started falling from his eyes. "I'm so happy!" He wheezed.

"Crying makes it a little weird, but..." Soos took another bite. "… guess I'm still eating." The stomach burst open beside him, and Gourney popped out next to Soos. "Sup, Gourney?"

"I've been twaumatized!"

(Time Skip)

"Hey, Stan!" Dipper and I greeted. After Soos had eaten a fair bit of the Summerween Trickster, and I prayed continuously that the image would fade from my mind quickly, we all hopped into the truck and drove back to the Mystery Shack. _Let's face it. That image will fade quicker than the one of Stan in his underwear, only because I've seen it more than once._ Hopefully we won't get in trouble for destroying the store... I doubted that they'll ever find out what happened.

"Hi, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel said.

"Hello, Mr. Pines!" The rest of our crew said, and we all sat down around the living room with Stan.

"How's it hangin'," he grinned, waving at us from the couch where he was watching TV.

"Hey Dipper." We looked over, and saw Wendy carving up a watermelon.

"Wendy!" Dipper replied.

"I didn't see you at the party," she said, poking out the eyes of the melon. "Where were you?"

"Uh… I-uh..." Dipper paused, before he caught my gaze. I crossed my arms, and gaze a soft warning glare. I knew he learned his lesson, but things could still go differently. "I was trick-or-treating. With my sister." He wrapped an arm around Mabel, and I pulled the twins into a hug.

"Yep. Nothing says bonding like dressing up as characters from one of your fave fandoms," I chuckled, ruffling the tops of their heads.

"I can see that," Wendy said. "Nice outfits by the way. The party was lame anyway. Robbie ate a lollipop stick-first and had to go home sick."

I cracked a grin, and brought my hand up to smother a snort. Dipper brought his hands to his mouth to cover his own laughs. Asger though, openly burst out laughing. "Ha ha! That'll show him, jerk!"

"Easy there, Asger." Wendy smirked at him, dumping out the red insides of the fruit onto a sheet of newspaper. "There. Done."

"Aw, man. We went to every single house, and we didn't even get to eat any candy!" Mabel complained.

"Candy? How's that for candy?" Stan held up two large pillowcases he pulled out from behind the couch, and we broke into grins.

"And now back to the fear guide from Terror Town Street."

The TV switched back to an old fashioned film, as we dug into our candy haul with the lights now turned off. Grenda and Candy sat by the table with Pacifica, the girls smiling and chatting together. Wendy and Asger sat together, leaning on the table with a glowing jack-o-melon between them. Soos sat on the dinosaur skull with Kat sitting on the couch next to Stan, and I leaned against the other side of the couch with Mabel laying against my side. I looked up, hearing Dipper walk back in, and smiled when he attached a bandage to her bruised elbow. Everyone except Soos and me had removed their costumes at this point, lounging around in shorts and t-shirts.

"You know, kids? I've been thinkin'," Grunkle Stan began. "At the end of the day, Summerween isn't about candy or costumes. Or even scaring people. It's a day when the whole family can get together at one place and celebrate what really matters: PURE EVIL! HA HA HA HA HA!"

I grinned at the old man, and cackled alongside the rest of the group. We laughed maniacally for a few seconds, before stopping abruptly. "I ate a man alive tonight." We all looked at Soos oddly, and I inched my way across the floor towards the doorway.

"Welp, I'm gonna get something to drink." I stood up, and stretched my back. "Be right back." I waltzed out of the living room and into the kitchen, the house still dark from nobody going to turn the other lights on. I shivered slightly from the cold of the fridge as I opened it, and picked out a can of Pitt Cola. I closed the door, and when I stood back up, I found I wasn't alone anymore. "D-Dipper!?" The twin stood in the entryway, watching me curiously. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I just wanna ask you something, that's all," he shrugged. Dipper walked over to me, and leaned against the fridge. His dark brown eyes bore into my hazel ones, and I could feel my heart speed up.

"Ye-yeah..?" I stuttered.

"How did you know about Wendy's party?" __What is he-oh.__ My heart dropped. How could I forget that I basically threatened him for trying to ditch Mabel indirectly!? __This is not good!__ "You weren't there when she came to pick up her jacket earlier," Dipper continued, sounding suspicious and confused. "Pacifica also mentioned to me just as you were leaving for your drink about you knowing about it, which was something that none of the others knew about during the candy hunt. So, how'd you find out?" He got smart. He actually-no-Pacifica got smart, and told Dipper about the odd slip-up I made. I had completely forgotten that she didn't know the truth of my problem, and that only Asger and Kat did.

"I, uh… I…" __Elaine, say something clever so you don't ruin yourself!__ "… NON-SPECIFIC EXCUSE!" I shouted, and chucked the pop can at Dipper. The boy scrambled to catch it, allowing me enough time to sprint out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the bathroom. I quietly yet quickly closed the door, and locked it. Spinning around, I leaned against the wall in the darkness, sighing. "That was way, WAY too close."

 _ _Seriously. That was way too close for comfort.__ I ran my hand across my forehead, feeling beads of sweat on top of the paint, the coating peeling off when I brought my fingers down. __I have got to be more careful in the future.__ Dipper's accusing face flashed through my head, and I let out a small whimper. __I… I don't want to hurt him. He can't… he just can't find out about me.__

My legs slowly gave out beneath me, letting me slide down to the floor. I flipped up my furry hood and drew my legs to my chest, and put my head on my knees. "He can't…"

3rd POV

Dipper stood there, holding the pink can, and stared at where the older girl previously was. That was… not what he was expecting. Sure, he knew he had her cornered, and he wanted an answer, but that? He didn't think she would panic and go hide. "Oh, great. This day just keeps getting better and better."

It wasn't the first time this had happened too. Not going off and avoiding him, but avoiding subject matter that involved her. Elaine never seemed to share much about her past unless it was basic information, and even then, she always seemed… uncertain. Cautious, and scared. _There was our first meeting at the start of the summer, how she seemed a little scared after talking to her friends after sending Pacifica over to talk to us at the fair… she really overreacted with flipping Deputy Durland. She had said she'd never done anything like that before._ What else was there? There was certainly more to it than that.

"She knew some of the Lamby Lamby Dance lyrics, which doesn't even make sense. How did she even know them?" _She wasn't singing the entire song though. Just the cheering bits. So, was she faking knowing the song, or guessing it…?_ He started pacing in the kitchen, confusion and worry written on his face. "She seemed to almost know about the wax figures, telling me to look at it from a 'different angle'." Dipper's face lit up, remembering one more detail. One he had seen several times. "And her journal. She never said how she got it-oh, and there how she wasn't really focused right before we went to the convenience store with Wendy."

There was so much evidence. So much information pointing at the strange girl staying with his uncle, screaming at him that she was hiding something. But… but what could he do? He wanted answers, just as badly as he wanted to know who the author of the journals was. But with Elaine, she was… fragile. She was strong, but her emotional state wasn't. A wrong move, just like had done there, would be enough to get her to run and hide. And… he didn't want that. She was a great friend. One of the best he had made this summer, and topped the few he had back in Piedmont. He didn't want to ruin their friendship, after working so hard to reach this point for her to start opening up.

Dipper sighed, and exited the kitchen. He stood at the bottom of the stairs, and glanced in at the living room. Everyone was still having fun; eating candy, and talking to each other or watching the movie. Mabel though, seemed to sense his arrival, and got up to join him. "Dipper, where's Elaine?"

"In the bathroom" he replied, holding back another sigh. "I-Mabel, do you think something's… wrong, with her?"

"What do you mean, Dipper?" She asked. Mabel sat down on the second step, watching her twin. No one else seemed to notice the exchange, so he figured they'd be fine discussing the problem at hand.

"Elaine. She's what's wrong. Mabel, have you noticed that she's keeping secrets? Not being honest with us?" He ran a hand through his curly brown hair. "She's not telling us everything, she keeps jumping around problems-how did her injuries heal that quickly, anyway? We saw how many bandages she had, and now there's only scars and bruises left."

"Dipper, it's going to be okay," Mabel tried to control her brother's tirade, only for him to interrupt.

"No, it isn't, Mabel. I-I don't want to break this trust we have going on. You saw how she's warmed up to us, and helped you through that nightmare last night-"

"You saw that?" She didn't think Dipper was awake, but apparently the singing was enough to bring him out of dreamland.

"-but now I think I just went and ruined it again." He slumped onto the first step, right below her. "I got to fix this, but… I don't know how. She's never going to speak to me plainly after this." He heard a scoff, and the next thing he knew Mabel had flicked the back of his head. "Ow! Mabel!"

"Dipper, you're thinking too hard. Sure, she freaked out, but doesn't that show she cares about what you think of her? If she didn't like us, then she wouldn't care about our opinions." She scooted off the step, and moved down to sit beside him. She propped one arm on her knee, letting her head rest in an open palm. "You want to ask her like, a bajillion questions, but pressuring her is going to put that off. She'll just keep on hiding away, or… or worse." Mabel had a dark look at that, and Dipper didn't like it. They didn't think Elaine would do anything serious, but it was hard to tell with how she had built those walls. The female twin succeeded in knocking them down, but there was still some there. A few, very well-made ones, that they hadn't made a dent in. "Besides, if it was anything important, Elaine would soon tell us, right?"

Dipper paused to think that over, and nodded. She was right. If it was important, Elaine would tell them at some point. He just had to be patient, that's all. "Thanks, Mabel." Standing up, he went past her and up to the second floor. He moved past their room, the empty attic space where Elaine usually stayed, and Stan's room. There, at the end of the hallway was the bathroom, its door closed and the light under the crack of the dark wood off. He stopped in front of it, and took a breath. "Elaine?" He knocked on the door. "Listen. I'm sorry about what happened downstairs. I… shouldn't have sprung that on you so suddenly."

The opposite side of the door remained silent. He didn't know if she was listening to him or not, but he wanted to apologize. To make things better, if it was possible. "I hope you'll come out tomorrow." He rested his hand on the door. "Goodnight, Elaine." He could hear Wendy's voice calling for him from downstairs, and so went to return to everyone else.

Still… he felt bad. Elaine was… different. He didn't know how, or why, but she was. And it was that difference that was making the wall between them. And he was going to break it down.

He'd get her to open up, and have that weird and happy self he rarely saw around all the time.

 _And that's a promise I'm going to keep._

* * *

 ** **And we're done! This definitely took a while to write up, but I'm glad it's finally finished.****

 ** **Anyways, happy Easter people! Enjoy your chocolate eggs!****

 ** **Angel****


	24. Boss Mabel Part 1

****Disclaimer: Hello people of the internet! I hope you all had a great Easter, but now that the holiday's out of the way, we can focus on this brand new chapter!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: What do you expect? Undertale only exists in Elaine's dimension… unless there is a dimension where it's real…? ;) Poor Elaine though, of course she'd freak when Dipper started questioning her.****

 ** **Fantasy Fan 223: That would most likely be the owner of one of my OC's. He makes requests sometimes with the same name. And thanks for the review!****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Yep. Bill will not be happy with Elaine for almost getting herself run over by a truck. Thankfully, she managed to avoid battling the Trickster.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Papyrus would argue with you about that.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks! I'm glad you liked this episode.****

 ** **musicalocelot: My peanut, hehehe. Frankly, I love the fact I had thrown in so many references in this chapter. But you are correct; Elaine can't be discovered quite yet. That wouldn't end well for her, and for Dipper.****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: What can I say? I am full of hilarious quotes! I'm really glad there's authors out there who are enjoying the Undertale references I threw in. I guess you could say I'm… SANSational!****

 ** **All terrible puns aside; get ready for some hurt and comfort, and some shameless teasing!****

 ** **I don't own Gravity Falls, only Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 27/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Stupid, Elaine. That. Was. So. Freaking. STUPID!" I banged my head against the wall by the bay window, and groaned. "Why did I have to say that Dipper? Why…?"

"Y'know kid, I'm pretty sure hitting your head won't give you the answer you're looking for." Bill floated next to me, amused by my actions. __Sadistic freak.__ "Thanks for the compliment, Angel." __Right. Dream demon. Gotta keep remembering that. How could I keep forgetting?__ "But I'm surprised you're being so hard on yourself."

"Of course I'm being hard on myself!" I stopped hitting my head, and cast the triangle an annoyed look. "Dipper was this close to figuring out that I knew more than I let on! I can't..." I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I can't let him find out about me, Bill. You may not care what someone thinks about you, but to a human with FEELINGS, it means a lot."

"Are you accusing me of being unfeeling, kid?" Bill put a hand to his body as if I wounded him. "That hurts, Angel."

"Right, and I'm an all-powerful goat monster with rainbow lasers and death stars." _Blame yesterday's choice to go as Undertale for that reference._ I sat back down, and crossed my arms, huffing.

"Sarcasm isn't helping you, kid," Bill replied, sitting next to me. "It's just making things worse for you."

"Fine. I'll hold back my smart remarks." __Like that's possible.__ "I just hope he won't pressure me when I go back downstairs. I've been up here all day, remember?" Not that long, actually. It was late in the morning, and the Mystery Shack was as active as usual downstairs. It was easy to hear the tourists and Stan directing them through the house, just as I had heard the first time I awoke in the building.

"Pine Tree's suspicion will fade away once he gets himself in trouble again," Bill casually provided. "You humans have short attention spans after all."

"No we don't," I mumbled, and smirked at the demon. "How is it that we've gotten from you trying to suffocate me, to having a semi normal conversation?"

"Because you finally realized that fighting back is useless?" He suggested. "I gotta admit though, this is much easier than forcing you to listen to me."

"I suppose it is." I picked up my journal from beside me. Ever since yesterday, after I had barricaded myself in the washroom for the night, I had crept to the attic space to vent once I could get changed without running into the twins. Dipper had knocked on the bathroom door while I was still inside, asking if I was okay, but I was too scared to respond. I could hear the hurt, and concern in his voice. He clearly didn't think I would react in that way. Yet… I guessed he must have known something like that would've happened. I had dodged questions all the time. Why did he think doing it then was a good idea? _I-oh, I feel so guilt about it too. Stupid, and guilty, and ah!_

"So, what's your question today, kid?" Bill spoke up, breaking into my internal wreck.

"O-oh. Right, um…" I paused to think. When I had escaped to my safe place, I had also stolen Ford's journal to read from the bedroom once the twins went downstairs to start working. Thank goodness Stan didn't come looking for me. They must have told him I wasn't feeling that great. _Another thing to feel guilty about: having them cover for me when I never asked for it._ The new chapters I had read sparked a lot of questions, but as I only had one per visit, it made it hard to pick just one.

Ford had written about the beginning of creating the portal, and how Bill had told him that all of the weirdness in Gravity Falls had come from a 'dimension of weirdness'. It felt weird, seeing Ford being so obviously manipulating by the demon, and he was none the wiser. But what was the most interesting was of how Ford now had McGucket on board with the plan to build the portal.

" ** **He has sacrificed so much to come to my aid. He has temporarily left his bride and their young son behind in California for the duration of this project.****

 ** **I must do my best to make him feel at home… I am off to the store for some banjo strings and microchips****!"

 _ _Hehehe. Aw McGucket. No matter the decade, he's still the same.__ "My question is: what was your opinion of Ford's partnership with McGucket?" __I already know about his odd country habits like chewing tobacco and hamboning, so what else is there?__ _There should be more detail on their friendship later on in the journal, and the stuff I could recall from the show, while it wasn't much, showed a very… sad ending._

"Glasses, huh? That strange fleshbag was too curious for his own good," Bill grumbled. "His assistance in Sixer's machine only brought those two closer to insanity." Seeing my confused face, he explained further. "Getting sucked halfway into the portal messed up Ford too, and led him to discovering my plans for this dimension. Glasses was not as bold as Sixer was, but he had a lot more sense."

"No surprise there, seeing that whatever McGucket saw had driven him crazy," I thought aloud, writing in my book. I drew an image of a younger Fiddleford, playing a banjo next to Ford. The latter's expression seemed slightly annoyed, but happy with the company. "What… exactly did McGucket see on the other side of the portal?" I asked hesitantly. "I know he ended up in the Nightmare Realm and all, but what did he see?"

"Ha ha," Bill laughed, as if recalling a funny memory. __This is not gonna be a pleasant explanation.__ "One peek into my dimension and that bumpkin lost his week little mind, Angel. All he saw was me removing my exoskeleton to feed."

 _ _He saw… what?__ "You… you removed…?"

"My exoskeleton, kid. Jeez, you're pretty slow today, aren't you." Bill 'smirked' at me, as I tried to have my brain reset itself. __Elaine Milton has crashed. Please stand by.__ "Angel?" __Rebooting...__

"I… I'm fine. Just… what the heck do you mean by removing your exoskeleton!? You're a triangle!"

"Yeah. Your point?" Bill's eye crinkled in what I'm guessing was a grin, and he chuckled. "I don't have any skin or bones you fleshbags have, but I still have some form of organs. Didn't exactly start out like that though. Being in a dimension like that for a trillion years lets one… pick up some abilities." _What does that mean?_

"I'm… so confused and disturbed at the same time," I said quietly. "Ho-how do you even… remove it?"

Bill's eye twisted as he burst out laughing again. "Kid, we've only known each other for a few weeks, and you're already asking me those sort of questions? Wow Angel, I'm flattered, but maybe when you're older I'll show you."

"I-I mean… that's not what I-oh, come on!" My face burned in embarrassment as I covered my head in shame. "That wasn't what I meant, and you know it."

"I know, Angel," he said. "You're just a lot of fun to get riled up."

"I know, sadly," I muttered, turning my head away from him. A few seconds later, I glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow. "But… do you think I can get some idea of what that supposedly looks like?"

Bill's nonexistent eyebrow rose, surprised by my request. "Really?" I nodded, to his and my shock. It might have been disturbing and grotesque, but what was the harm of knowing what it looked like? "Alright then, Angel. Maybe in the future I'll tell you. After all, seeing how much I've already scarred you, it's not like it'll damage you any further."

"Okay, Bill. That's another thing I'll be holding onto you for." __What else… oh right!__ "What about your question, Cipher?"

"What is the limit you skin puppets can handle pain?" I blinked, puzzled by the question. __Why…?__ "You obviously know that I'm gonna end up possessing someone in the future, kid. Seeing how we've got this little deal going on, thought it'd be a good idea to finally have you start pulling your weight."

 _ _Well, I did agree to help out in his plans.__ I pondered the question, and looked down at my lap. My journal was open to his response about the exoskeleton, along with a rough sketch of what I thought it'd look like. Oddly, I kept thinking of something similar to a starfish. You know, how the creature could turn themselves inside out to feed? __I swear, I hope I'm wrong.__

"So a human's limits depends specifically on the person," I explained carefully. This was a question I figured would come up at some point. A question that he could use to his advantage to aid him in his quest for dimensional domination. "Some can take a lot more than other people, but some break very easily. Sort of like how you compared McGucket to Ford."

"Hmmm… that'll do, Angel," he approved of my answer after thinking it over. Bill turned towards the door, listening to something. "Looks like Pine Tree is finally coming to get you, kid. We'll continue this conversation later."

"Alright, Bill. See you later," I grinned, waking up. _Wow, I'm getting better at that._ I closed my journal, and watched Dipper and Mabel walk into the attic. "Alright dorks. What's up?"

"Mabel, explain," Dipper said. Mabel rubbed the back of her neck, and gave me a sheepish smile. I had seen enough of her personality now to know that metal filled grin was showing some stress and worry. _Mabel, what did you do?_

"I, uh… made a bet with Grunkle Stan that I could earn more money than him in running the Shack," she said quietly, as she answered my internal and external questions. I stared at Mabel, and smacked my hand against my forehead.

"Oh gosh, Mabel. Why? Why did you make a deal with a con man?" That was the worst thing you could do! Nothing good could come from that!

"I don't know!" Mabel exclaimed, Stan's fez falling over her eyes. "I panicked, okay! All I did was say I could run it better, and not rely on fake attractions and lying to customers! Elaine, what do we do!?"

"Okay, Mabel. Calm down first. Take a deep breath." Mabel puffed out her cheeks, going red in the face. "Now slowly release it." Mabel let out her breath, and I nodded in approval. The girl was no longer shaking, but I could see the anxiety still there. "That's better. Now how much time do we have here, anyway?"

"Less than 72 hours. They made the deal after breakfast just as we started the Shack for the day," Dipper piped up. "We closed it for a few hours while we got this sorted out. Elaine, do you have any idea on how to run a business?"

"Sort of," I shrugged. Picking up the two journals, I handed Ford's back to Dipper and stood up. "First things first; Mabel, you might wanna look the part. While I admire your silliness, a businessman needs to look sincere for their workers to take them serious."

"Look the part, huh? I'm on it," Mabel announced, and ran out of the room.

"I feel like I just made a huge mistake here, Dipper." Dipper nodded, and looked back from the door to me.

"Probably. Uh, Elaine? Can I… ask you something?" I tensed, and Dipper seemed to notice this. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Elaine. I'm just… I'm worried about you."

"I… I know. I heard you outside the bathroom door last night." I crossed my arms, avoiding his eyes.

"It's obvious that you have secrets that you don't wish to tell me and Mabel," Dipper said. I felt the weight of the window seat change, and I knew he sat down beside me. "There's probably a lot of things you're keeping from us. I'm just scared that you're going to do something you'll regret, or… hurt yourself," he admitted quietly. _Hurt myself?_ Th-that was the last thing that I had thought they'd think of. Dipper thought I was-did Mabel think that too?

"Oh, Dipper." I brought an arm around the boy, and hugged him. "I know. I'm not exactly one to share everything, but… I have my reasons. One of those reasons is how I knew about the party last night. Listen kid," I brought his face up to meet mine, and noticed Dipper's face was all… sweaty. __That's weird…__ "I'll explain everything one day, okay? Just… not yet. Give me some time, alright? I really need to figure out how to say this, so that… that I don't ruin what we already have built here. When the time's right, I'll tell you and Mabel everything. No lies."

"Heh." I released Dipper, and the twin grinned up at me. "Thanks, Elaine." He hopped off the seat, and walked towards the door. "Come on. Let's go see how Mabel's going."

"Right behind you, Dippin' Dots!" I replied, running after him.

(Time Skip)

"You wanted to see us, Mr. Pines?" Soos asked, opening the door to the office. I led our way into the room, and we looked around. The walls were now plastered in girly posters, and there were beanbag chairs, teddy bears, and a tea set set up around the desk. Mabel spun around in the large chair to face us, and scooted closer. The girl now sported a bright blue suit and pink pencil skirt with a red tie and ridiculous shoulder pads. A pair of large black glasses that resembled my own blue frames were perched on her face, missing any proper lenses.

"Stan is no longer with us," she said, crossing her hands on the table.

"He's dead!?" Soos exclaimed, dropping to his knees. "No! It should have been me!"

"Whoa, Soos! Stan's not dead!" Mabel quickly said, not wanting to distress the man out anymore. "He's on vacation for 3 days. We made a bet."

Soos looked up at her, and wiped the tears from his eyes. "Thank you for that clarification," he said, standing back up.

"Mabel's in charge now," I told Wendy.

"Are those… shoulder pads?" Dipper asked.

"Uh huuuuuh!" Mabel shook her shoulder pads up and down. "I took Elaine's advice on dressing for the part to heart. And it's one of the up-to-date managerial tricks I learned from this book I found propping up the kitchen table." She held up a book from 1983 about being a manager, and took a sip from a coffee mug.

"Why does your mug say '#2'?" I asked.

"Because the real #1… is you!" Mabel held up a mirror, and showed us our reflections. I giggled at the compliment, as Wendy and Soos high fived behind me. "Walk with me." She hopped off the chair, and led us to a chalk board. "With me as your boss you're gonna notice a few changes around here. My job is to help you be your best ****SELVES****." Mabel gestured to the board, and started listing off what she had written. " ** **Satisfied, Everyday, Loving Life, Very Much, Everyday, Satisfied.**** Great listening ears so far!" She whipped out several thumbs up stickers, and stuck them to us. I grunted when Mabel smacked the sticker to my forehead, and carefully pealed it off to put on my shirt. "Waddles, hold my calls!" We looked back towards the desk, and saw Waddles drooling on a phone in his mouth. Mabel led us back to the gift shop, and hopped onto a chair backwards that was sitting in front of the counter. _Where did that come from?_ "Alright, people, now rap with me. Wendy, how can I make your work space more Wendy-friendly?"

"Hmmm, well, Stan never lets me hang out with friends at work," she thought aloud. That's because doing so wouldn't allow a calm environment, and we wouldn't be able to sell stuff. I was more concerned over Lee and Nate than the others. Those two caused the most trouble.

"Stan ain't here, sister! Door's open!" Mabel replied.

"Sweet!" Wendy gave her a thumbs up, grinning.

"And Soos, I believe this is yours." Mabel pulled out from behind the counter a large question mark costume and handed it to him.

"Questiony the Question Mark!?" He exclaimed. "I wish this was an exclamation point to show how excited I am!"

"As for you Dipper..." Mabel held up the wolf costume, and Dipper's eyes widened until she fed it into a shredder. _Was that real fur?_ "Die, wolf costume, die!" She dusted her hands, turning back to him. "I want you and Elaine to head into the woods, and don't come back until you two find an amazing attraction!"

"Finally! It's time to show Stan how a REAL mystery hunter does it!" He stuck the journal into his vest, as I shoved mine into my flannel. _Man, I need a better way to carry this. I should start carrying my bag around with me._ We ran over to the wall, and Dipper picked a flail off a hook. I opened the window, and crawled out before him. "Dipper out!" He shouted, only for the flail's weight to tip him over the edge and onto the lawn at my feet.

"You okay, kid?" I leaned over him, concerned. Dipper stared back up at me, his face flushed.

"I-I'm alright," he said quickly. He brought himself to his feet, and glanced at the flail in his hand. "Maybe this is a little overkill."

"A little, yeah. Hmmm. How 'bout we just, grab a sack and the golf cart, and hope we get lucky?" I suggested. I reached through the window, and picked up the cart's keys from the counter. Grinning back at him, I replied, "get some trapping gear, and come back when you're ready."

Dipper's eyes sparkled in excitement, and he ran off to gather our supplies. I waltzed over to the cart, and started up the engine. __I always did wonder how Dipper caught that monster in the episode. Looks like I'm about to get an answer.__ Dipper ran back towards me, and tossed the supplies in the back seat. He buckled in next to me, and held up his hand. "Ready?"

I slapped mine against his, and shifted gears. "Ready. Let's go catch us a monster." I stepped on the gas, and drove us off into the woods. "So… how long do you think it'll take to catch something worthy in Mabel's eyes?" I asked. The breeze blew any loose strands of hair into my face, and I brushed them aside while keeping an eye out on the path ahead.

"Don't know, Elaine. But we're not going back until we catch something that'll blow those tourists out of the water," he said, determination ringing in his voice.

"Hehe. It's nice to see you so determined Dipper. Guess this as good a spot as any." I parked the cart behind a large bush off the trail and climbed out. "What do you suppose we do?"

"I've brought along two shovels." Dipper leaned into the back and shuffled through the gear. "A large sack, a rope, some food for bait..."

"Wanna make a pitfall?" I pulled the first shovel out of the cart. "If we make the hole large enough, we can probably catch something."

"That's a great idea, Elaine," Dipper commended me. I grinned, watching the preteen fish out the other shovel. "Let's get to work."

I will admit, spending the afternoon with Dipper was a lot more fun than I would've thought. Seeing how I was usually always with my crew, Bill, or the twins together, it was pretty fun to just hang out with him alone. Dipper was stumbling over words sometimes when I caught him staring at me as I dug the hole, seeing how I had more upper body strength than him. Whenever that happened, I threw him a lazy grin and winked, making his face light up something fierce.

 _ _Hehehe. He__ _ _r__ _ _eally is something els__ _ _e. T__ _ _hough… why is he acting so nervous around me?__ I paused at the question, but shrugged it off, continuing my work. Eh. If it was important, I would've known. "How's this, kid?"

Dipper leaned over the pit, watching me from at least a few feet above me. "Perfect! Get out and we'll cover it up."

"I would, but… I think I'm stuck," I admitted. __I may have gone a little overboard with the hole.__ "Help?"

"Hold on." Dipper leaned in, and grabbed the spade part of the shovel. With a loud shout, he pulled back, allowing me to get a footing to scramble upwards out of the muddy pit. Dipper fell backwards once I climbed out, and we laid there panting. I had fallen just short of landing on top of him, and I glanced up at his face, equally red. _I think mine is because I was exhausted and possibly sunburned. His might be the same, seeing that we were out here for a while._

"Heh… heh… thanks, Dipper."

"Don't… don't mention it. Let's… get this dealt with." We rushed into the trees beside the trail, and spread out several large branches to cover our trap. "Now… we wait." Dipper whispered to me. The two of us hid in the bush next to the cart, watching the hole.

"But for how long exactly?" I asked curiously. "We don't have the stuff to spend the night out here, Dipper. And I really don't wanna leave Mabel by herself at the Mystery Shack alone."

"We'll wait until the sun starts to set," Dipper decided, smiling at me. "If nothing happens, we'll try again tomorrow-" he was cut off as a loud angry roar pierced through the trees, and we spun around to look at our pit. "Oh my gosh. Elaine, is that…?"

"A gremloblin? Yes, yes it is." The massive creature was wedged inside the pit I dug, its head the only part still out of the hole; mostly because its broad shoulders prevented it from falling any further. It struggled furiously, trying to free itself. I gazed nervously at the monster, shaking slightly. Bill was much more terrifying, but at least he wouldn't kill ME without reason. Dipper and Mabel… I wasn't quite sure. But for that monster there? Oh, man. That… that was a creature that would attack with no planned method. Completely unpredictable. "Dipper, what are we gonna-Dipper?" I looked back to my side, and saw the boy had vanished. "Dipper, where are you-Dipper!?"

Dipper slowly crept up to the gremloblin from behind, holding the large sack he packed. Quickly, he threw it over its head, and I gasped as the monster's head tilted forward. I walked out from behind the shrub, and cautiously up to Dipper, my eyes never leaving the monster. "Is it… dead?"

"It's asleep," Dipper corrected. "I read somewhere that putting a blanket over a parakeet's head makes it fall asleep, thought it might work in this case too. Same works for Soos, apparently."

"You thought, Dipper." I put my hands on my hips, frowning. "What if that didn't work? I mean, that beast almost bested the author, remember?"

"Than I would've knocked him out with the shovel," Dipper put a hand on my shoulder, seeing that I was clearly distressed. Of course I was! He'd seen how panicked I was after we went out the window due to Gideon. I liked to think this was on that same level! "It's okay, Elaine. This will keep the gremloblin out for a while. He shouldn't wake up until we're at the Shack. Once there, we'll put it in a cage, and everything will be perfectly safe."

"It better be, kid. I don't wanna explain to Grunkle Stan how his niece and nephew ended up being ripped to shreds and splattered across the walls like a modern piece of art." Dipper raised an eyebrow at my morbid statement, and tied the bag to the back of the cart.

"That's a little graphic, don't you think?" He asked, getting into the passenger seat.

"Maybe, but I think I got the message across." Sitting back beside him, I started our ride up again. "Let's go. While I drive, why don't you add capturing the gremloblin into the journal?"

Dipper's eyes sparked in interest at my idea, and fished it out from within his vest. I giggled as he started writing in the book, and focused on dragging our find back to the house. Eventually, we arrived back at the Mystery Shack, and I untied the bag from the cart. Only...

"OW!" I exclaimed, finding the bag had started moving around rapidly, and felt the slightly, and I mean ****slightly**** , dulled teeth of the gremloblin bite down on my arm. I yanked it back, and grimaced. From underneath the red flannel, I should make out the dark spots of blood start seeping through the already red fabric. "You were saying, Dipper?" I bitterly said, hissing at the end from the pain. He ran back to me, and winced at my injury.

Poor Dipper. The sight of my bloodied sleeve almost looked a little too much for him. Thank goodness he never saw what was underneath all of my bandages. For me, Bill's branding from our first meeting had gotten me used to the sight of such wounds. __That… might not be a good thing,__ I pondered, before realizing Dipper was talking. "Uh, yeah Dipper?"

Dipper sighed, seeing I had blocked him out. "I said, go inside and change. I'll deal with the gremloblin, alright?"

"A-alright, Dipper." I stumbled into the Shack, and passed a bewildered Mabel. I gripped the railing, forcing my way upstairs to the washroom. "Oooh, this hurts." I shivered, unbuttoning my shirt until I could see the bite marks. Blood covered my arm in streaks, and I gulped. This was not gonna be an easy fix, but these would just be more scars on my already damaged skin, that's all. This… this wasn't gonna be anything new. I-I got this… I got this.

I turned on the tap, and allowed the lukewarm water to flow over my arm, and I hissed in pain. My teeth clenched tightly as I waited patiently for the blood flow to slow down.

"Gee, Angel. Looks like you got yourself into another mess there." I looked to the side, and saw Bill watching me in 'disappointment'. "Couldn't you have waited before injuring yourself again?"

"How…" I hissed again as the water temperature started rising, and I quickly turned off the tap before I burned myself. "How was I supposed to know that thing would bite me?" I sighed, and chuckled darkly. "I swear, with the amount of times I've gotten myself in trouble, I'd think I've been cursed by a demon or something."

"You're not cursed, Angel. Just a clumsy fleshbag," Bill corrected me in amusement. "Trust me, curses aren't really my thing. I prefer to do the damage myself. Now hold still."

"Hold sti-?" Bill roughly took my burned hand, and pulled me towards him. His thin black arms held my injured one, studying it. __Gee, and I would've thought he'd seen enough injuries while possessing Ford.__ "Don't give me any attitude, kid." I flinched when I felt sharp claws dig into the skin below the bite. __Oh my gosh, since when did he have claws!?__ "If you want this dealt with, you'd be wise to keep quiet."

Not my fault I had a busy mind. I bit my lip, holding back any inner and outer retorts. Bill nodded in appreciation, and held a hand out over the bite marks. __What is he…?__ my eyes shone in wonder as Bill's hand lit up in his familiar bright blue flames, the warm blaze hovering only inches above my skin. "B-Bill?" He didn't respond, either to wrapped in whatever he was doing, or just flat out ignoring me. Suddenly, without warning, Bill pressed his hand against the open wound.

"Aahhh!" I gave a pained cry, feeling the same searing pain from my first deal soar through my body. I convulsed under his tight grip, the magic sending jolts through me. __It hurts! It hurts! IT HURTS!__ _It felt as if electricity and fire had a child, and it was tap dancing on my arm. The flames licked my skin, cover the holes and appearing to burn away the streaks of smeared blood._

Bill looked up from his handiwork to my face, and finally seemed to notice I was close to passing out like the first time. My other hand was holding the sink, trying to keep me upright and not falling to the floor. Turning back to my arm, he nodded in approval and released me. The magical electricity faded, and I took a deep, shaky breath. Blinking back the tears, I examined the injury, and gasped.

The holes were… healed. __Now I know why my body hurt so much when he first healed my body,__ I realized. All that was left from the gremloblin's attack was a series of tiny scars, blending into my already imperfect skin. __Just more to the collection,__ I thought somewhat bitterly at the end.

"Ha ha ha! Wow, Angel. This is a side of you I haven't seen before," Bill remarked. I leaned against the counter, cradling my freed arm and stared at him in confusion.

"What side?"

"Kid, haven't you realized it?" Bill sat floated up to me, and slung an arm around my shoulder. His aura radiated hidden laughter, making me even more curious… and slightly concerned. "You're always in some form of trouble, no matter what you do. You haven't freaked out after our meetings in the Nightmare Realm where I forced your body to face me. You're even okay with allowing me to use my powers to heal your stupid fleshbag, and don't care if it's still damaged or not." Bill giggled, and I could tell I was not gonna like where this was going. "Angel, isn't it obvious? Hehehe. You must ****really**** love pain, kid."

"Really love…" __oh gosh. No. NO.__ "B-Bill, NO!" Wrong. This was so very, VERY WRONG. "This… this is a kid's show, Bill! I-I mean, it's not, but it's still slightly one! I-I'm not-! I'm not-! I just… I-I… ugh!"

"Ha ha ha!" Bill laughed, and I roughly shoved the triangle away from me. He continued giggling madly, as if he just revealed an amazing joke, holding his 'stomach'. "Relax, Angel. I'm just teasing. Unless..." he calmed down, 'smirking'. "You LIKE it when I-"

"Do NOT finish that sentence, Cipher," I warned. My face was bright red, and I glared angrily at him. He was doing this to get a rise out of me. He found it hilarious when I was flustered, just as I did with Dipper. "I swear it."

"Ha ha! Alright, Angel. I'll stop… for now," he grinned. I groaned loudly, tugging my ponytail in frustration.

"I hate you, Bill. Really. I do." Bill snickered, and I sighed in defeat. __Who am I kidding, Elaine. This isn't a kid's show anymore. Ever since you've arrived, you've been changing the entire series, and have learned things that were never shown to the audience. This… isn't a cartoon anymore.__ I checked my arm again, and traced the tiny scars. __This… is real. And… I can-__ my eyes widened in horrified.

I knew, back when Dipper and I were time traveling at the very end, that relating back to the show as a bad thing. And I told myself I would stop that. But… but even with all that, and knowing the danger was real, and that everyone and everything was so much different… I had forgotten one thing.

I could… I could die there.

I could die in this dimension, and no one back home would ever… know. My family-my sister… she would never, ever see me again. Finding a way home or not, none of that would matter… if I was killed while adventuring with the twins.

I shuddered, suddenly feeling very cold. My eyes were closed tightly, and I avoided Bill's gaze at my side. How had I not seen this sooner? I'd been in very real danger this entire time, and my entire focus had been on Dipper and Mabel. I had always thought about their safety, and never my own. I took a deep breath, trying to calm down as the weight of that realization settled in. __No, Elaine. Don't have a panic attack. D-deep breathes. Take… take deep breathes.__ I gulped, feeling my throat start to constrict. __Calm down, Elaine. Calm down. Ca-ca!__

My brain started to shut down, and I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. "Angel?" Bill's voice was echoing. Why was it echoing? "Kid, you okay?" I barely shook my head, still searching for air to fill my lungs. "Kid, you're… you're starting to worry me here." I opened my eyes, meeting Bill's… worried pupil? __Help,__ I mentally whispered, not trusting my own voice. Why was he worried? Since when did he worry about anyone?

The demon still held me upright, and floated closer to me. With his free hand, the triangle traced small circles on my back, and I closed my eyes, finding comfort in the awkward situation I was stuck in. My broken state prevented me from identifying how long I was in that position; Bill carefully trying to calm me down, and me trying not to pass out. I glanced up at the demon, and smiled lightly. This was a side that I hadn't seen from the sadistic monster before, and… it was nice. Out of character for him, yes, but… it sort of suited him. Slowly, my heartbeat returned to its normal pace, and Bill freed himself from my scarred form. "Better, kid?"

"Ye-yeah," I stuttered, still taking deep breathes in between words. "H-how did you know how to… to do that?"

Bill averted his eye from me, remaining silent. I nodded in understanding. He didn't want to explain why, which made sense. We wouldn't want anyone to find out the omnipotent demon to actually know how to able to comfort someone, would we? But… how did he know how to handle a panic attack? "It's okay, Cipher. I'll respect your wishes and not question any further."

"Thanks, kid." My smile widened, and I exhaled loudly to break the tension. _Well, at least my heart is somewhat back to normal._

"Oh man. Wow, hehe. I, uh… I'm sorry for that little freak out," I giggled. Not because it was funny, but because I had no idea how to react now. I'd never had something like that happen before, and I wasn't sure what my reaction should be after having one. "That's… not usually like me."

"It's okay, kid. Remember, I still need my puppet sane enough to do my bidding," Bill said. My giggling turned into laughter, and I wiped the tears from my cheeks. I didn't believe that, not for a second. But if he wanted to think it was because he needed my help, and… and not because he didn't want to admit he liked our conversations, then I'll allow it.

"Yeah, I'll try to keep that in mind in the future."

The two of us quieted down, a comforting silence follow-

"ELAINE!"

I spun to look at the door, remembering that the rest of the house wasn't in the Mindscape. __Why are they-oh. OH.__

I had forgotten about the gremloblin.

…

Crud.

* * *

 ** **This episode had so much potential to play with, and I love the bonding between Bill and Elaine. Welp, enjoy waiting in suspense!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	25. Boss Mabel Part 2

****Disclaimer: Welcome to chapter 25 everyone! Amazing how far this story's come, and**** ** **we're**** ** **only**** ** **about a third of the way done!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: It would make sense that Elaine kept thinking it was a cartoon for a while. But after hanging out with Dipper and Mabel and everyone else, she sees them as real people. Since she now knows everything about this is real, it would make sense that she'd realize that she could've died on all of her adventures. Reality finally seemed to whack her upside the head.****

 ** **lex: Too bad! Cliffhangers are the only way to go! Best get used to them in my stories, 'cause there's gonna be a lot of them.****

 ** **musicalocelot: Trust me, Bill isn't meant to be adorable. He'll keep his sick, sadistic personality throughout this story. He's just finding himself warming up to his puppet, even if he doesn't want to.****

 ** **RillFipher: There are indeed many ships sailing in this story. Poor Elaine is stuck in between a pine tree and a triangle, which she is completely oblivious about. If we wanna talk names though, I was thinking Billaine for Bill and Elaine, and Dilaine for Dipper and Elaine.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Thanks for the ship name between Dipper and Elaine. Also, Axel is a girl dragon. Just wanna clear that up.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Who would've guessed that so many people liked my Undertale references from the Summerween episode? Yeah, having Papyrus added would've been nice, but Dipper and Mabel as Chara and Frisk made a lot more sense.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Yeah, well, I try to make the characters as canon as possible without getting all OOC and one-dimensional. Bill's soft side will be a very rare thing, but it will show up more often as he gets closer to Elaine- I mean his puppet. ;)****

 ** **CracksInTheConcrete: So that pain comment… I guess you could say it's a bit of both. But in the end, it's just Bill teasing Elaine. Which I will admit, will happen A LOT as the story continues.****

 ** **I don't own anyone except for Elaine. Asger and Axel go to the core of justice, and Kat goes to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Aug. 28/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"I swear, I'm gonna destroy Dipper if the gremloblin doesn't beat me to it," I grumbled angrily under my breath. I rushed down the stairs after forcing myself out of the Mindscape and away from Bill, and found Dipper and Mabel hiding in the hallway beside the gift shop. The twins were peaking out from the door, while I gaped at the smashed wall beside them. "Dipper," I growled. He turned around, and winced under my furious gaze. "What did I say?"

"That this was a bad idea," he repeated, looking at his feet. "I screwed up big time." Mabel patted his shoulder, and we went back to watching the monster put stickers on its face. My face fell a little at his dejected state, and I patted his shoulder while keeping my eyes on the beast.

"Hey. It's not your fault… entirely. I mean, you said you'd put in a cage, right? You took the precautions to keep it from hurting anyone." I glanced at Mabel. "How'd it break out anyway?"

"That'd be my fault," she sighed. "I thought since he was an employee, he deserved a break." If I wasn't so scared right now, and she wasn't fully aware of what she had done, I'd whack her upside the head. "What do we do? He's awarding himself stickers that he didn't even earn!" Mabel exclaimed, gesturing towards the gremloblin. Indeed, the monster was taking them out of her sticker book, and placing them over its face.

"Uh, got it!" Dipper brought out the journal, and flipped it open. " ** **When fighting a gremlobin, use water**** …" I watched Mabel charge towards the beast, and throw a cup of water at it. _Where did she get the water from?_ "… ** **only as a last resort as water will make him much much scarier****!" Dipper slammed the book shut, and looked at me in exasperation. "AH! Who writes sentences like that!?" The gremloblin roared angrily, and sharp spines erupted from its back.

"Don't ask me!" I yelled, as Mabel scurried back over to us. "It'll have to leave at some point. Right?"

(Time Skip)

 _ _Me and my big mouth.__ I pinched the bridge of my nose, and sighed. We had been stuck like this since last evening, and I could make at the sun coming up over the treeline. The entire second day: wasted. If my mind was right, Stan was supposed to return to the Shack today. But, well… things changed. The deal happened much more quickly, and then everything went downhill. _Still not comparing to the show. I'm just trying to get a sense of time passing since I have no idea how long I've been sitting here._ The gremloblin was still in the gift shop, playing with a singing salmon decoration. "Ugh, I hate this." _Well, at least we could escape upstairs every now and then to give someone a break from watching it._

"Ugh, why doesn't he just leave?" Dipper added, yanking on his hat.

I shrugged, and joined Mabel in watching the gremlobin. It stopped playing with the salmon, and started sniffing around the shelves. __Oh no.__ The gremlobin picked up the money jar, and after sniffing it, started tossing the paper into its giant maw.

"Our profits!" Mabel cried, and ran through the doorway.

"Mabel, wait!" Dipper and me shouted, chasing after her.

"Stop, stop!" She dashed up to the monster, waving her hands frantically. The gremlobin looked down at her, and dropped the jar to pick Mabel up instead. The monster tightened his grip, making Mabel scream in pain.

"Mabel!" I shrieked.

"Don't look into his evil eye; you'll see your worst nightmare!" Dipper instructed her beside me.

"I wish we had an evil eye to show him!" She glared at the monster, only for the gremloblin's eyes to start glowing a bright yellow. "Oh no! Ahh..." Mabel's eyes started glowing in the same eerier light, and my heart clenched angrily. I had no idea what her worst nightmare was, but I could see tears appearing in the corners of her eyes and her body shake violently in its hand. __That's it. No one messes with my twins-__ _ _wait.__ _ _S__ _ince when were they my twins?_ _When did I ever think of them as that?_

Shrugging off the odd thought, I yanked my book bag off my shoulders, having forgotten to take it off earlier. Quickly, I pulled out a small mirror and nodded, smirking. "Hey, ugly!" The gremlobin looked at me, leering. "Take a look at this!" I showed it the mirror, making sure it took in its reflection. In a few seconds, it screamed, and dropped Mabel to wipe at its own eyes. Dipper pulled her away as the monster broke through the wall, sprinting off towards the woods.

"Well at least he didn't do that much damage," Dipper said, trying to cheer Mabel up. I was about to retort that breaking a wall was a lot of damage, until the gremloblin sprouted wings and flew away over the treetops, taking out part of the totem poll with it. The wooden beam fell onto a parked car, setting off the alarm. __Whoops.__ "Oh boy."

"Dipper, it's the third day!" Mabel picked up a knocked over clock, and showed us the time. "We've only got 7 hours to earn back our profits, or I've got to wear that loser shirt all summer!"

"Hey guys!" Wendy greeted, as she and Soos walked through the hole in the wall. The handyman was still stuck in the question mark costume, and was covered in leaves. "Am I nuts, or does this place look different?"

"Wendy, Soos! Am I glad to see you. We've got a lot of work to do but if we hurry, we can still beat Stan!" Mabel quickly explained.

"Uh, yeah. I've got a little headache, so maybe I should like, not work today," Wendy said.

"And I actually just met this pack of wolves, and I think they're gonna like, raise me as one of their own," Soos added. "So I should really be at the den right now."

"But-but..."

"But hey, see ya on Monday," Wendy replied, walking back to the hole.

"Uh, BT dubs, is anyone gonna eat these?" Soos asked, pointing to the melted icy treats on the floor. I glared at the two, and felt my fist clenching and relaxing. We had a broken wall, a wrecked gift shop, and none of them were concerned over our health!? __Don't get mad, Elaine. You're way too tired, you'll just overreact and do something stupid-__

"ENOUGH!" I jumped in alarm as Mabel screamed, and Dipper gasped beside me. "I have HAD it!" She went to the other side of the counter, and slammed her hands down hard on the surface. "I fought a monster to save this business, and this is how you repay me!? I'm gonna get an ulcer from your lollygagging!"

"Lollygagging?" Wendy repeated in confusion.

"Ulcer?" Soos asked, before looking at the girl oddly. "You're acting… different."

"You shut your yaps!" Mabel interrupted, making him flinch. "I've been doing everyone's jobs while you bums have been bleeding me dry!"

 _ _Mabel, I swear, you're making Grunkle Stan proud right now,__ I thought, grinning. "But I-" Wendy went to say something, only to get cut off.

"No buts except yours on the floor cleaning! Now quit loafing and get to work!" Mabel instructed them.

"Yes, Mabel," Wendy finally said, leaning away from the furious girl.

"That's yes, BOSS!" Mabel slammed her fist on the counter, and Stan's fez fell onto her head from the rack behind her. Blowing the tassel out of her face, she turned to look at the mirror. Mabel's eyes widened, and gasped in horrified realization. "Guys, what have I become?"

Dipper and me went to join her, staring at her reflection. "What you had to, Mabel." Dipper put his hand on her shoulder. "What you had to."

"You're in charge, Mabel," I reminded her. She looked up at me, and I smiled. "So, what do you want us to do?"

Mabel grinned at me, and hopped onto the counter. "We've got seven hours to turn this around!" She picked up the money jar, holding it above her head. "Let's go, people!"

(Time Skip)

"That'll be 18 dollars, ma'am!" I took the cash from the tourist, and handed her the shirt. The woman smiled, and walked out the door. Grinning, I looked down at the cash, and noted the extra 5 dollar bill. _Sweet._

While Mabel had taken the lead in getting the totem pole and wall fixed; the brunette was yelling at the workers through a megaphone, I was in charge of the register with Wendy. Unlike the redhead's laid back attitude, I kept myself cheerful, greeting each tourist with a cheesy grin. Luckily for me, this resulted in getting a handful of tips, which I kept shoving in my pockets.

The last of the crowd finally left, boarding the bus that was parked outside, and Dipper walked in. I laughed a little at his outfit. With my help, we had constructed an exact replica of Stan's tux. Dipper even put an eye patch on to get into the role. Now all he needed was the cane and he'd be good to go. "How'd we do?" He asked Mabel. The girl twin had crawled onto the counter, dangling her legs off the edge. Soos walked out from the attractions wing, still in the strange costume from before, and rested his elbow on the ledge.

"We filled the whole jar!" Mabel exclaimed, and we all cheered. "Dipper, can you do the expenses?"

"On it." He pulled out the calculator from behind the counter, and started typing in numbers. I separated the bills into piles, listening to his mumbling. "Minus the money to replace all the furniture. And supplies to fix the Shack, that leaves us…"

"One dollar," Mabel muttered sadly, holding up the jar. We frowned, staring at the pitiful bill.

"Oh, life really hates us," I muttered. "Wait. What time is-?"

"Tick-tock!" Stan kicked open the gift shop door, holding a buzzing clock. "Time's up, kids!"

"Oh, no!" Mabel cried. Stan sat his suitcase down next to the entryway and walked over to us, grinning.

"Nice to see you learned how to dress while I was gone," he said to Dipper. Dipper glared at Stan, while Mabel sighed in defeat.

"How much did you beat us by?" She asked pitifully.

"I won $300 000!" Stan stated proudly, until his face fell. "And then..."

"You screwed it up by betting it all or nothing, didn't you?" I asked. The group looked at me in surprise, and I shrugged. "It's the most logical conclusion."

"Double or nothing, actually. The answer was… please." Stan said the word like it left a weird taste in his mouth, sticking out his tongue while he did so.

"Please?" Mabel repeated, giggling at the irony.

"Apparently that word can make you money," he admitted.

"So, wait," Dipper spoke up. "If you lost everything, then that means… Mabel! You won!"

"We did it!" We all cheered, and I brought the younger girl over to me in a hug. "Congrats, kiddo. Great job." I ruffled her hair, and she smiled at me, eyes shining.

"Thanks Ellie," she replied. I chuckled at the nickname, and hugged her tighter.

"Wait. What did we win again?" Soos asked.

"Well, according to our bet, I guess Mabel's the new boss?" Stan said uncertainly.

"No! No! Don't do that!" We shouted, waving our hands in protest. Mabel picked the fez off her head, and smiled at Stan. "Grunkle Stan, I had no idea how hard it was being boss. This place was cuckoo bananas until I started barking orders at people like you." She handed him back the hat.

Grinning, Stan placed it back on his head, making sure it was securely in place. "Yeah, well, I got to admit, it's kind of nice to be back, ya know?" He pulled Mabel and Dipper into a hug, smiling at the twins. I giggled, and threw my arms around his neck, earning a laugh from the older man. "Okay, okay, that's enough, get offa me!" He playfully pushed me off and released the twins. "And Soos, Wendy," he began casually, before glaring at them. "Get to work! Ahem. Please." The two walked away, and Stan patted his chest. "Uhh! Still hurts."

"Mabel, didn't your agreement say something about Stan having to do some kind of apology dance if he lost?" Dipper asked.

"N-no. No, it didn't," Stan protested, waving his hands in denial just as we had.

"Actually," she put a hand to her chin. "Yeah, I think I have it in my notes here." She held up a notepad, smirking.

"No! That never happened!" Stan shouted.

"Ha ha!" Wendy poked her head through the exit. "I'll get the camera!"

"All right, let me just…" Stan started, before sprinting into the house.

"Grunkle Stan!" Mabel shouted, and ran after him. I laughed, and turned to Dipper.

"You don't mind if I get my friends in on this, do you? I bet Kat would get a kick out of seeing Stan doing a dance made by Mabel."

"Go ahead, Elaine," he approved. Dipper went to follow after his sister, but paused. "By the way, Elaine." He walked back, and took a hold of my hand. __Please don't remove the glove. Please don't remove the glove.__ "Are all of these… from before Stan found you?" Dipper stared at the series of scars on my pale skin. __I… never put my flannel shirt back on after Bill healed me, did I?__ He had only ever seen a few scars and scratches poking out from under my sleeves, and seeing my bandages. Never had he seen them this close before, except for the bleeding of the gremloblin bite from earlier.

 _But… wow. I_ _had_ _spent several hours with both twins, Wendy, Soos… all of those tourists, and not once did anyone say anything about my arms._ "Ye-yeah," I admitted, shocked by the revelation, and the question. "Honestly Dipper, I have no idea what dropped me off at the Mystery Shack, and in such horrible condition too." Dipper released my arm, and I ran my fingers across the faded wounds. "I don't know why I'm here, Dipper. And… I don't know how I'll get back home." __Who knows how long it'll take before Bill takes me back.__ I laughed awkwardly, and looked to the side. "Canada's… pretty far away from here." It wasn't a lie technically. I WAS from Canada, just… one from an entirely different dimension.

"Elaine." I turned back to Dipper, who was watching me in pity. "I promise you, Mabel and I will find a way to get you back to your family again. We'll see to it you get home again." __Dipper… how can you promise the impossible?__ I managed a weak grin, and hugged him. Dipper wrapped his arms around me, patting my back. "I promise."

"Th-thank you, Dipper," I mumbled into the white and blue hat, feeling his face pressed into my shoulder.

"… Mason." __What...?__ Dipper released his hug, and smiled nervously. "My name. It's… it's Mason." He rubbed the back of his neck, chuckling. "Everyone always calls me Dipper due to my birthmark, and it seems like it doesn't really matter anymore if people know my real name. I just thought… you ought to know."

 _ _His name… Dipper just told me… his name. H-__ _ _s__ _ _is__ ** _ ** _real_**_** _ _name. That… that was most certainly not revealed in the series.__ I blinked, feeling a wide smile grow across my face. __Dipper… really trusts me enough to tell me his real name.__ My heart warmed at the sentiment. Everyone called him Dipper throughout the show, even his own sister. And that same thing seemed to carry over into this world. The fact that he was willing to tell me this about himself… showed how much he trusted me. Even though… I've been keeping secrets from him, he still trusted me. "Thanks, Dipper." __Should I… tell him something about me or...?__ "I, uh, wanna tell you something too?" Dipper raised an eyebrow in interest. "Since it's only fair that I tell you something about me now, after you just told me that."

"Fair enough. What do you wanna tell me?" He asked.

"So, you know how I'm very close to Mabel, right? How I've helped her through boy troubles, and when she suffered from nightmares? Like, I act as if she's my...?" I drifted off, before shaking my head. "Well… let's just say she really reminds me of someone from back home that I knew very, very well."

"She reminds you of your sister, doesn't she?" I froze, and Dipper laughed a little at my expression. "I heard you mention her a little to Wendy during the convenience store thing. Plus, it looked like how you handled Mabel's nightmare was familiar to you."

"Heh… well, yeah. She and Mabel are… a lot alike. I see a lot of her in your sister. Probably one of the reasons why I grew attached to her so quickly rather than… than what I thought to do at the summer." I took his hand, and led the way to where Mabel and Stan went. "I may keep secrets, and… avoid confrontations, but I always stand by my friends in the end." I opened the door, and we watched Mabel chase Stan around the yard, shouting about the 'perfect costume'. "Hehe. Yep. Just like her."

(Time Skip)

"I can't believe Asger is skipping out on this," I complained. Kat and I sat at the kitchen table, the sound of Stan trying to stuff himself into the orange sparkly jumpsuit bounced down the hallway making us giggle. "Did he give any reason as to why he couldn't show up?"

"Not that I heard of," Kat replied, frowning slightly. "So… what happened that caused those?" We looked down at my new scars, and I sighed.

"Gremloblin bite." Seeing her confused face, I explained, "talk to Dipper."

"Oh. But then… why are they healed? Did Bill fix them?" Kat asked, leaning on the table.

"Yeah, and, uh… now I know why I was in so much pain when I went with Wendy and the guys to that convenience store." If I knew what Bill had to do to fix my body, then maybe I would've worded that second deal a little differently. "Turns out he not only uses magic, but it's pure magic. He literally used his powers on my open wounds to heal them. Then, he… proceeded to tease me that I like to put myself into these situations."

"Really?" Kat laughed a little. "And that surprises you?"

"Not really. I mean, he's a demon. His sense of humor's already a little… weird." __I would mention the whole 'panic attack' thing, but I don't need Kat worrying about me more than she already needs to. Plus, I did promise Bill I wouldn't say anything about him calming me down.__

That still confused me; yesterday when Bill calmed me down. Just… how did he, the psycho dream demon, know how to handle panic attacks? Someone who enjoyed seeing others in pain? Bill's been around for billions of years, so… maybe he's seen other humans have them before. But then, why did he seem so hesitant to admit why...?

"Hey, earth to Elaine! You still in there?" I looked back at Kat, and gave a forced grin.

"Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, just… had something on my mind." I looked back towards the door that led into the hallway. "What's taking them so long…? Hey, guys!" I shouted. "Are you almost ready!?"

Loud footsteps rang from the attic, and Mabel and Dipper rushed down to meet me. Dipper was now back in his normal outfit, and Mabel had a beret on her head. "Here we go!" Mabel dropped a boombox on the table, grinning. "I've got the music all worked out! Is Grunkle Stan ready?"

"I think so. Dipper, can you go get him? We'll wait outside and set up the backdrop," I said, standing up from the table.

"Sure thing," Dipper agreed. He walked back out of the room, and the other girls and I headed outside.

"Looks like someone already beat us to it," Kat noted. Soos and Wendy had set up several folding chairs and a green screen. A large camera stood on a mount beside the seats. "Excited, aren't we?"

"Aren't you?" Wendy smirked. "Where's Stan?"

"Right here." We turned around, and I let out a loud snort before bursting into laughter. Grunkle Stan was awkwardly shoved into the sparkly suit, his gut very noticeable in the tight outfit. A pair of brown slippers were on his feet, and he still had his fez on his head. Stan sighed, and walked over to the screen. "Let's just get this over with."

Apparently, it wasn't easy as said. Mabel had wanted her video to be perfect, and kept making Grunkle Stan redo the dance over, and over again. Frankly, it kept getting funnier the longer it took. Stan started groaning and complaining on how Mabel couldn't make up her mind, but the girl twin wouldn't let him stop.

"Uh, look, I'm not gonna…" Stan started.

"Do it!" Mabel interrupted.

Stan sighed, and I giggled as he started doing the dance again… for the 29th time. "I'm Stan, and I was wrong. I'm singing the Stan Wrong Song. I shouldn't have taken that chance, now here's my remorseful dance." Kat, Wendy, and I laughed as Stan did halfhearted kicks, completely exhausted at this point.

"Jazzier!" Mabel cried, not satisfied with the dance. Stan grumbled under his breath, and his fez fell off his head. Gompers rushed up to the fallen hat, and bit it, chewing on the fabric.

"Hey, gimme that!" Stan grabbed the other end of the fez, and started tugging it from the goat.

"Is he done now, Mabel?" Kat asked, giggling.

"Hmmm… what do you think?" Mabel asked Waddles. The pig sat in a chair next to her, and let out a loud squeal. "Take thirty!"

Stan put the torn fez back on his head, and started crying into his hands. I shook my head, grinning. _Well, besides the monster and goat, I'd say this was a good time._ I looked around, seeing my friends watch Stan in various degrees of amusement. Turning around to face Stan again, I paused, noticing something off at the edge of the forest. __Is that… Axel?__ _T_ he dragon was sneaking around the treeline, and lifted her head. She sniffed the air, searching for something, until she turned in my direction. My hazel eyes and her toxic green ones locked together, and I waited for her to move. Seeing that I wasn't about to act, Axel nodded and ran off into the forest.

"Hey," a voice whispered, and I felt someone poke my shoulder. I jumped in my seat in shock, before realizing it was just Kat. "You saw her too, right?"

"Yeah." I frowned, scratching my head. "Why is Axel all the way out here? And where's Asger?"

"She ran off into the woods. That's something, right?" Kat hopped off her seat, and picked my retrieved book bag off the ground. Figured since after the monster hunt, it would be best to start carrying it with me whenever I left the Mystery Shack. Even if I was just outside the door, part of me knew I didn't have the space to carry anything important like Dipper. If I needed medical supplies, or something else, it would come in handy. I took it from her after standing back up, and slid it on. "Let's go find her. If we find Axel, we find Asger. We find Asger..."

"We find out what the heck is going on," I finished. "Let me just tell Dipper we're heading out." I walked over to Dipper, who was standing next to Wendy and Soos. "Dipper?" He looked up at me. "I'll be right back. Kat and I are going for a little walk. We'll be back before nightfall."

"Alright Elaine," Dipper said. "Try to avoid the you-know-what if you come across it."

"I will! I've got a mirror with me, just in case!" I called as Kat and I ran down the path the firedrake took. Once we were a safe distance from the Mystery Shack, we slowed our pace. "Kat, be honest with me for a sec. Asger is obviously hiding secrets from us, right?"

"Glad I'm not the only one seeing it," Kat said, fiddling with her bracelet. "He seemed really vague about how he got Axel. I mean, the idea of finding the egg just, 'laying around in the woods' seems like a really stupid excuse."

"It is Gravity Falls, so I could believe it. But part of me wonders how it got in the forest. A cave, or the side of a cliff would make more sense. Besides, why would he keep how he got Axel a secret?" I asked. "What could he possibly have to hide from us. We're his friends… a-aren't we?"

"Of course we're his friends, Elaine." Kat grabbed my hand, and smiled. "But don't forget; you also kept secrets from us about where you were from, your deal with a demon, and who knows what else." She released my hand, skipping ahead a little to face me directly. "Elaine, all friends have secrets. It's just normal for them to tell the other when they're ready."

"Hehe. Right. Sorry Kat, I guess I'm just… a little on edge lately," I replied, my face a slight red.

"Don't apologize Elaine," Kat waved me off. "With everything you've be going through, it's not surprising you're so tense."

The two of us stopped walking, and grinned at each other. This was what I enjoyed. The small little things like having a moment with a friend really helped cope with everything, and just allowed me to focus on not my own dimension, but something else. We looked back down the trail, ready to set off again, until I heard something off the path. Something that didn't sound like birds chirping, or branches rustling in the breeze. "What was…?" Somewhere through the pine trees, I could make out a distinct voice.

"Asger?" Kat spoke up, hearing the male off in the distance. We exchanged a look, before simultaneously sprinting off towards where we hoped he was. I slipped on wet mud, and felt Kat start dragging me along by grabbing my flailing hand.

"Wh-what is he doing all the way out here!?" I shouted, continuing to slide on the wet ground. The path, unlike most I'd used, wasn't one that appeared to be taken often. Branches swiped at our legs, and prevented the sun from drying up the damp earth.

"We won't know until we get there-whoa!" Kat flipped backwards, and I landed roughly on my butt next to her. "Err…."

"Yeah, maybe we should've watched our step a little better," I mumbled. I closed my eyes, wincing. _There goes a clean pair of jeans. I hope no mud's sticking to m-_

"Uh… Elaine?" Kat asked, and I could hear the scared tone in her voice.

"What?"

"You… might wanna open your eyes." My eyebrows knotted. __Why is she so scared… oh.__

The entire forest was now enveloped in gray-scale, just like when I ended up in the Mindscape. __Oh no. No. N__ _ _O.__ My eyes darted around, searching for the yellow demon. "Where is he?" I mumbled to myself. "Shouldn't he… be showing up right now?"

"Elaine." Kat tugged on my tank top. Turning back to her, she pointed off farther into the woods where we were running. To my surprise, now instead of Asger's voice, I could make out someone else talking to him. We stood back up, and slowly made our way forward, the voices getting louder with each step. Quietly, Kat and I crept behind a large bush. Asger and- __please, not Bill__ -the other person were on the other side, and from what we could tell, the other guy wasn't particularly pleased.

"Seriously, Drake? You had like, one job to do there." _Drake. That was… what Bill called him._

"Hey, it's not like I planned for this to happen," Asger argued. "And why didn't you tell me about Elaine earlier? I had to find out through her that she was who I was supposed to follow, and you even went and ****branded**** her!? Why!?"

"Listen, kid. What I do with my other puppets are none of your concern. Besides," it sounded like he was smirking. "Why ask for my opinion, when she and Kitten are right other there?"

"What?" Kat and I sighed in defeat, and stood up. From the other side of the shrub, Asger and Bill stood in a small clearing, Axel now perched on the teen's shoulder. Asger's eyes widened in shock, seeing that he was no longer alone. "Oh no." He looked to the side, sweat dripping from his forehead, and trying to determine a smart reply. Asger turned back to us, and gave a weak grin. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

We nodded, our arms crossed over our chests. Our faces matched in unimpressed scowls, while the teen opposite of me could probably feel the anger radiating off me in waves. "Ya think?"

* * *

 ** **Cliffhangers. Cliffhangers everywhere.****

 ** **This episode leads us directly into Bottomless Pit. While it's a fun episode to watch, it's not really good for anything. So, I have chosen to use it to build on Asger's past, and extend Bill and Elaine's 'relationship'.****

 ** **But anyway, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	26. Bottomless Pit

****Disclaimer: Hey everyone! AngelPines here with a mostly filler, but still enjoyable chapter!****

 ** **Bottomless Pit. Or as I like to call it: the second most useless episode in the entire series. The Halloween episode with the clay figures and severed hands was the worst.****

 ** **But that never stopped me! Here's the continuation of our story.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Hey, take a chill pill! Those grow on trees here. (You stay out of this Dippy Fresh!) *shoves him out of the way* But yeah, I have a thing for cliffhangers. Just try to contain your excitement until next week.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Gotta admit, it's pretty interesting having you write in ciphers. Gives me something to do when answering. As for the review itself; I like surprises. Plus, I only update on the weekends unless I'm busy. Then I update on Fridays.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: A little, yeah. I agree with you though. Happiness is not gonna be found easily when you're dealing with a demon.****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: I wanted a special moment for when Dipper tells Elaine his real name. I felt that it had to happen at some point or other, but this seemed the best time to do it.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: This is a kid's show! …sort of. We're keeping this as PG as possible. I won't lie though, I think I have a problem with leaving readers in suspense.****

 ** **musicalocelot: I had a feeling people would like the fact I included Dipper's real name. This was only ever revealed in the real-life journal, so it's not something you can find easily.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: I know, right!? Pretty much everyone guessed it was Bill since the cliffhanger in Fight Fighters, but this only confirmed it.****

 ** **RillFipher: Well, don't let go! Glad you liked how well I'm playing the characters.****

 ** **Ultimate Spider Girl: Thanks! This story will only get more interesting. After all, we still have the season 1 finale, and season 2 to get through.****

 ** **Let's get this show on the road! All OC's belong to their respective owners, including my own sarcastic Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 1/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Freaking life seemed to screw everything over right now.

Bill's eye crinkled in amusement, glancing from Asger's nervous face, to Kat and I glaring daggers at him. Kat held a fist tightly in her other hand, while I looked about ready to tackle the boy. __Asger. You. Are. Dead to me.__ _I_ stormed around the shrub and up to them, and Bill wisely floated back a few inches. "Asger!" I growled. "What is the freakin' meaning of this!?"

"I-I can explain!" Asger stuttered, holding his hands up in case I was going to swing at him. And, boy, was I half-tempted to! Kat walked over, and the poor teen stepped back cautiously. "Please, guys! Let me speak!"

"Why should we!?" I cried. "I've been nothing but honest with you about my entire problems. I've told you about my hardships, my suffering. The fact I made a deal with a triangular sadistic demon to get back home! And you've been working with ****him**** behind our backs!?" Angry tears ran down my face, and I grabbed Asger's shirt. Axel was knocked off in the commotion, and she gave a small huff, sparks flying out of her nose. But, just like Bill, didn't go and attack us. Personally, I think it was because she knew her owner screwed up too. _Smart dragon._ "Why, Asger!? Why did you do this!?"

"K-Kat? A little help, here?" Asger begged, leaning back from me. Despite my shorter height, I looked close to murdering him on the spot.

"You screwed yourself up, Asger," Kat frowned. "Frankly, if she's gonna beat the crud out of you, I won't stop her."

"You are so ****very**** lucky that violence isn't something I'm known for," I said, voice low in a warning. I shoved Asger backwards, and wiped my hands on my muddy jeans. Shaking my head, I cast a look at Bill. The dream demon stared at me in… approval, maybe? _What, is he happy that I'm going off at him?_ "What're you looking at? You're in just as much trouble as he is." I jabbed a thumb in Asger's direction. "Why didn't you say anything earlier?"

"Because you overreact a lot Angel," Bill 'smirked'. "Drake here didn't want me to say anything; thought he was doing you a favor."

 _Overreact? I'm dealing with a demon! How is that overreacting?_ "A favor, eh?" Asger paled, seeing Kat and I turning back to him.

"I-I thought it was best if you didn't know, I swear!" He brought his hands up in defense again. "You were practically in hysterics when you told Kat and I about your deal, and Kat wasn't doing much better! I thought it'd be better if I kept it a secret!"

"Were you ever gonna tell us, Asger?" Kat asked, walking closer to him. The blue haired girl still stood behind me, knowing I was in charge of the interrogation.

"I-I was, just… not like this," Asger sighed in defeat. "I'll explain everything, okay? Just… don't hate me when I finish."

"Asger." I walked closer to him, making the dark teen back up only to find himself enveloped in a hug. Quickly releasing him, I smiled sadly, but my body was still shaking slightly. "I've been living a lie all summer. I've made a deal with him," I nodded at Bill," to get me back home. Whatever your reason is, I won't hate you for it. I'm just disappointed you never told us sooner." And I was. Part of me wanted to punch him, and the other wanted to hug him. Feelings were conflicted, but I wanted to hear him out before I did anything… rash.

"I know." Asger looked around the small clearing, and walked over to a fallen log. Sitting down, he pat the space next to him. "So… where should I start?" He asked as we sat down on either side of him.

"How 'bout what made you make a deal with the isosceles demon?" Kat asked, before looking at me in confusion. "Is he isosceles?"

"I think he's an equilateral," I said, equally lost. Was he? He didn't look obtuse, and he clearly wasn't a right angle triangle.

"You know, Angel." Bill floated over to us, crossing his thin black arms across his 'chest'. "Talking about my sides and angles is pretty personal stuff."

"Oh. Um… s-sorry, Bill," I grinned apologetically. Who would've thought he'd be annoyed by someone having a conversation about that? "You mind sticking around for this? Something tells me you'll need to hear this too."

"Sure, kid." Bill snapped his fingers, and a light blue glowing recliner appeared, hovering above the log. Sitting down, he stared down at us three humans. "Well?" Asger shuffled, and sighed. Without the boy's knowledge, I slid journal out of the bag and flipped to a new page. __This… is about to get really interesting.__ Well, Bill did say I could write in the Mindscape, and he'd transfer the contents to the book itself. True, it wasn't during our normal gatherings, but this should still count.

"Well… let's start at the beginning then."

(Flashback)

3rd POV

A bright flash of lightning illuminated the night sky of the sleepy town, a booming roll of thunder following afterwards. At the edge of the Gravity Falls forest, a large mansion standing atop the rolling hills. The Northwest Mansion. In an upper floor bedroom, an exasperated teen paced angrily across the polished wooden floor.

 _ _How could they!?__ Asger thought angrily. __After all this time, they… they-!?__ "Arghh!" He finally yelled, and threw himself at the queen sized bed. Asger's hat flew off his head on impact, landing on the floor on the other side. Grabbing one of his pillows, he buried his face into it. "Ugh..."

This was not exactly how Asger had planned for his summer trip to Gravity Falls. He thought it would go as normal; arriving in a limo sent by his uptight uncle and aunt, constantly pressuring him into 'acting like a true Northwest'. This summer, however, went in a complete opposite direction.

The Northwest curse. He remembered his parents telling him about it once, but he never thought much of it at the time. Asger always figured it was a ghost story to scare him into behaving, but what his uncle Preston told him when he first arrived threw that idea out the window. To think, he wouldn't have even heard the truth if it wasn't for being the 150th year since the mansion was built.

"I can't believe that they treated the lumberjacks like that," Asger mumbled, rolling onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling, frowning. "How could they not tell me about this?" The fact his own ancestors heartlessly allowed the murder of dozens of townspeople by refusing to let them in disturbed him greatly. And the fact they never properly cleaned up their bodies afterwards made him want to throw up.

The lower part of the town, where the tourist trap the Mystery Shack stood, had the corpses of the workers buried under feet of mud and clay from the landslide. _Thank goodness Mr. Pines doesn't know about that. I think he's able to sue if he knew, and the press would have a field day._ Frankly, he'd be happy if either thing happened, but he didn't want it affecting his cousin.

Cousin.

Asger turned to his dresser, staring at picture of him and Pacifica that stood at the edge. The two smiled at the camera, with the blonde not forcing it as she had done with a few pictures around the mansion. __How could she not tell me about this?__ Asger brought a hand to his face, feeling moisture. "And I'm crying. Great." _Not complete sobbing, but enough to know this is hurting me._ Sighing, he closed his eyes. "Why, Pacifica? Why couldn't you tell me earlier?"

"Because Llama doesn't want to upset her 'role model', Drake!"

Asger bolted upright, hearing the high, nasally voice. "Who's there?" He reached into the nightstand table, grabbing the small pocket knife his father gave him before he left and flicked it open.

"Yeesh! You fleshbags always so jumpy?" A loud 'pop' resonating throughout the room, followed by a bright yellow triangle. Bill snickered at the teen, Asger's face paling at the demon. "Hello, Drake!"

"Uh… h-hi?" He replied in confusion, looking at the newcomer in his gray bedroom. _Wait, gray?_ All color, besides him, the knife, and the strange shape had faded away, and the creature's vibrant hue made up most of the light around him now. "What the-what's going on?"

"Never met a dream demon before? Eh, not surprising." The triangle zoomed towards him, making Asger give a small cry and fall backwards. "Name's Bill! But name's aren't that important right now, are they?"

"St-stay back!" Asger tightened his grip on the knife. "What do you want from me!?"

"I just wanna talk, Drake. That's all." Bill waved the threat off, not phased by it in the slightest. __Drake…?__ "You seem to have a bit of a problem with your uncle, don't you?"

"Yeah…? What about it?" Asger blinked, and suddenly found a thin black arm around his shoulder. Bill 'grinned' at him, causing the teen to inch away from the contact.

"You see, Drake. I've been keeping an ****EYE**** -" Bill's eye flashed red, and his deepened tone caused Asger to flinch. "-on this dimension for a while. But tonight, something happened to change it. Something that even I'm not aware of." Bill let go of Asger, and appeared to be quite upset. "Something changed, kid. And I need someone to help keep an eye on this 'anomaly'."

"Me?" Asger asked, and glared slightly at the demon. That's what he had to be. A demon. Nothing else could know everything about him. Just… everything about this creature screamed 'stranger, danger'. "You want me, to help you spy on some strange thing that entered Gravity Falls." He scoffed, and let his hold on the weapon slip a bit.

'Smirking', Bill flicked his hand on the side. The knife flew across the room, and slid across the dresser. "You want something in return, don't you? You humans are always after something." The boy was stubborn, but even though he wasn't willing to make a deal right away, the grip on that stupid blade had slipped. Not like he could be hurt by it, but it was best to be rid of it.

"Not always," Asger grumbled. "What could you possibly have for me, that I don't already have?" He was perfectly happy with his life. Not just money-wise, but also with family and friends-well… his aunt and uncle needed some help, but he still loved them. As if he would wish a demon after them.

"Really? How 'bout the fact your family's been lying to you about how this mansion's been built for the past… how long have you been around, Drake?" Asger's heart fell, seeing where Bill was going. _He was… watching me._ Bill had came at a time where he was mentally stressed, and knew exactly what to say to sway his confidence. "If you give me a hand kid, I'll make sure that none of your backstabbing family gets killed when that ghost comes to get his revenge on all of you. Simple, right?"

Asger nodded, more to himself than Bill, but still leaned away. "Yeah, but…" __I cannot be considering this. I can't… right?__ "You swear, that no harm will come to Pacifica, right?"

"Relax, Drake. Llama will be perfectly fine, just as long as you uphold your end of the deal." Bill moved to the front of the bed as he let his arm slip from around the boy's shoulders, holding out a hand. "Well, Drake? Do we have a deal or not?"

"I..." __I'm doomed, that's what.__ "Fine. Deal." He firmly gripped the hand enveloped in brilliant blue flames, shaking it. The fire swirled around his skin, and immediately Asger's eyes rolled into the back of his head, passing out on the bed. Bill chuckled darkly, watching the teen vanish back into the real world.

"Hehehe. You humans are so stupid."

(Back To Present)

Elaine's POV

"And then I woke up in a sweaty nervous mess," Asger finished. He sighed, not meeting Kat's or my gazes next to him. "I've been working for Bill ever since."

"Why didn't you say so when I told you about my deal, or when we went camping?" I asked curiously. He had time. True, right when I revealed my truth was a bad time, but why not later on?

"You were in such a mess, I didn't want to worry you further. After what you showed us on your hand." Asger reached over and placed a hand on my gloved one. "I though it'd be best to wait until you were… emotionally stable."

"Or you just get smart and figure it out yourself." We looked back up at Bill, who was still in the recliner. "You're lucky Drake that you didn't get a burn like Angel here." _You only made that because of how close my deal was to you. Asger's wasn't as important._ Bill, seeing my thought was directly going to him, gave a small shrug.

"Yeah. The wonderful threats you made to my family were enough, thank you," Asger deadpanned, not seeing the motion Bill made.

"So, how did you get Axel then?" Kat spoke up, running a hand across the dragon's back. Axel curled up by her feet, lazily flicking her tail back and forth. "Because right now, your excuse isn't really working anymore."

"Well..."

(Flashback)

3rd POV

"Well, I just doomed myself." Asger pulled himself off the bed, the sheets a tangled mess on the floor. Glancing around the room, he sighed in relief. "At least I'm finally alo-" Asger paused. Across the room on the dresser, a large black oval was perched below the ornate mirror.

"Huh?" Unwrapping his feet from the blankets to avoid tripping, Asger made his way over to the unusual object. The surface appeared rough, and as he ran a hand over the top, it occurred to him what it reminded him of. "Scales?" _Is this some sort of egg?_ Beside the object was the pocket knife. Asger had forgotten that Bill had thrown the pitiful weapon out of his reach in his mind. _Does that mean he could affect certain things while I'm asleep?_ He felt fine, but he could still recall the malnourished, blackened arm around his shoulders.

The knife was now forced upright into the hard wood, at least an inch deep in the surface. "Well… ain't that disturbing," he remarked, and soon became aware of the piece of parchment stuck under it, the knife ripping the paper in the middle. Taking a hold of the handle, Asger pulled it out of the desk, leaving a jagged splintering hole behind.

 _ _Uncle Preston is definitely not gonna like that,__ Asger noted, and read the note. The black ink was written messily, but legible. " ** **Just to make sure you don't end up killing yourself watching over the anomaly****." __How could a__ _ _n egg__ _ _help me?__ _ _What's even inside it?__ Asger looked back at the paper, seeing the added sentence at the bottom. " ** **Look at what I did to your hand****."

Raising an eyebrow, he checked his right hand, and frowned. Scrawled messily on the palm was the outline of a bird, complete with eyes and a beak. " ** **Look, a turkey****!"

(Back To Present)

Elaine's POV

"A turkey, Bill?" I gave a look at the triangle. "Really?" __Isn't that a reference to the deleted scene where he first met Dipper?__ I did my research on a lot of the show, despite joining its fandom late. Some things I knew, some things I didn't. And the fact that although Bill never watched my dimension, him copying that little thing was kind of funny.

"Geez, kid. Am I not allowed to have a little fun with my puppets?" Bill asked, 'grinning'.

"No. Your idea of fun is throwing children off high places and conquering dimensions," I shot back. "I'm just relieved you didn't psychologically damage Asger."

"You know I'm sitting right here," Asger nudged me.

"I know." I let out a long sigh, and pushed my glasses back up her nose. "I-I knew, that something was up with you Asger. Ever since we first met. I would've never thought it'd be this though." Meeting his face, I smiled gently. My trust was… rocky, right now. He didn't appear to be trying to hurt me, or was doing anything to hurt me, but the fact he was involved with Bill when he knew that I was too was something that would be… hard to get past for a while. _I won't be holding it over his head, but it will be something that will be in my mind for a while._ "So you were watching out for me this whole time?"

"Yeah. It's not as easy as it sounds though. You know, seeing how you're always running around the town and forest. He had to say to me, when he met with me a second time, that you were usually around the Mystery Shack. I just happened to be going through the woods that day when I ran into you." Asger adjusted his hat, fixing it on the messy black locks. "You always a magnet for trouble?"

"I think it comes with hanging out with the twins and a demonic dorito." I mentally smirked at Bill's glare, the demon not pleased with the name.

"It looks like it. Uh guys, how long have we been out here?" Kat asked. We looked at each other, and then turned to face Bill.

"You've been at it for almost two hours," Bill supplied. "You might wanna get going though, Angel. Don't want Pine Tree to come searching for you, do we?"

"Right." We all stood up, myself taking the lead, and I turned to Bill patiently. "Bill, would you mind?"

Without a word or gesture, Kat, Asger, and I reopened our eyes, finding ourselves slumped against the bush Kat and I were previously hiding behind. Getting back to our feet, we all looked at each, and sighed in relief.

"Hehe. You know, I probably should have seen that coming," I said, giving a small chuckle. "I've been wanting to know how you found Axel ever since we first met, and after a conversation I had with Bill a while back, I should have known he was behind it. But to find out you were involved with a deal?"

"So, you're not mad?" Asger asked slowly, as to not set me off again.

"Sort of," I replied. "I just… feel more mad at myself, since I was part of the reason you made that deal. Asger, I understand why you had to go through with that deal. Bill's a manipulative little-" Kat threw her hand across my mouth, smothering the rest of the sentence. Once she saw I had stopped talking, she lowered her hand. "I wasn't gonna swear, Kat. I don't do that… mostly. It takes a lot to really get me to swear." I had debated such a concept at the start of the summer, when I still saw this world as a realistic version of the cartoon. Now though, while it probably was alright to swear, I wouldn't do such unless my emotions and mental state were pushed enough.

"Oh. Hehe. Sorry," Kat said, her face a light red.

I rolled my eyes, but continued with my explanation. "But, yes, I am a little upset. Still, besides the gang at the Shack, you were my first friend outside of them. Just, like you guys said before about if I have problems, that applies for you too as well." I looked from him, to Kat. "If either of you ever have problems, you can talk to me as well."

"Deal," Asger smiled. The relief on his face showed how much that meant to him. "Alright guys." He walked towards the overgrown trail we had previously come from. "Let's get going."

The quiet sound of birds chirping bounced around the pine trees, a gentle breeze drifting mine and Kat's hair around as we carefully followed Asger through the woods. I leaned against the trunk of a tree as I maneuvered over a small brook, as he had decided to take a different path than the one Kat and I took. "Now what?" Asger and I glanced at Kat for a second, silently asking her to continue. "Since you two apparently are both involved with the potential end-of-the-world thing."

"And with me as your guardian-slash-watchdog?" Asger added. I shrugged, and I could make out the Mystery Shack in the distance.

"Nothing. It doesn't surprise me that Bill would've been a little surprised when a rip opened into this dimension, and trying to make sure it didn't create any problems for him." We stepped back out into the open, and waltzed over to the front porch. I dropped myself onto the couch, sighing. "Of course, this was before he made the deal with me and we started reaching an unusual truce."

"Yeah." Asger and Kat joined me, and we started out at the scenery, the sun already setting over the hill. The sky danced in an aurora of orange, red, and purple colors. The Pines family, Soos, and Wendy were nowhere to be seen, but I figured they were all inside the house now. It was late enough, after all. "This is nice, isn't it?" Asger asked.

"It is," I said quietly. Axel jumped up next to Asger, and he ran a hand over her head, which the dragon laid on his lap.

"I wonder where Mr. Pines and the others went," Kat looked around. Il shrugged, and opened my bag after sliding it off my back. Smiling, I pulled out a CD player I had 'borrowed' from Mabel. __Hey, it's not stealing if she doesn't knows it's missing.__ I had taken it not that long ago, choosing to listen to some music as I tried to map out the forest's paths in my head. There were a lot. And I mean, a lot. It was easy to get lost, but after finding that out when I first met Asger, I made it a goal to get the hang of navigating the woods. Shuffling through the songs on the disk, I eventually stopped on track 6. __Oh, man. This is gonna be fun. Honestly Mabel, if only you know the purpose of this song.__ Giggling, I handed the device to Kat, and hopped over the railing to the lawn.

"Elaine? What are you doing?" Asger asked as Kat examined the music player. Usually, I had my phone or a mp3 player. This was a classic CD player with a small set of headphones, both pink and white in color. Apparently, Mabel chose to go retro.

"Press play and you'll find out," I replied. I bounced on her heels, leaning back and forth towards my friends. __This, is gonna be fun.__

"Okay," Kat shrugged. The blue haired girl hit the play button, and a steady beat filled the air. I laughed a little, and started clapping along to the beat as more instruments joined in. Once it finished its intro, the beat dropped, and I brought my leg out to the side, and spun around on the dirt road, pivoting as the electric piano played an entrancing melody. Slowly, the song sped up, and I hurried to follow along.

Made Me Realize. To be honest, while the title itself wasn't for the theme song, it ended up becoming the unofficial extended version of said song. The strange piano and beat always gave me a smile and a warm feeling, and I enjoyed dancing to it whenever I did my own walks back home.

I had Kat and Asger's attention, so they weren't aware of my other audience. Soos, Mabel, and Dipper were walking back from the direction of the Bottomless Pit, lacking Grunkle Stan. The three chatted to each other, perhaps about how the hole itself worked, before coming to a halt. Dipper's eyes widened as he caught sight of me running my fingers through my ponytail, lowering myself to the ground in a twisting motion. I brought myself back up, bobbing my head to the drumbeat as it slowed down.

 _ _One. Two. Three.__ _I_ spun on my heel and brought my arms out to the sides, spinning across the front yard. My long hair whipped around my face as I laughed, my feet carefully tiptoeing as if I was walking on air. As the instrumental came to its climatic conclusion, Elaine whipped around to face Asger and Kat. "Kcab srettel eerht," I ended in a whisper, a pleased expression on my face.

"That. Was awesome!" Kat exclaimed, stopping the CD player and running up to me. Asger and Axel followed after her, with the boy nodding in agreement.

"Yeah. I didn't know you could dance," he added.

"I don't," I giggled. "Sometimes you just have to dance, for… no reason whatsoever. I just dance like no one's watching. Usually, that's when I take my walks, so I have to be creative in avoiding roots, rocks, and puddles. Besides, I'm happy." __For the first time since I ended up in this dimension, I truly feel at peace. It's… strange. But it's nice too.__

Dipper quietly observed us laughing at my explanation, not hearing Soos say goodbye as he headed off to his truck. He also didn't notice Mabel look from his dazed face to my rare cheerful one, and the sly grin that spread across her mouth. _Wonder what they're talking about?_

"Bye, guys." I bid the two farewell, and they gave me each a wave as they took off towards the road. Axel jogged after Asger's feet, and I finally put all of my attention on Dipper and Mabel. My smile brightened even more, and I waved at them. Dipper returned the grin, and slowly began to wave back. "Ha ha. Yeah… things are peaceful."

(Time Skip)

" ** **Sometimes things never go as planned. Sometimes you swear that you won't become attached to people you know you will never see again… yeah, that didn't happen.****

 ** **After**** ** **the gang went to the Bottomless Pit and fell in**** ** **-at least I think it happened. I wasn't there-I finally have the answer to why Asger acts so weird and how he got Axel. Making a deal with Bill to be my protector was NOT what I originally had in mind. Of course, this was before Bill made our deal, so both guys didn't even know me in the first place.****

 ** **On another note, I feel the need to talk about what happened during**** ** **Mabel acting as the Mystery Shack's boss**** ** **. I may or may not have had a… panic attack once I realized that I could die while I'm stuck here. I guess, it never really was that big of a deal before, since I always thought of this world as just a cartoon.****

 ** **But it's real. This whole dimension is real. My friendships with everyone, my odd friendship with Bill, everyone that's happening for real. Not only that, but it means that every episode**** ** **the twins were in danger real danger just as much as I was.****

 ** **Now I know why I was so protective in the first place. Huh…****

 ** **The panic attack thing, that also revealed something I would've never suspected. Bill can… actually be nice sometimes, if he wants to be. I wasn't in my right mind, but I can faintly remember him calming me down.****

 ** **He won't tell me how exactly he knew to calm me down, but I can respect that****."

 _ _But really, how did Bill know how to deal with panic attacks?__ _I_ stuck the journal back into the corner of the attic, frowning. I took in my writing from earlier, and from just now, and thought over what I had just learned. __It's not like his normal insane personality.__ "Oh well. It's not something that I need to worry about," I shrugged. Standing back up, I gave one final glance at the window as I walked to the door, and waved. "See you soon, Cipher."

Bill's POV

I raised my brow at Angel as she disappeared from view behind the door, but not before acknowledging my presence yet again. It's still surprising she could pinpoint my windows so easily. True, some humans caught on that I used my image as a mirror into other dimensions, but how she knew I was using it at the moment was something I couldn't quite figure out. A lucky guess, it probably was. "That fleshbag is a mystery in herself," I chuckled, before stopping abruptly. No. No, I wasn't enjoying some weak and useless human's company. The last time I was this close to a human was with Sixer, and we'd seen how that turned out for him.

Besides, she's just a puppet to be used. That's all. Angel only made that deal to get what she wanted; to get back to her own dimension, and away from that one. Once she served her purpose, she'd be out of my angles forever. __Then why am I enjoying Angel's company?__ I blinked, hearing Keyhole say my name. "What is it, Keyhole?"

"S-sorry boss!" He stuttered. _Yeesh, can't that wimp go one conversation with me without being so nervous?_ Not that I was complaining though. It thrilled me to see people I considered 'friends' squirm around my presence. "I was just w-wondering, why do you keep watching that human all the time? You never did that with your other puppets."

No, I didn't. I've made countless deals with countless humans, trying to speed up the merging of the Nightmare Realm with the third dimension, and only Sixer made any progress. "Well pal, let's just say Angel here is a really special case." My eye crinkled in an amused idea. "Hehehe. In fact, she might be paying us a visit sometime soon."

"R-really?" Keyhole asked. I didn't blame his surprise. Unlike Glasses' unexpected visit and Sixer's portal disaster, only Angel had ever really seen the Nightmare Realm. _ _It's only a matter of time before she met my Henchmaniacs anyway.__

"Yep! Why don't you go tell the others?" Keyhole sensed the conversation was over, and floated over to the rest of the demons. The group were chatting by a large meteor, with other monsters drifting around my throne impatiently. __Don't worry boys, it's only a matter of time now.__ I brought my arms behind my back, and started to drift away from the bubble, but paused mid-movement. I turned around and changed the scene to the attic bedroom, and chuckled. Angel was perched on the edge of her mattress, cleaning her glasses with a bottle and cloth. _Huh. So that's what her face looked like without those weird frames on._ A series of freckles decorated her cheeks, and faint dark circles were under her eyes from a lack of normal sleep due to my influence.

 _ _St__ _ _op that, Cipher.__ I shook myself out of my thoughts. __Why are you so fascinated by this cursed human? She's nothing important. She's just a stubborn pawn who already knows the game and her place in it.__

"Then why does she have to make things so difficult?" I asked myself, holding a hand to my eye and sighed, rubbing my eyelid in frustration. "Why do you have to be so complicated, Angel?" __And… why am I enjoying it?__

* * *

 ** **And that's it! Like I said earlier, most of this is just filler, but it's important filler. The next episode will be much more interesting.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	27. The Deep End Part 1

****Disclaimer: Morning everyone! Or evening, depending on what time zone you're in. Amazing how we're actually nearing the end of season 1, seeing how we're on episode 15. But I have a lot, and I mean a lot, of ideas for the rest of the season.****

 ** **On another note… congratulations everybody! We have surpassed 10 000 views! I never thought I'd reach this mark already, but a HUGE thanks for every single one of you for reading and enjoying Gravity's Fallen Angel.****

 ** **I've wasted enough time chatting. Let's get straight to the reviews, shall we?****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Elaine is indeed getting used to her predicament. Hopefully, that won't create any problems for her. Bill is more confused than amused, Asger's trustworthiness has increased tenfold, and Dipper doesn't know what's happening.****

 ** **cookiebook322: You may. It's the extended version of Made Me Realize, the theme song for the show.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Thanks!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: She will regret her relationship/deal with Bill, but only once she realizes the hole she dug herself. And yes, Bill did make a triangle pun.****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: Correct! She was dancing to the theme song! And yes, the sadistic demon is developing feelings towards Elaine, but he has no idea why.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Thanks! And that is indeed the shipping name we came up with.****

 ** **musicalocelot: What can I say? Elaine's friendship circle is really important to her. Who else can she vent to about her problems? And yeah, Bill is second guessing himself. But that doesn't mean he's a softy.****

 ** **RillFipher: Why thank you! I felt it was time to get Bill's opinion on his partnership with Elaine, and I really loved the ending I came up with.****

 ** **I only own Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 1/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Oh. My gosh. This was TORTURE!

I groaned loudly, and stretched my back. The entire Pines family, including Soos and I, were in the living room. I had ditched my shirt, and lounged against the couch's side in my white tank top and the pair of black shorts I had worn for my Sans costume on Summerween, complete with the gloves. It was weird to be finally wearing shorts, seeing how I was in jeans for the majority of the summer, but I was forced into it. It was boiling outside, if the random wildfires were any indication.

Soos had stripped down to his underwear, which grossed me out to no end. Stan was in his underwear and undershirt, but at least I was used to that now. Mabel had ditched her sweater, wearing a pink shirt underneath, and Dipper had gone shirtless. _At least I'm not blinded by a pale chest anymore._ The boy had managed enough of a tan to not force us running at first peek.

Sitting up slightly from my position against the side of the couch, I cracked open the bottle of water next to me, and splashed the back of my neck with the cool liquid. __Ah… that's much better.__ "Watch out, Gravity Falls, because at a 110 degrees, we're looking at the hottest day of the summer!" Toby Determined announced from the radio on the table. I groaned again, and looked up at Dipper, who was sitting on the couch. Well, tried to look up at him. The heat had made my glasses all steamy.

"Dipper." He lazily looked down at me. "I'm not American, so how hot exactly is 110 degrees?"

Dipper mumbled over my answer, before responding. "I think it's around 40 degrees Celsius." __Oh gosh. No wonder I feel like death.__ "All in favor of doing nothing all day say 'ugh'."

"Ugh," we moaned together. Waddles walked into the room and up to Stan's head. The older man was lying in the middle of the floor a few feet from Soos. "I'm gonna throw this pig out of the house!" He shouted, before the pig proceeded to lick his cheek. "You called my bluff, pig."

"On the bright side, pun very much intended," Toby continued. "It's opening week at the Gravity Falls Pool."

"Gravity Falls Pool?" Mabel shot up off the floor beside me, the girl using my legs as a pillow.

"Today?" I echoed.

"Pun intended?" Soos added, sitting upright.

"Quick! To the car!" Stan declared, and tried to get up off the floor. I giggled as I stood up, getting a clear view of Stan glued to the wooden boards underneath him. "Hey, kids, a little help here?"

Mabel and Dipper grinned, and pulled out spatulas from behind them. Where they were storing them… I think that's cartoon logic at work there. Subspace, I believed. I had given up relating to my world, but some things like items appearing with no logical reason made me choose to think of a different law of physics at work. Some law that nobody really thought to investigate, but if one didn't belong there, could see it at work. The twins stuck the flat ends under Stan, and loudly grunted, using as much force as possible to lift him. Stan soon rolled over, and Soos and me winced. Unknown to the old man, the wooden boards had come up with him. __Ouch.__ "Alright! Off to the pool!" He walked out of the Shack, and I looked at Dipper.

"He knows that he's still in his underwear, right?" He shrugged, and we heard Toby say one last thing on the radio.

"And remember to be on the alert for random wildfires!" __Uh oh.__

"Wait, what? Aaaah!" Stan screamed, and we could make out his body suddenly catch on fire off the porch.

"I'm on it," I sighed. I reached behind the couch, and grabbed for the fire extinguisher. "Soos, get your clothes on. Dipper, Mabel, get your swimsuits. I'll go put out your Grunkle."

"Yes, ma'am!" They shouted, Mabel giving a small salute. Chuckling, I rushed outside, the red canister clanking against my leg. __This is gonna be a good d-__ "Elaine!" I skid to a halt, halfway preparing to spray down Stan. Mabel poked her head out from the door down from the top of the stairs, giving me a happy grin. "Guess who's going swimsuit shopping!?"

 _… _day just got worst.__

(Time Skip)

"So… this is the pool," I mumbled. The large area was surrounded by a fence, with lines painted under the water to show swim lanes and a diving board. A small section at the end of the pool was lined off to indicate the shallow end. I could also make out a snack shack, a changing room, and a storage building along the side.

Grunkle Stan was wearing a light and dark gray striped swim shirt and shorts, his fez still on his head. Soos wore purple swim trunks, Dipper wore a white shirt and red swim shorts along with his hat, and Mabel wore a pink swimsuit with a yellow star on the front. I, on the other hand, still had my clothes on. Well, the tank top and shorts, not my regular outfit.

I had nothing against swimsuit shopping. Really, I didn't. But hearing Mabel's excitement over picking out the choice of wear for me to go to a public pool, made me realize I'd be exposing my scars once again. When it happened yesterday, when I had to deal with the gremloblin and work at the cash register before heading off into the woods with Kat and finding Asger there, I saw that in the moment, I didn't think twice about it. But I would be much more open there, revealing much more than just my arms, and that thought made me more than a little stressed out.

"Ah, the pool! A sparkling oasis of summer enchantment!" Mabel exclaimed, gesturing to her surroundings.

"Yeah, nothing like sitting in a moist tub with strangers," Stan argued, about as happy about this as I was. "It's like the bus, but wet."

Dipper looked over to the towel Soos was carrying, and frowned. "Why would a sun need to wear sunglasses?"

"It's best not to think about it," Soos said plainly. I giggled at the odd reply before bumping into Mabel, the younger brunette stopping all of a sudden.

"Whoa, whoa! Stop the presses! Who's that?" We all looked to where she was staring, and I laughed. Mermando was relaxing against an inflatable raft, his long hair blowing in the wind.

"Oh, yeah." Soos ate a corn chip, pulling the bag out from under the towel. "Word is, dude never leaves the pool. People say he's a 'mysterious loner'."

"Well, that's not creepy at all," I smirked. "Still, better than the other guys she's showed interest in. I'll be right back." I held up my black book bag, shaking it. "I need to go get changed."

"Bathrooms and lockers are over there." Dipper pointed towards the larger building, and I strolled past him. I could feel the boy's gaze on my back as I disappeared behind the door, and stepped into a stall. Locking it, I gave a tired sigh and sank onto the bench built into the wall. It's not like I wasn't looking forward to swimming. On the contrary, it's the most summer-like thing I'd have done since I arrived here. It's just… my scars.

My friends, while I may or may not have meant it to happen, have seen my wounds without their bandages. They've been very understanding, but it's just… I still felt very self-conscious. I chose to only wear the tank top and shorts because of the heat, but the idea of wearing a swimsuit made me nervous. "Grrr… stop this, Elaine," I growled. "It's just a swimsuit." __Since when was I so mad about how I looked? It's not like I didn't have a decent figure.__

I did enough activity to have developed a muscular build, and had a little more curves than Wendy. So, I wasn't exactly like the redhead even though some of the clothes I had actually came from her and weren't bought. I shuffled through my bag, and smiled. Mabel showed no mercy in picking out a swimsuit for me. I had to fight for not getting a bikini. Because even though my figure could wear it… way too much showing off. _But_ _still_ _… couldn't she have gone for a one-piece at least?_ "Oh… I'm gonna regret this."

(Time Skip)

3rd POV

"Hey, Wendy, I got the job!" Dipper announced as he ran up to Wendy, sporting a red swimsuit and a whistle around her neck. Dipper held up his own whistle, grinning. _Wow, I'm even wearing a swimsuit themed for the job._ No doubt about it, he was going to be perfect at this.

"Sweet!" Wendy cheered. "Wanna go abuse our power?"

"But what if Poolcheck catches us?" He asked nervously. "He seems emotionally unstable." They looked over to the man, who was doing sit-ups on the chain-link fence. Didn't that hurt the bend in his legs? Wouldn't it pierce his skin, or something? _Probably would be best if I don't think about it._

"Nah, don't worry, man. You just gotta be sneaky about your rule-breaking." Wendy looked around him, and gave a thumbs up towards the changing room. "About time you joined us, Elaine. Nice outfit."

"Huh?" Dipper turned around, and felt his mouth drop a little. "E-Elaine?" The brunette held the arm with the bandaged hand nervously, looking down shyly at her bare feet. A dark blue two-piece replaced her clothes, with small yellow stars decorating the top. The upper part of the swimsuit revealed her scars, which were various shades from red to a pale white; scattering her arms, back, and chest. The top had a strap that went around her neck to keep it up, and ended just below her ribs, exposing her pale stomach. The bottom followed the same pattern, except it resembled a swim shorts and showed mostly unblemished legs.

"Wh-what do you guys think?" Elaine asked quietly. Her eyes darted around the pool deck, nervously checking to see if anyone was watching her. To her relief, everyone was wrapped up in their own activities. _Phew. That makes me feel a little better._ She walked up to Wendy, who continued to grin at her.

"It's pretty nice. Though, why are you acting so nervous for?" Elaine darted her eyes away, and frowned at Wendy's compliment. " You look great."

"I'd… rather not say," she admitted. "What do you think Dipper?" The boy continued staring at her, and she blinked. _What's this about? Is he okay?_ "Uh, Dipper?" She shoved him lightly, and Dipper gasped as he snapped back to reality.

"Uh, you-you look great!" He stuttered, a faint blush on his cheeks. Elaine stared at the sweat on his forehead and the terrified and tense expression before shrugging. Who was she to question what Dipper did? His reactions didn't always make sense, and this was just one of them. She reached up to take her glasses off, and folded the plastic arms.

"Okay? Thanks, Dippin' Dots. Seeing how you're not swimming, you mind holding onto this for me? I didn't want to leave them in the locker. Can't see a thing without them." Dipper took the large blue glasses, and looked back up at her. Without the lenses, he could clearly see Elaine's eyes. Brown, with enough bright green flecks to make them hazel. __Dipper,__ he mentally scolded himself. __Stop staring. She's gonna suspect something if you keep this up.__

"Sure, Elaine." He slid the glasses into his pocket, and the teen nodded thankfully. Turning around, she gave a small sigh before walking over to the diving board. __Best to get in there as fast as possible. At least then no one can get a good look at my arms.__ Elaine climbed the small ladder, and looked to make sure the lane was clear so she wouldn't take out anyone.

"Now, let's get in there before I chicken out." She grasped the angel wings necklace still around her neck, bouncing on her heels. "Here we go. Here we go." Dashing down the platform, she tucked her legs up to her chest as she threw herself over the crystal clear water. "Yeah!"

Dipper laughed as the older girl splashed into the water, sinking a little before popped back up by the edge of the pool from pushing off at the bottom. Her ponytail stuck to her back, and an excited smile was plastered to her face. "She seems to be enjoying herself." Wendy said.

"Yeah. Looks like it," he replied, finally turning his attention away from Elaine. __And it only took a few weeks to finally get her to open up.__ "So, what was that you said about a race?"

Elaine smiled as Wendy and Dipper ran past her towards the supply shack, with Dipper slowing down under the head lifeguard's hard and unsteady gaze. Taking a deep breath, she dove back under the water, and started back towards the wall where the beginning of the swim lanes were. She threw herself up to the surface, and spun around to push herself off the wall. Lifting her arms up, Elaine began swimming to the other end of the pool, passing the rest of the swimmers.

 _ _Now this is a great way to spend the afternoon.__ _ _Nothing beats doing laps__ _ _.__ Elaine continued along the lanes, surfacing every few strokes to breath. Once she reached the end, she bent around and kicked off again. This continued for several cycles; Elaine only pausing to catch her breath after every three laps. After her ninth lap, she hoisted herself up over the edge of the pool, panting.

"Well… I'm done." Standing up, Elaine squeezed her ponytail, chlorinated water dripping from the thick locks. She glanced over at Mabel, who was combing Mermando's hair in the pool. The merman returned the favor with her own hair, both laughing. __They sure are cute together.__ _ _Wonder where they got the combs.__ She walked over to her locker, which was free due to the heatwave that came through Oregon, and grabbed her clothes before disappearing back into the change room. Swapping back into her normal clothes, Elaine walked back out onto the pool deck, hearing Poolcheck announce they were closing up for the night. "Looks like I timed that pretty well."

"Did you like your swimsuit, Elaine?" Mabel crawled out of the water, ringing her own hair. _Uh, well…_ Elaine took her towel and tossed it to her, letting the younger girl dry herself off.

"Yeah," Elaine said, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. __I mean, it is pretty.__ __"__ Um, Mabel… can I talk to you about that?"

"Sure! But let's wait until we get back to the Mystery Shack first." Grunkle Stan, Soos, and Dipper walked over to them, with the twin putting the keys back into the office first.

"We all good?" Stan asked. "Not missing anyone?" They all nodded, and the group started off towards the exit and to the car. Dipper, Mabel, and Elaine crawled into the back, while Soos got into the shotgun seat. As Grunkle Stan started back towards the Shack, Mabel looked at Elaine in a happy grin.

"So, what did you want to ask me?" She asked. Elaine shuffled in her seat, her hold on her book bag tightening. Did she want to say it? N… not really, no. She'd rather keep it to herself, and avoid bringing such a topic up. But Elaine had spoken to Dipper and Mabel enough, and had told herself enough that she had to open up more. _Okay, Elaine. H-here we go._

"I just wanted to know… why did you get me a two-piece?" __Don't mention the real reason. Don't mention the real reason.__ "I told you before a one-piece was fine."

"No. You said that you didn't want a bikini," Mabel corrected. "A two-piece is not a bikini. It covers more. Plus, it looked great on you!"

Elaine blushed at the compliment, and looked at her lap as she searched for a response. "Thanks, Mabel." Flinching slightly from a sudden hand on her shoulder, she turned to Dipper. What did he want? He wasn't part of this conversation.

"You don't like wearing swimsuits, do you?" Oh. Well… guess he was more observant than she thought. Elaine knew he was watching her… oddly, but could he tell she was that uncomfortable with the outfit his sister picked out?

"I…" the car lowed to a halt, and the gang got out. Soos headed towards his truck, and Elaine gave a pitiful look at the twins. "Maybe? Is it that obvious?"

"Seeing how you reacted when you came up to Wendy and me; yeah, it's pretty obvious." Walking ahead of Stan and Soos, who headed off to his truck to head home, the three headed up to the bathroom for Elaine to hang her gear over the tub to let it dry. Mabel kept the towel Elaine gave her wrapped tightly around her body, choosing to change once the discussion was over. "But, why would you be so upset over it?"

Elaine grabbed her brush from one of the drawers, and once inside their bedroom, sat on her mattress. Yanking out the black elastic, she started tugging at the knots in her hair. "It's not, ow, that I hate swimsuits," she winced at the pull. "It's just my… injuries, you know?"

"What about them?" Mabel asked, sitting on one side of Elaine's bed. Her brother sat on the other side, searching Elaine's face for an answer, until his eyes lit up. __Of course!__

"You're ashamed of your scars, aren't you?" Seeing the sudden sharp breath, it proved his question. "Elaine, there's nothing wrong with how you look."

"I know that, Dipper!" Elaine slammed the brush down, letting it clatter against the floorboards. Mabel jumped at the outburst, and Elaine's face immediately softened as she saw she had startled her. "It's just that… only you guys, Stan, and our friends have seen me without my sleeves or bandages. No one in the town has, except for the tourists after the gremloblin incident, and that was by accident. I-I had forgotten I wasn't wearing my flannel then. And… and I don't want anyone's pity either."

"Oh Elaine." Mabel frowned, and wrapped an arm around the teen only for Elaine to push it away.

"See, this is what I meant." Elaine pushed her book bag across the room with her foot, huffing. "Guys, I don't want pity. I don't want to be seen as some sort of charity case. I-I just…" her face fell, and she closed her eyes, dropping her head. "I just want to be seen as someone who belonged. And, that can't happen. No matter how hard I try." __No matter how comfortable I get here, I'll leave one day. And… no matter how much people like having me around, I can't fit in with them. I'm… I'm alone here.__

"Why not?" Opening her eyes, she could make out Dipper's confused face out of the side of her face, her hair blocking most of the view. "Elaine, why would you want to fit in with the town? I thought you liked being unique. Aren't you the one who kept telling Mabel to be herself at the festival, and not listen to what anyone else says? The girl who liked going out on monster hunts with us, comforting Mabel as she slept, dressing us up so we went as a theme?" He took a breath, and said the most important part of his argument. "The girl who said she would be honest with us, and be more open, no matter how long it took? What happened to that girl, Elaine?" Dipper reached out, and lifted Elaine's face to meet his. Misty eyes locked into serious ones, and Elaine inhaled… and collapsed into Dipper.

Dipper looked around the teen and exchanged a look with his sister before hearing a small whimper. Elaine gripped the young boy, and Dipper could feel his shoulder dampen where her head was. __She's crying. Elaine, you're…__ "you're not alone," he said aloud. He brought his arms up, and gently hugged her. Dipper ran his hand down her back, earning another small whimper. "You're not alone. You have Mabel, Grunkle Stan, your group of friends… me. Who cares what the rest of the town thinks about you. What's important is what WE think."

 _ _You don't even know, kid. You don't...__ Elaine's thoughts were slowed as Dipper continued speaking. Why didn't he get it? Why? "We care about you, Elaine. We don't want you to feel bad about yourself." Sniffing, she brought herself up to meet his face. Elaine's eyes were now red from crying, and looked like she was ready to continue. "You're not a charity case, Elaine. You're our friend. Please, don't feel like you're any less then you already are."

"Dipper…" Elaine felt another pair of arms hug her from behind, and Mabel propped her chin on the teen's shoulder. "Heh." __They… really care about me. Despite everything I've been doing, putting up walls to prevent this, they… they got through.__ "Guys… thank you." She twisted herself around, and hugged both twins, squishing them against her. "F-for everything."

"You're welcome, Ellie," Mabel mumbled. She spat out a piece of Elaine's hair that got stuck in her mouth, and grinned. "We've said it before, but I think it's worth saying again; you've really changed a lot since we first met."

"Hehe… g-guess who I have to blame for that?" Elaine giggled softly. "Come on guys. Let's get ready for bed."

The three each took their turn in the washroom after supper, Mabel and Elaine taking the longest due to having to wash the pool water from their hair. After they were in their pajamas, the Mystery Kids slipped into their beds, smiling at each other. "Goodnight Mabel and Elaine," Dipper said, placing his hat on the table above Elaine's head.

"Night Dipper. Night Elaine," Mabel added. Reaching around Waddles, who had curled up at the foot of her bed, grabbed a stuffed rhino. Smirking, she chucked it across the attic, and knocked the lamp over, bathing the room into darkness.

"Ha ha! Night dorks," Elaine ended. With a pleased sigh, she snuggled deeper into her comforter. __You know, besides my little freak out… this day went pretty well.__ She could make out Dipper's soft snoring from his bed, and heard Mabel's bed creak. Peaking out from her blankets, she watched Mabel stick an extra pillow under her covers, grab a bag by the book shelf, and run out the door. __Guess she's going to see Mermando. Hehe. I hope she…__ _ _has fun…__

Her thoughts trailed off, and soon Elaine's light breathing blended with Dipper's.

Elaine's POV

"Bill?" I called out, looking around. I sat patiently on a meteor in the kaleidoscope of nightmares, waiting for the triangle to show up. Shrugging, I laid down on the cold rock, and put my arms behind my head as a pillow. A few minutes passed, and I bit the inside of my cheek in annoyance. "You know, I would really like some sort of company right now." Still nothing. "Any time now."

"Never knew you'd be begging for me to show up, kid." Sitting up, I frowned at the yellow demon. "People would think you're getting attached to me." Begging? Wh-I wasn't begging. I just didn't like the idea of being in this horrifying place by myself with no clue how to get out. I was used to being moved between the Mindscape, and now a little with the Nightmare Realm. True, being moved in between realities got annoying, but it was easier to handle after a few times.

"Is that a bad thing?" I pulled myself to my feet, thankful that Bill was at his normal size instead of the 30 feet one whenever I showed up there. "You're not that horrible, Bill. Well, as long as one's on your good side. Get past that, and you're pretty decent."

Bill laughed, and ruffled my hair. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Angel." He made a beckoning motion, and I hopped off the meteor, the swift change in gravity allowing me to float beside him. We drifted through the Nightmare Realm, Bill occasionally looking back to check on me. I would grin back, my loose hair moving around my face. __Good thing I sleep with my glasses on,__ I internally laughed. Bill soon came to a halt, and I accidentally drifted into him. "S-sorry, Bill."

"It's fine, Angel." Bill grabbed my arm, and pulled me to his side. "Here we are."

"What are we-whoa." A large jagged piece of the Nightmare Realm was ripped apart, with random strands of the fabric of space somehow holding up around the hole. The window in the dimension glowed a fiery red, and I could make out Bill's familiar magic radiating from the opening. _So this is what a tear in reality looks like._ "Cool." The demon crinkled his eye, and laughed. "What?"

"That's a reaction I'd guess you'd have," he said. Bill patted my shoulder, and moved closer to the rip. "I thought you deserved a little gift for doing so well in your deal, Angel. So, since I won't access your dreams without your say, and I can't get to your dimension yet, this will have to do."

"We're going to another dimension?" __Is that… even possible? Wait a minute.__ "This isn't like your other gifts, are they?" I motioned to my burn, and let my mind wander to the journal hidden back in the attic. I liked the journal a lot, but the fact it was originally given as a bribe destroyed the pleasant thought behind it.

"Yep! And don't fret, kid. You've gonna like this." Bill grabbed my branded hand, and dragged me up to the portal. "Don't worry. You should be able to breathe there. Probably. In ya go!"

 _What do you mean I might be able to breathe!?_ "What!? Wait! Bill, I'm not-!" Bill ignored my yells of protests, and shoved me through the tear in between dimensions. "BIILLL!"

I'd been forced into the Mindscape and Nightmare Realm against my will several times; being forced into another dimension through a portal summoned by a sadist nacho… was pretty high-up on my 'What the H is Wrong with my Life' scale. The bright light blinded my eyes, and I felt wind whip around me, causing my hair to smack me roughly in the face. I struggled to brush it away to see, and immediately wished I didn't. "AAHHH!" __No, no, NO! Not the ground! Anything but falling! I've done enough of that with Gideon and Dipper!__ A large forest was sprawled out underneath me, and I was dropping from high above a small clearing, a hundred feet in the air. "BILL, YOU JEEERRRRK!" __Oh, this is gonna hurt!__ The ground made its way up to meet me, and at a few feet from becoming roadkill, the painfully familiar sensation of Bill's magic yanked me up. Panting, I tried to regain my breath from the severe whiplash. My hair dangled enough to just touch the tall grass, showing how close I came to dying… again. __Oh… my… this was-that was-!__ The force holding me in place disappeared just as quickly as it appeared, and I dropped onto the field. "Oooh…"

"Well, kid. Did you have a nice trip?" My eyes were still closed, but I could feel the triangle's smirk in his voice.

"I hate you, Bill. I really, really do," I muttered. Pushing myself up enough, to get my face off the ground, I spat out a piece of grass. "Where… where are we?"

"Another dimension, Angel. I thought that was obvious enough." A black hand was stuck in front of my face, and I looked through my dirt smeared lenses to meet Bill's eye. Looking back at the hand, I hesitantly grabbed it, and allowed the demon to pull me back to my feet. I never noticed, but for being made out of… pure energy, I think, his arms felt pretty close to human skin. Which was odd, because he wasn't made of skin, or bones if I was correct.

Shrugging off the random thought, I looked around to see what weird world the triangle had dragged me to. The forest's trees resembled the pine trees from Gravity Falls except for one, very noticeable detail. "Whoa!" The woods lining the clearing sparkled, like Mabel had thrown a bucket of glitter at them all a dozen times. Their branches radiated from a midnight blue at the top to a royal purple at the bottom. Glancing upwards, my smile stretched up to my ears. The sky was a rosy pink, with clouds drifting lazily past the setting sun. "This is… wow." I giggled, and looked at Bill. The triangle was staring at me, waiting for an answer. "Bill, this is incredible."

"Thought you'd like this, kid. You seem to enjoy this sort of stuff." He started floating ahead of me, and I jogged to catch up with him. "Tell me, kid." Bill's pupil moved to the side of his eye, looking at me as we went through the field. "How are those scars treating you?" __He… oh, he saw that with Dipper and Mabel. Oh no.__ "No need to get defensive, kid. Just figured you needed to talk about 'em, after what Shooting Star and Pine Tree said."

I glared at Bill, and crossed my arms. "I'm fine, Cipher. Why do you care whether I'm feeling alright or not?"

Bill's eye squinted, and we stopped walking. Moving to my front, I stepped back nervously. "Kid, those scars are clearly bothering you; people are pitying you, but the fact you're not even freaking out over our deal doesn't concern you at all? Seriously?" __Wait… what?__ H-he was talking about my wounds, right? Where did this thing about our deal come from? "Most fleshbags would be going insane by this point, plagued by nightmares, and trying to get out of their employment. Yet here you stand, freaking out over scars and the Pines worrying about you." Bill sighed in annoyance. He put his thin arms on his sides, and leaned forward. I met his gaze, having to bring my head upwards. "Angel, why are you making this so difficult? Why are you doing this?" He asked, his tone clearly exasperated.

"Doing what?" What was I doing wrong this time? I wasn't doing anything to anger him as far as I knew. _Oh, please tell me I didn't do something wrong._

"That!" He shouted, and I jumped in alarm. Bill's body flashed a burning red, startling me enough to step back further in caution. "You ****KNOW**** what I'm capable of! You ****KNOW**** what I'm planning! And yet you're acting like there's nothing wrong here!" Bill zoomed closer to my face, and pinched my chin with his hand. Despite his size, the demon easily held me in place, and my desperate struggles to remove the hand proved futile. "Why **are** you doing this to yourself!? What could possibly drive you to the point where you aren't terrified of ****me****!?" He screeched, and I felt his nails dig roughly into my skin.

"I'm doing this…!" B _ecause I kn_ _e_ _w I_ _had_ _already screwed my life up? Because I want_ _ed_ _to pass the time I ha_ _d_ _t_ _here until I return_ _ed_ _to my home?_ _ _Because I… oh. Oh no. No, no, no. You have got to be kidding me.__ "Because I… I like your company…?" I admitted uncomfortably, voice cracking at the end under the pressure. Bill's eye widened in shock, and dropped my chin in disbelief. Wincing as I checked my face for any sign of blood, I looked at Bill nervously. I… I liked his company. That was… not what I really expected myself to say, but… there was truth to it. By no means, did I like the demon. But I didn't completely hate him anymore. I tolerated his presence, and could carry on a decent conversation with him without fearing for my life.

The red color vanished just as fast, as I no doubt left him in surprise. "You… you like… hehe. Ha ha ha ha!" Bill laughed loudly, holding a hand to his 'head'. "Really, kid? I mean, I knew you were strange, but I never thought you'd say that!" He looked away from me, and sighed, calming back down. "You know something, Angel?" Bill turned back, and chuckled. "You're probably the most interesting fleshbag I've ever dealt with." __I… am?__ "Yep. For a stupid, five sense skin puppet, you're the most fascinating one I've ever had the joy of manipulating.

 _ _Huh. I… never would've thought I'd hear__ ** _ ** _that_**_** _ _from Cipher, of all people.__ It felt… nice, in a weird way, that the triangle liked our meetings too. Hmmm… I guess I couldn't call them meetings anymore. Ever since Asger and Kat's sleepover in the forest, he'd been being a lot nicer to me. I didn't really mind, but I just wish I knew why the demon started acting so much… less murdery towards me. The journal was a bribe in the beginning, and our daily questions weren't anything too special. In my opinion, it just gave him an excuse to annoy me in my sleep. However, Bill didn't need to heal the gremloblin bite right there and then, and he didn't need to help me through my panic attack either.

 _ _He's warming up to me, just as I am to him. Not as much of course, but…__ I laughed a little, smiling at the demon. _Maybe that thought before wasn't that far off._ Maybe... friend was somewhat accurate. "Thanks, Bill." I knelt down on the grass, and brought my legs to my chest. The clearing was on a small hill, and gave me a perfect view over the different sized pines. Each sparkled like a Christmas Tree, which became even more noticeable as the sun set behind their branches.

Hearing the grass rustling beside me, I grinned as Bill sat down beside me. He huffed, the plant life under him was most likely something he was not used to. Giggling, I turned back to the quiet scenery. Slowly, the pink sky melted into a midnight blue, and stars began to dazzle high above our heads. There were no constellations I could recognize, due to it being an entirely different sky than the one I was used to, but it was still a sight to behold.

 _ _It really is beautiful…__ I eased myself to the ground, laying my legs back out onto the grass. "Hmmm…" I put my hands on the grass, and shuffled further down the hill until I could sprawl out on the meadow, my head sitting where my body originally was. My eyes slipped shut, and I could feel my Mindscape body drift off into a sleep-like state. __I'll… wake up back in bed… anyway. Mmm… goodnight, Bill.__

3rd POV

 _ _Goodnight, Bill.__ Angel's quiet thoughts filtered through the demon's head, and Bill watched the teen fall asleep beside him. How peculiar. She even felt comfortable to sleep beside him, at her most vulnerable state. Bill tilted his 'head' to the side, and brushed a strand of light brown hair away from her face. "Mmmm..." Bill stiffened, as Angel arched her back in her sleep, and rolled over onto her side. The girl's head mere inches away from his legs. __She's not asleep,__ he reminded himself. __This is only her subconscious. She's just mentally exhausted from the past couple of days.__ Not surprising, since she'd been through a gremloblin attack and getting her trust tested with Drake. Angel even forgot about her daily question to the demon, wrapped up more in his outburst of a question than her own thoughts.

He blinked, snapping out of his thoughts, and turned back to the human beside him. She looked so peaceful, sleeping next to him. But he did wonder… what would happen if... he tried to make her more comfortable?

Before he could stop himself, Bill slipped his hands under Angel's head, lifting it up slightly, and placed it onto his lap. To his confused delight, she smiled unconsciously and wrapped her arms up around his frame, using him as a pillow to snuggle with. "Hehe." Bill chuckled, and ran his fingers through her hair, petting Angel.

His Angel. __That's right__ , he 'grinned'. Angel was his puppet. As long as she remained in that dimension and under his command, she was his. Bill's laugh darkened, and he put his thin arms around the teen. "You're lucky you're so different, kid. Otherwise, I wouldn't be so forgiving in your stubbornness." Even with his friendship with Sixer, he'd still damage his weak body when possessing him and played him around for a fool. Angel though, was much smarter. Even if she was a lot younger then Sixer, Angel knew how to play the game. She was the trickiest out of all his pawns and he loved it. But... why? Why did he love it?

Bill gave one last glance at the human, and turned back to the hundreds of trees sprawled out beneath them. "Sweet nightmares, Angel." __Next time… you get to meet__ ** _ ** _my_**_** _ _friends.__

* * *

 ** **Took this chapter right until the end of the week to finish, but this is one that I've been waiting for. Possessive and unstable Bill is the only way to go. No matter if he gets soft at any point, it won't be for long.****

 ** **Until next time readers! Stay paranoid!****

 ** **Angel****


	28. The Deep End Part 2

****Disclaimer: How peculiar. We are slowly making our way towards the season 1 finale, and things are now starting to get intense. Ooooh!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Bill seems to be the possessive type. He already hates Dipper, Mabel, and everyone else. Elaine is just an exception to this rule. Unfortunately, she seems to not realize what is happening around her. If she keeps going the way she is, she'll end up meeting a fate worse than death… a super obsessive demon who won't let her leave without a fight.****

 ** **RillFipher: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH! Okay, okay. I'm cool. You're cool. We're all cool. Hehehe. Glad to know you liked the ending there.****

 ** **muscialocelot: It's both! Let's be honest here, any relationship with Bill, whether it's platonic or not is gonna be terrifying. Not much sweetness going on here people.****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: Thanks! I've been having a blast writing this since December, and it makes me glad that so many people are enjoying it too!****

 ** **You guys should know who belongs to who by now.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 2/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Yahoo!" __Ack!__ _ _That's a mistake!__ _ _That's freezing!__ I pushed off against the bottom of the pool, and swam up towards the surface, breaking the water's surface. Taking a deep breath, I quickly refilled my lungs. __Okay, more bearable now.__ Brushing the hair out of my face, I bobbed in the middle of the pool, laughing. Now this, this was the life.

Ever since last night's… events, I had been feeling a lot better than I had been all summer. Dipper and Mabel and I had never been closer, and I felt like I really made progress with demon-boy. It's… odd, to say the least, that I had finally admitted out loud to him that I liked his company. Sure, I'd hinted at it in the past, and even thought about it, but I had never spoken openly about it.

 _Wow. how much I had changed in one month._ I stroked over towards the edge of the pool, and crossed my arms along the soaked cement ground. Resting my head on my hands, I glanced over to Mabel and Mermando. I was too far away to hear them, but I could make out Mabel accidentally splash them by slamming a fist excitedly into the water, missing the inflatable raft. "Guess someone finally decided to bust out a merman," I said quietly to myself, giggling. _Still cute together._ I heard small footsteps walk in my direction, and I glanced up. Oh, how I wish I hadn't.

"Why, if it isn't Miss Elaine? How y'all doing this fine day?" Gideon said, leering down at me. _Crude little lilliputian psycho…_

"Fine, before you showed up." Unfolding my arms, I held onto the lip of the pool firmly. "What do you want, Gleeful? Don't you have Stan to annoy?"

"I would, but he went to the restroom." We looked over to see Stan walk into the changing area where the washrooms were. "Now tell me, Elaine." Gideon narrowed his eyes as he focused back on me. "Where pray tell are you from?"

"Like I've been telling my friends, kid, I'm from Canada. Seriously, I know next to nothing about America.," I smirked. "Ask Dipper. I had to get his help in figuring out how Fahrenheit temperature worked."

"You and I both know that's a lie, girl." Gideon clenched his fist. Unlike Mabel and Dipper, he didn't scare me. I had a twisted friendship with Bill freakin' Cipher! Gideon was crazy, but compared to everything else I'd been through after our first introduction and the dating fiasco, the terror had significantly faded.

"Maybe," I shrugged. He wasn't wrong. "But who's gonna believe you? Yeah, I hide stuff from people. Doesn't everyone? What's important, is that no figures it out until they're ready." I gripped the side tightly, and hoisted myself out of the pool, and sat beside Gideon. The white haired boy looked at me weirdly, probably because he had no idea where I was coming from with this. "I know stuff, kid. I know stuff about practically everyone in this town. So," I glared at Gideon. It might've been more effective if I had my glasses on. I couldn't really focus without them, so my eyes were probably all over the place. "If you don't want me on your bad side, you won't tell anyone about me, and I won't tell anyone about you."

"What makes you think you know me, girl?" He asked, but I could tell I had him on edge. __Not so fun when it's you being played, huh Gideon?__ _I was tiptoeing around the fact I knew the truth about this dimension, but Gideon would never say anything to the twins. He was insane, but he wasn't stupid._

I lowered my voice to a whisper. "Because I know you plan on stealing the Mystery Shack to gain 'ultimate power'." I put air quotes around the ending. _Yeah. I went there._

Gideon's eyes widened in shock. "H-how do you-you don't know anything!" He shouted, but his voice was still kept low enough as to not alarm the other swimmers.

"Oh sweet, sweet Gideon Gleeful," I cooed. Internally, I was laughing my butt off. I had only seen him this shaken when he had first met Bill. "I know ****lots**** of things." The pale boy's face somehow got even paler, and he ran off towards the lawn chair before Stan got back to it. I giggled as Stan started yelling at Gideon who had returned from the washroom, but he didn't even seem to notice. The younger male looked in my direction one last time in terrified confusion, and I gave a sly grin and a wave. __Two can play at this game, Gideon. I already do it with Bill. And while I may not win with him, I__ ** _ ** _will_**_** _ _beat you.__ Besides, I was pretty sure Bill and me were tied when it came to who could be the wittiest being in the room.

"Elaine!" I looked back at the pool, and saw Mabel and Mermando swim over to me. "Are you alright? Was Gideon bothering you?" Oh. So she was watching that. Not that there was any harm there, as our conversation was kept quiet except for his shouting.

"Nah, kid. I was just giving the brat a good telling off." I turned to look at Mermando, and smiled. "Hello. Are you one of Mabel's friends?"

"Yes, I am." _Oh gosh, that Spanish accent._ "It is a pleasure to meet you, senorita," he grinned.

"Same here, kid. Mabel, is there any other reason you swam over here besides Gideon?" I asked, putting my hands on the ground before pushing myself back into the pool. I spun around to see their nervous faces, and wondered if I had missed something. "What?"

Mabel and Mermando exchanged a look before the girl took a deep breath. "I need you help to break into the pool tonight and get Mermando out to the lake because he needs to get home because he's a merman!" She took several breaths to get the air back into her lungs, and gestured to the raft that Mermando brought over with him. The merman pushed it away from him enough for me to see the shimmering emerald tail under the water. The fins at the end gently moved back and forth, keeping him to the surface.

"Cool," I admitted, and looked back up at the two kids. The scales shimmered with various shades of green, appearing more teal under the pool's surface. "But why do you guys want my help?"

"Because you're a better driver than I am," Mabel said. "Please, Ellie." She brought her hands together, and up to her face, pouting.

"Heh. Kid, you can put that pouty lip away," I laughed. "I'll help. I mean, it's not every day that you get to perform a jail break with a fish man." Part of me also knew this would mess up Dipper's job at the pool, but I saw this as more important. Mermando wouldn't survive for much longer if he remained there. While I doubted breathing chlorine was safe, there wasn't enough food and I highly believed that cold and ice plus a merman wouldn't end well.

Mermando laughed at that, and Mabel's face brightened. The girl swam closer, and latched onto my arm. Thank goodness I was still hanging onto the wall, as she might've dragged me down by accident. "You're the best, Elaine!"

"Tell me something I don't know Mabel," I replied, patting the back of her head with my captured arm. "Mission improbable is a go!"

"Improbable?" Mermando repeated. "Correct me if I am wrong, but isn't it impossible?"

"Nope!" I grinned. "Improbable. After everything I've been through this summer, I've learned that nothing is impossible except impossibility."

"Does that… even make sense?" Mabel asked curiously.

"Who cares!" I cackled. "It's Elaine Logic!"

(Time Skip)

Elaine Logic. Something I had started to jot down in my journal whenever a new rule, mistake, or fact popped into my head ever since I had started living here at the Mystery Shack. The list was at the back of my journal, containing many scratches and liquid eraser marks from changes. As I drove Mabel through town towards the pool in the Mystery Cart, I replayed the three most important mistakes I had made since arriving.

Mistake number one was waking up in the wrong dimension. How that was even possible, me and Bill had yet to come up with an answer. When an omniscient demon didn't have an answer, there's definitely something wrong.

Mistake number two was making a deal with a sadistic demon to get back home. I may have only been there for a month, but I had experienced those sadistic tendencies first hand. From having his symbol carved into my flesh by intense magical burning, to an invisible choking force.

Mistake number three, of course, was the most interesting: having the time of my life with a certain set of twins while somehow warming up to said demon. My stomach twisted weirdly at the last thought, and I steadied my grip on the wheel. I never meant to get so close to the twins. I never meant to consider them as friends. I was supposed to follow the silent rule of never getting close to the characters in a game or show, in fear of getting myself torn apart when I had to leave in the end… but this world wasn't even close to the show. It was its own place, with its own people.

Good thing I never listened to those mistakes.

"Elaine!" Mabel shook my arm, and I looked over at her. "We're almost there." She pointed towards the pool that was less than 100 ft from us, and I could make out a hole cut out in the wired fence. __Thank you, Grunkle Stan.__ Carefully, I turned the golf cart around, and backed it through the hole, the rear lights lighting up Mermando's form by the pool's edge.

"Mabel!" Mermando exclaimed, swimming up to us.

I ran to the back of the storage house, and started unrolling the hose attached to the side, grinning. __Man, I can see why Stan breaks so many laws. This is awesome!__ Ignoring Mabel and Mermando's conversation, I picked up the cooler from the closet Mabel had picked open with a bobby pin, dropped it onto the back of the Mystery Cart and began filling it up with water.

"But then we realized we can just transport you in this cooler," Mabel finished, leaning against our ride. I turned off the tap, and placed the hose back on the ground.

"Ha ha!" Mermando hoisted himself out of the water and flopped repeatedly on the deck, knocking over a bucket filled with a mop and brooms. He laid still for a few seconds, before getting enough strength to fling himself into the cooler, splashing Mabel and me. I laughed, wiping away the water from my glasses,before a sudden shout made the three of us freeze.

"Hey, who's there!?"

 _How could I forget about Dipper!?_ "Quick, hide me," Mermando cried, keeping quiet in case the other kid heard him. He shuffled around, lowering himself deeper into the cooler. "My kind must not be seen."

"Mabel? Elaine?" Dipper ran over to us, shining the flashlight at our faces. "Is there anyone not breaking into the pool tonight? What, is Soos here too?" He raised his arms in exasperation.

I leaned around Mabel, and laughed as said man crawled over the fence, and dropped to his back on the ground. "I'm okay."

"Go home, Soos," Dipper deadpanned, not bothering to even look behind him.

"You got it." Soos got up, and started jumping to get a hold of the top of the chain-link fence.

"So, why are you two here?" Dipper asked, looking at us curiously.

"Uh..." Mabel and I exchanged nervous looks. "No reason," she said, only to have Mermando cough from within the cooler. Out of the corner of my eye, I could make out the lid faintly move above him. __Couldn't you have picked a better time, kid?__

"Did that cooler just clear its throat?" Dipper raised an eyebrow, pointing at the cooler.

"Don't be silly," Mabel waved him off. "There certainly isn't a merman in there, if that's what you're implying. Who said anything about a merman?" _Way to be casual, Mabel._

"Mabel, I don't have time for your games. If you and Elaine don't give me those pool supplies, I'll lose the coolest job ever!" Dipper shouted. Mabel looked about ready to protest, but I settled my hand on her shoulder. Looking up at me oddly, I gave a quick wink, and her eyes lit up in understanding. I didn't say anything, but the basic idea was passed between us. _Distract the Dipper and book it to the lake._ Just like when I drove the cart when evading the gnomes, I carefully walked back and settled into the driver's seat. However, I didn't turn the ignition. I didn't need Dipper getting suspicious.

"Oh, I understand." Mabel looked down sadly, before bringing her head up quickly. "Hey, look! Wendy in a bikini!" She pointed behind him, and Dipper whirled around, shining his flashlight at all possible hiding places.

"What, really? At night?" I burst out laughing as Mabel threw herself into the seat beside me. Turning the key, I punched the gas peddle and sped off into the night.

"Sorry, Dipper!" I called out behind me, and raised a hand to Mabel. Laughing along, she slapped her hand against mine. "Woo! Point, Mystery Girls!"

"Don't worry, Mermando!" Mabel shouted back to Mermando. The young merman lifted up the cooler lid, and looked up at her. "We're gonna get you home!" He smiled, before a water balloon smacked into the cooler, missing his head by mere inches. Sinking back into the water, we saw Dipper chasing after us in the pool cart. He reached beside him, and pulled out a megaphone.

"Hand over the pool supplies, in the name of pool law!" Dipper declared.

"Pool law sucks!" I shouted back. "And so does that stupid hat!" I swerved to avoid another balloon, having it sail past my head. I really didn't like the hat. I didn't suit him at all, and it made that job go to his head. I mean, chasing us down? Yeah, theft was bad, but so was driving the boat cart down the road at high speeds.

"Look! Gravity Falls lake!" I cranked the wheel, looking at where Mabel was pointing, and headed off down the dirt road Stan had used when we went to the lake for fishing. Once outside of the main town, we raced by pine trees and a large Gideon billboard. __The sun is coming up.__

Indeed, the forest around was beginning to be bathed in a golden light, and off in the distance, I could see the sun reflecting off the water. "I cannot breath!" Mabel and I saw Mermando had popped off the lid, and I frowned at the water pooling out of the open plug from the cooler. __Dipper must've gotten a lucky shot.__ "You must hurry!"

"What do you think we're doing!?" I cried, turning back to watch the road. The welcome sign whipped by us, and we were only several dozen meters away from the dock. Narrowing my eyes, I whipped the wheel around to turn us, only… I had hit the brake by accident instead of the gas. Hard.

"AAHH!" Mabel and I flew out of the cart as it spun out, the machine flying out from under us and landing on its side. The cooler went tumbling off the back, landing on its side as well beside Mabel. She quickly stood up, and I leaned against the cart in support. I had fallen not too far from it when it crashed by said dock, but Mabel was thrown a few feet to the side. "I'm okay," Mabel said, checking herself for any injuries.

"Wish I could say the same." I glanced down at my left leg, and frowned. "I think I sprained my ankle." I leaned forward and rolled up my pants, and slid down my sock to get a better view. The outer side was a nasty shade of purple, and was swollen like a golf ball. "Well, that's just lovely."

"Alright, the jig is up!" Dipper jumped out of his ride, and ran over to us, having to screech to a halt to avoid plowing us over. "Hand over that cooler!"

"Never!" Mabel wrapped her arms around it for dear life, not showing any sign of letting it go. A puddle of water leaked from the lid, showing just how little there still was inside for Mermando.

"Why not? Why do you even need it?" He asked impatiently.

Mabel threw a panicked look at me, and I gave a small nod. __It's not like we have any other options, Mabel.__ Turning to Dipper, she took a deep breath. _If this is the exact same thing she did when she told me, this is going to be a mouthful._ "I needed the cooler to save my new friend because he needs to go home and he's really nice and we comb each others hair and needs to be in the cooler because he breathes water because he's a merman!"

She pushed open the lid, and Mermando rolled out, coming to a stop at Dipper's feet. He looked up at the other twin, and waved. "Hola." _Yep. It was a mouthful._

The merman flexed his tail, water dripping off the fins, and Dipper jumped back in surprise. "Whoa!" He looked at us in shock. "Way to bury the lead, guys."

"Dipper, Mermando the merman." She gestured to the fish-boy, who had got into a seated position. "He's a merman."

"Nice to meet you. Also, I think I am dying." Mermando gasped, and I paled when his face went a light blue, Falling backwards, his head roughly smacked against the ground and he sloppily pointed towards his face. "Water! Agua! Yo necesito!"

"Oh, no! Mermando!" Mabel exclaimed, and knelt down to life his body up. His head slumped against her arm, as consciousness began to fade fast. "Dipper, you're a lifeguard! Give him CPR!"

"Mermen don't breathe air!" He shouted, throwing his arms out.

"Then give him reverse CPR! Doi!" Dipper paused for a second, and sprinted off towards the cart. Reaching into the front seat, he ran back with a water bottle. Now, I'd like to say that I could've pointed out the obvious, and had them throw Mermando into the lake by now. On the other hand,… I just really wanted to see Dipper kiss a fish man.

I had problems. Sue me.

Sliding on his knees once he got close enough, he ripped off the cap and took a large amount of water into his cheeks. Leaning over Mermando determinedly, I held back a laugh as Dipper used his mouth to force the water into Mermando's. Sitting back up, he squirted more water into his mouth and repeated the process. "I hate this!" Dipper informed us before going back down. "I hate this!"

On the last mouth-to-mouth, Mabel snapped a picture, and tossed the camera to me. "Blackmail!" She laughed. Chuckling, I slid the camera into my bag and zippered it shut. This was definitely going into my journal later. _Ah, memories. When this gets developed, I'll give the camera back… and I should probably return that music player too, while I'm at it._

Gasping, Mermando sat up without Mabel's assistance and turned to Dipper. The male twin wiped the water off his mouth, frowning. "Thank you for saving me. But why didn't you just roll me into the lake?" Dipper blinked, and smacked a hand to his forehead with a groan.

"Not your greatest moment, Dipper." I carefully stood up, trying to put as little weight on my foot as possible. "Come on, guys. Let's get him into the lake."

Grinning, Mabel hooked her arm under Mermando's, and Dipper grabbed his other arm. Together, the twins helped the boy down the dock to the water where it was deep enough for him to swim. I limped along behind them, but ended up sitting down on one of the dock's posts. I was too sore to try and make it to the end, and didn't want to mess up my ankle any more than I probably already did.

I fished out a roll of gauze from the bag, and began wrapping up the swollen skin. Mabel ran past me for a moment, and dashed back to the end of the dock with a megaphone. _Ah, right. Almost forgot about that._ Humming to myself as I did up my foot, I failed to hear Mabel's speech about doing anything for someone when you know it could never work out. I also could've sworn, as I finally looked back, Dipper was giving me a quick look at the end of her speech. _Huh. What was that about?_ "Well, Mermando." I saw Mabel smile sadly at the merman. "I guess this is it."

"Not quite," Mermando replied slyly. I couldn't see him anymore, as he was down in the water, but his voice still carried over to me. "This is!"

Before Mabel could react, the merman threw himself out of the water, supporting himself with his hands on the dock as the megaphone floated in the water, and kissed Mabel. For such an innocent thing for two 12 year old kids, I knew that meant a lot to both of them. Who knew if they were ever going to see each other again? It was also extremely hilarious to watch Dipper's grossed out reaction at the sight of seeing his sister swapping spit with someone.

"Whoa! Okay, that's gross." Dipper spun around, his eyes tightly closed, shuddering. "Ugh."

Mermando backed away from Mabel, and sank back into the water. Mabel's face brightened, and she bounced happily on her heels. "That was my first kiss!" She turned to Dipper, nudging him with her elbow. "Hey, it was also kind of your first kiss too, huh? Huh?"

"Please don't involve me in this," he begged, as I laughed openly behind them. _Well, I will admit, that was more memorable than my first kill._ I closed my book bag, having tossed the gauze back inside.

Mabel knelt down on the wharf, and grabbed Mermando's hand, interlocking their fingers. "Goodbye, Mermando."

"Goodbye, Mabel." He slowly let go of her hand, and started swimming off towards the waterfall. The twins and I stared off at the sunrise that rose up behind the cliff, the lake sparkling in the morning sun.

"You did the right thing, Dipper," Mabel spoke up.

"Yeah, yeah." Dipper and Mabel headed towards me, and Dipper helped me to my feet. I swung my arm around his shoulder, and with his support, he helped me down the dock to the Mystery Cart.

"Oh, wait, wait!" Mabel shouted once we reached dry land. "One last thing!" She ran away from us, and down the line of boulders that reached out on the other side of the wharf that were supposed to prevent waves from crashing inland. She came to a halt, and threw her fist in the air,just as Mermando jumped out of the water behind her. "Yes!" She cheered, the mist creating a small rainbow behind her thick brown locks. "I always wanted to do that."

"Of course you did," I said. Mabel walked back over to us, and with a loud grunt, we flipped the Mystery Cart back onto its wheels. "Mabel, can you drive? I don't think I'm capable right now."

"Oh!" Mabel glanced down at my foot, and gave me a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, Elaine."

"It's alright, kid. An ice pack and some elevation will fix that up in no time." I sat down in the passenger seat as Mabel started up the engine. Dipper got back into the pool car, and looked over at us.

"I'll get this all back to Poolcheck. He'll… probably fire me for this," he sighed. I rolled my eyes as we drove off to the pool again, side by side.

"Probably, but I wouldn't be too upset over it, Dippin' Dots." He glanced at me from his ride, confused. _Yeah, that might have been a little harsh, but it's not like he was actually doing normal lifeguard stuff._ "I know why you got that job. It's pretty obvious."

"Y-you do?" Dipper stuttered, a faint pink dusting his cheeks.

"You did it to hang out with Wendy, right?" I asked, before realizing something seemed… off. He was never nervous about talking about Wendy in the show to other people. So then… why was he so tense? "You two had been hanging out a lot ever since you got the job."

"O-oh! Yeah, um… I did. But, after everything that just happened..." Dipper slowly drove through the hole in the fence, as Mabel and I parked off to the side. I could make out the sound of his car's engine dying down, and Dipper walked over to the fence, giving a forced grin. "I realized that… I won't be able to force her to like me, no matter how many things I do for her. That doesn't stop me from having a crush on Wendy, just… that I need to be someone who is… is…" Dipper struggled at the end, trying to find the right words.

"Be someone worthy of loving?" I supplied. Dipper locked eyes with me, and suddenly, his grin seemed more natural.

"Yeah. That's… pretty much it. Thanks, Elaine. You two coming in?" Mabel nodded, albeit a tad glumly, and walked over to the pool, dangling her legs in the water. I would have gone over to cheer her up, but how was I supposed to reach her like this? _I really hope those bottle messages come. That would definitely cheer her up._ I however, shook my head. The sun had finally come up, and the warmth of the summer began to sink in again. The hose still was sprawled out along the ground, there were two holes in the fence, and the pool cart itself sported several nasty dents from the chase. _Ouch. Poolcheck is not going to be happy._

"Nah. It's better for me if I just relaxed a bit until I can walk properly. You guys just let me know when you're ready to head back to the Mystery Shack, okay?" I settled into my seat, choosing to wait it out until someone could drive me back. Stan should have been still there, but… wasn't he glued to the seat?

"Alright, Elaine." Dipper vanished back behind the buildings, and I watched as more and more cars drove into the parking lot and families headed into the pool. Sighing, I leaned back, and perched my foot up on the dashboard. Now… I could think.

We were almost at the halfway point of the summer. Which was a blessing, and… a curse. With Dreamscaperers and Gideon Rises on the horizon, despite no longer thinking in terms of the show, I knew that those events wouldn't end well. For the twins, or for… me. I had started having doubts about what the outcome would be. When Dipper first met Bill, would he still like me? Would he force Stan to have me removed from the Shack? I didn't wanna leave them. Despite how much I had fought against becoming attached, I had fallen in love with the twins. Mabel was… so much like my little sis. Both were extremely energetic, had a knack for arts and crafts, and loved their sibling to death. I guess that explained why I was always around Dipper. He and I were a lot alike too. Brainy, could be scarily serious when we needed to be, and had our dorky moments at the worst of times.

And Bill. I did enjoy his company. I'd almost say I… loved it. The triangular sadist had crept into my mind, and wouldn't let go without a fight. Both of our strange and unique way of thinking had drawn us into a bizarre truce, that allowed me to be around him without any more fear of suffocating by demon magic. Even if he didn't want to admit it so openly, he did like me too.

The confused demon and the fallen angel. Sounded like some sort of tragic fairy tale, huh? I wondered though, if this was what Ford experienced before he discovered Bill's true plans.

Grinning to myself, I watched Dipper and Wendy head towards the exit of the pool, both in their normal gear. _Wait, so… was Dipper here all night to keep stuff from being stolen? Had he been in those clothes all day yesterday and this morning?_ However, before he could follow Wendy off towards the main road, about halfway through the parking lot, Dipper looked over at me. Smiling, I gave a small two-fingered salute. __What are you waiting for, Dippin' Dots? Go get her!__

Dipper's eyes darted from me to Wendy, then me again. He seemed… conflicted. I was too far away to hear what he said to the redhead, but before I knew it, he walked over to me. Wendy herself, still with a smile on her face, headed off to the sidewalk and went on her way. "Uh… Dipper? What are you doing? You're missing your chance with her here."

"No, I'm not." Dipper sat down in the driver's seat, and started up the cart. "Right now, you're more important." _I… what? This… this wasn't_ _how I-huh?_ "Now, c'mon. Let's go home and get some ice on that ankle."

"Wh-what about Mabel?" I asked, the pool disappearing behind us. What was happenng? Why was Dipper choosing to take me back to the Shack, instead of hanging out with Wendy? The pine trees became to thicken around us, and we drove down the dirt road to the Mystery Shack. "How's she getting home?"

"Grunkle Stan is still there. He'll drive her home," Dipper said, finally answering me. He parked against the house, and with his help, I got out of the cart and we headed into the house. Stan hadn't locked it when he left, so we easily made our way into the living room. Settling down onto the couch, Dipper dragged a chair over from the table and supported my foot on the seat. __Wow, Dipper. You really don't have to do this, you know that right?__ But it felt nice, that someone besides Stan, and to a lesser extent Bill, would be willing to help fix my injuries. __I'm such a klutz,__ I sighed, smiling as Dipper felt around the swollen flesh, checking for any anomalies.

"It's just swollen, no breaks or anything," he concluded. "I'll be right back with a bag of ice, Elaine."

"Alright… Mason." Dipper froze in the doorway, almost tripping over his own feet, and I gave a thankful nod. I guess he wasn't used to anyone calling him by his real name. I had no idea if his parents did or not, but judging from that reaction, I was thinking not. A faint smile crept across his face, along with another blush, and he headed off to the kitchen to get the ice.

Glancing around, I reached into my bag, and slid my journal out. Clicking open my pen, I began writing. " ** **I'm… scared, about what is to come for me, Mabel, and Dipper.**** ** **While the exact days are unknown to me, I know that it is only a matter of time before Gideon summons Bill. How the twins, specifically Dipper, will react to my deal.****

 ** **I've been able to deal with my scars, my realization of possible death, and bonding with supposedly cartoon characters. I**** ** **should be able to handle anything at this point, but… it's still a concern.****

 **But really, after everything I've gone through already, what could be worse**?"

* * *

 ** **Such famous last words, Elaine.****

 ** **Dreamscaperers is an episode I've been wanting to write the most about for season 1. And at the rate I'm working at, it'll hopefully, and I mean HOPEFULLY, be out before the summer.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	29. Carpet Diem

****Disclaimer: Hey everybody! Thanks for helping reach our 100 review milestone!****

 ** **RillFipher: Seeing how long I've had Kat to work with, it's definitely been a long time! As for Elaine, wouldn't you reflect on the mess you found yourself in too?****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: Yep! Murphy's Law's gonna kick in any moment now!****

 ** **StargladesTime: Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the story!****

 ** **SnowyFalls: Hello! It's nice that you binge-read my story, and I'm glad you're liking it. Luckily for you, it's not done yet! As for Elaine and visiting the Nightmare Realm, and Bill and his possessive-thing… this is the chapter for you!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Ye-up! Things are gonna go downhill really, really quickly. First you get thrown off a hundred foot cliff, then you find yourself having mixed feelings for your demon friend possessing Dippin' Dots. What a world, huh. But as for Elaine… that won't be answered yet. As she deals with Bill just to have a method of getting home, it still remains a mystery as to how she jumped dimensions. We'll just have to be patient.****

 ** **Haruka Akatsuki: Hello new reader! I've seen only a few dimensional hopping stories with Gravity Falls, but I wanted to do a twist on it. But how far can one get when they haven't seen the entire series…?****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Oh, she definitely knows what he seems. Unfortunately, she doesn't know his TRUE plans yet, and there's nothing to stop her from getting comfortable with Bill. And that's not a joke for the Internet to enjoy!****

 ** **I seriously hope to get season 1 finished soon. I have big plans for this summer, and I hope that they won't interfere with Gravity's Fallen Angel.****

 ** **I don't own anything except Elaine. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 6/18**

* * *

3rd POV

 _ _Something's going to happen t__ _ _oday__ _ _,__ Elaine thought as she wrapped her legs around the wooden post stretching out from the small loft in the attic bedroom. __I can feel it.__ Grinning to herself, she yanked on her rope, checking to see if it was tight enough. "And we're good!" A quick check underneath the loft let her see there was no large objects under her project. "Here we go." Locking her fingers around the beam, Elaine carefully brought herself off the floor, and into the homemade hammock she'd built. The comforter she used from her mattress was now a cozy bed itself, and she giggled at her cleverness. "No summer is truly complete without a hammock to rest in," Elaine sighed.

"Is that even safe?" She leaned over the edge, looking down at Dipper's nervous face. Mabel and him had set up a large miniature golf course around the room, and due to the limited space, Elaine's bed was now standing upright against the wall. Her solution? A sketchy hammock hanging more than 10 feet above the floor only accessible by the loft used for storage.

"Probably not," Elaine shrugged, feeling herself sway back and forth. "But I've always wanted to do this."

"But couldn't you have just moved your bed up to the loft?" Mabel asked, setting the golf ball down on the tee.

"And where's the fun in that, Mabel?" She asked, smirking. "I like living on the edge." _And there was no room up here for that. Don't think I can lift the mattress up here to begin with._

"Apparently, the edge is 3 feet away," Dipper said. Laughing, Elaine twisted herself around so she could easily lean over and watch the game. Mabel hit the golf ball, a plastic eyeball they had stolen from the gift shop, and it rolled into a clear plastic cup.

"Hwaah!" Mabel cheered. "Total domination! I am the master of Attic Stuff Mini-golf! From the mighty Swiss Alps!" Elaine glanced at the paper towel ramp they made, leading up to a fan she 'borrowed' from Stan. "To the badlands of Dipper's old laundry where man fears to tread!" __The skull head was a nice touch.__

Elaine let out a loud snort at the girl's excitement, and Dipper rolled his eyes. "Alright, let a pro on the field, or floor. Whatever." He shook his hips, getting into the feel, and swung his club. The ball flew through the air, bouncing off the ceiling above him, shattered a light bulb, flew through the diver's helmet on the floor, ran down the ramp by the Eiffel Tower sculpture, and finally soared through the triangle window.

"Ah, my head! It hit me right in the head!" They heard Grunkle Stan shout from outside, as bits of glass fell onto the dresser beneath the window.

"What an aim!" Elaine remarked.

"Yes! Stan shot!" Dipper exclaimed. "Is that legal?" The three turned to look at Waddles, Mabel's top hat sitting on his head. The pig happily chewed on the score card, oinking to himself.

"The judge says it's out of bounds," Mabel concluded, speaking for Waddles.

"You're out of bounds!" Dipper jabbed the golf club at Mabel's stomach, laughing.

"Hey! Watch it!" She jabbed him back, and soon the two were wrapped up in a poking war. Elaine swung her legs from the bed, smiling down at them. __I missed things like this,__ she thought to herself. Her sister and herself would set up random junk in their room and do the exact same thing, minus the shattered window and human skull. _Technically, it was more bowling than mini-golf. But the idea's still the same._ __I wonder… what she's doing right now?__

A loud ringing cut off her thoughts, and she noticed Mabel's Meow o'clock clock had started ringing. "Seven already?" She said aloud.

"Hey, guys." Mabel handed Dipper her club, and ran over to her bed. "I gotta go hang out with Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica tonight."

"Pacifica?" __Am I hearing that right?__ "You invited her too?"

"Yep! She's really fun once you get passed the whole rich girl thing." Mabel ran over to Waddles, adjusting the falling hat on his head. "I had to get Asger to pass along the message." She looked back at Elaine, seeing slight confusion. "Oh. I had Wendy tell Asger, and then he told Pacifica."

 _Ah. That makes sense. She_ didn't think Mabel knew about Pacifica's parents, but after Summerween, the four girls did seem to be on slightly better terms. Not complete friends, but it was better than if nothing had happened. How a simple decision could affect that much was interesting, and Elaine wondered if that would happen again. _Hopefully, nothing too drastic._

"Aw, again? You can't leave mid-game," Dipper frowned.

"Don't be silly, I'm not leaving. My friends are coming to me!" Mabel pointed at herself with her thumbs, grinning.

"Wait, what? Oh no. No, no, no. Sleeping bags?" He glanced over at the purple and pink bags on her bed. "Rom-coms?" Elaine looked underneath her, seeing a stack of DVD's on the table below. "Calling All Boys: Preteen Edition!?" __How did she even set that up without us noticing?__ Elaine blinked in confusion, looking around the room herself as Dipper called out the items Mabel had brought out. "You're not having a-"

The door flew open, and Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica walked in. The three girls each held a sleeping bag, grinning. "Sleepover!"

The boy began screaming bloody murder, and a flash of lightning lit up his face from outside. _Oh, I hope that's dry lightning. Dipper does not need to be outside in a storm._ "This, is gonna be a long evening," Elaine sighed, shaking her head.

(Time Skip)

"There we go, all set up here." Elaine looked at her set-up, nodding in approval. While her hammock was set up far enough from the girls, she wouldn't be able to handle the screaming from them. So, the brunette had called up Asger and Kat to have their own get-together. Two large bowls of popcorn sat on the table that she dragged over to the couch, along with a case of Pitt Cola and a bowl of cheesies.

"Well, aren't you prepared, Elaine." Looking around, she grinned at the two teens in the doorway. Asger held a bag filled with DVD's, and Kat's normally loose blue hair was done up in a french braid. Axel walked in beside her owner, the dragon standing at Asger's knees.

"Yep. See that Axel's grown a fair bit since last time," Elaine noted, adjusting the blankets on the couch. _You know, if my mind wasn't so messed up when I first awoke here, I might have missed the fact this is the same blanket Stan had wrapped me in._ A brown wool blanket, several patches sewn into it to keep it together. _Hmm. That was nice of him._

"Not quite sure if it's a dragon thing, or it's because she came from Bill," Asger shrugged. "Anything that could be natural for her might have been altered. But I'm not complaining. So, what movies are we watching tonight?"

"Nothing too crazy. We have kids running around here, and I don't want the girls to see anything messed up." __If we ended up watching something like Friday the 13th__ _ _or Nightmare on Elm Street, I'll would be up for days.__ Sitting down in the middle of the couch, Elaine patted the cushions beside her. Kat sat down on her left, and Asger went on the right, with Axel curling up at his feet, breathing softly.

"Alright then, have a look at my movies." Asger handed her a bag he brought with him, and Elaine began to shuffle through it. "Out of curiosity, what is Dipper up to right now?"

"I was gonna ask the same thing," Kat joined in. She had taken the blanket and began to spread it out over their laps. "I'm pretty certain he wouldn't be interested in rom-coms and board games."

"No. If he comes down at some point, I'm gonna invite him to join us." Elaine grabbed a film out of the bag, and read the backside of the case. __Looks like some sort of Harry Potter rip-off. Well, seeing that__ _ _this dimension is similar to a Disney cartoon,__ _ _it makes sense that things wouldn't be exactly the same.__ "This one."

"Nice choice," he agreed. "I got it." Taking the case, he got down in front of the TV and popped it into the player. Elaine picked the remote, and switched to the right setting.

The film began after a few previews, and as the Harry lookalike found out he was a wizard by a half-ogre, footsteps sounded from upstairs, and they turned to see Dipper stand at the doorway. _Ogre. Not a giant. Strange choice to make, but okay._ "Sup, Dippin' Dots," Elaine greeted with a wave. "Having fun?"

"You and I both know that's a lie, Elaine," Dipper frowned. The faint traces of makeup were still seen on his face, and he went to wipe at the lipstick Grenda smeared on his mouth. _Eugh. Most of it got it in my mouth. Gross._ "What are you guys up to?"

"Watching a movie. Eating popcorn," Kat held up the two bowls. "Normal squad goals."

"You want to join us, kid?" Asger asked. Dipper looked from him, then to Elaine's anxious face. __She really wants me to say yes,__ he thought, almost giving a laugh The older teen was watching him intently, her brows knitted together and he could make out Elaine was chewing the inside of her mouth. __Probably a nervous habit,__ Dipper reasoned. __Cute…__

"Sure thing." Dipper walked over to the three teenagers, and sat in between Asger and Elaine. "Kat, can you pass me a pop?"

"Here, kid." The girl tossed him a pink can, and he nodded in appreciation.

The movie marathon ran until midnight, with the four watching the first and second film. Kat was the first to fall asleep, her head falling against Elaine's shoulder. Axel and Asger went together. The dragon had jumped up onto Asger's lap, and he fell asleep petting her. His head slumped forward, making his hat fall off his head and onto Axel's scaly form.

Dipper was the last to go to sleep, something that he was thankful for, and regretted. Elaine, as she was falling asleep, ended up snugging up to him in her half-awake daze. The young boy had squirmed in her hold, at first extremely uncomfortable. What the-what was she doing? Was she awake? Asleep? "Uh, E-Elaine?"

"Mmm…?" She hummed, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. Kat slid down from Elaine's shoulder, and her body slumped down onto her lap just as she had done during their first movie night. "Diiippeerrr?"

"Can you… let go of me? Please?" He asked, the dark room hiding his growing blush. __Don't freak out, Dipper. She's not fully awake. She doesn't know what she's doing.__ _The teen was stuck in the middle, barely able to process what she was saying, or what she was doing._ _N-nothing to freak about there. No._

Elaine softly shook her head, and brought herself up to place her chin on Dipper's head. "Nooooo..." Dipper laughed quietly as she suddenly started snoring, having passed out on top of him. _Oh man._ She should be really, really glad she was so tired. If she thought falling asleep on him during the drive to the convenience store, she'd flip if she knew about this.

"Heh… you really are something else, Elaine," he grabbed Elaine around her shoulders, and adjusted her position. Once she was back on his shoulder and not his head, she eased up on her hug, and smiled peacefully. " can't wait to tell Mabel you act like a drunk when you're sleep deprived." _ _No wonder she insists on going to bed early. This is adorable.__ He ran his fingers through her hair, her hair elastic wrapped around her wrist. "I wish I could tell you how I felt, Elaine." __It's not like anyone's gonna hear this.__ _"_ _You probably would be understanding, but…"_

Asger shuffled in his slumber, and wrapped an arm around Axel. Dipper paused, and once he was certain that he wasn't going to wake up, he turned back to the brunette. Grinning fondly, he leaned against her head, and closed his own eyes. "Goodnight, Elaine." __Thanks… for everything.__

Elaine's POV

 _ _What the… why is Dipper asleep next to me? Hold that. Why am I asleep on him!? And… cuddling him!?__

"Ahh!" I yelped, my eyes now fully open, and proceeded to shove the young boy off the couch. Whipping my head around, I became aware that Asger, Axel, and Kat were already long gone. The clock on the wall showed it was almost 10 in the morning. __No wonder they've gone home.__

"Elaine?" My heart lurched when I turned to meet Dipper's tired face. He rubbed his back, having landed on it when I pushed him. His hat sat beside him, having fallen off. If I looked close enough, I could make out his birthmark under his bangs. "Are you alright?"

"I, uh… I-I'm fine," I hastily concluded. "What about you? Have a fun time last night?"

My body tensed when his face reddened at the innocent question. __Oh, please tell me I didn't do anything stupid in my sleep deprived state!__ _ _And why did I word that question like that!?__ "Y-yeah," Dipper stuttered, before clearing his throat. "It was honestly a lot better than staying up in the attic with the girls."

"You wanna go check on them?" I looked up at the ceiling, hearing footsteps through the floorboards. "It sounds like they're awake now."

"Sure. You planning on doing anything today, Elaine?" He got off the floor, as I pulled myself off the couch.

Doing anything? Well, I was gonna go out into the woods for a walk. Ever since the few times my friends had dragged me out there, I found the Gravity Falls forest extremely relaxing. If Cipher decided to pop up while I was out there… hey, the more the merrier.

Nothing could spoil my mood at this point. With our last meeting sitting fresh in my mind, it made me… happy, that Bill called me his favorite human. Why having an insane demon say that made me feel nice on the inside, I didn't know. I guess… either I was slowly losing my mind, or I was developing a bizarre case of Stockholm Syndrome. _Probably the first one._

"Just a hike through the woods. I'll be back in the evening." My bag still sat by the couch, and I tugged it over my shoulders. "I'll grab some snacks from the kitchen, and I'll be on my way."

"Oh." Dipper said, looking somewhat put off by statement. "Well, can we play another round of golf when you get back?" He asked hopefully.

"Hehe. Sure thing, Dippin' Dots." I started towards the hallway, before pausing. __If he's this rattled already, then maybe…__ a mischievous smirk crossed my face, and I gave a sideways glance at the young boy. __Hehe. This is gonna be fun.__

"Elaine? What are you-?" I knelt down to his height, which I only had to bend my knees a little to do. With the sly smile still on my face, I quickly zoomed forward and brought my lips to graze against his cheek. "E-Elaine!?" He squeaked, eyes wide open in shock.

 _ _Guess that's the first time a girl ever__ _ _kissed him.__ "Bye, Dipper!" Waving goodbye, I ran out of the living room to the kitchen, leaving a dazed preteen behind. "Oh my gosh, that was perfect!" I laughed, throwing a few granola bars and an apple into the bag. Stepping out of the door, I started off into the woods. "I've never seen Dipper get so flustered before!"

"You really like to toy with people's emotions, don't you Angel?"

"Well Bill, it's a game I really like to play." The demon floated beside me, as I walked around a light gray puddle in the middle of the trail. I did enjoy the forest, but for some odd reason, having everything appear as if it was an old-fashioned picture, with the varying shades of gray was very captivating. But going to back to Dipper, I would never pull something like that on someone else. Dipper, well… "it's nothing more, Cipher. It's teasing between good friends. Trust me, I've seen people back in my dimension do it all the time." _Not lying. I really have seen that. No lip touching, but kisses on the cheeks have happened._

"I can see that." I sensed some odd meaning behind that remark, but chose to keep it to myself. "Keep in mind Angel, you don't want to lead Pine Tree on now, do you?" Bill asked, raising an eye ridge.

"Please Cipher. I'm 16 years old, almost 17." I pointed to myself with my thumb, smiling at him. How many times had I repeated that sentence? I had said that to Wendy, and the twins too when I explained my height. "I don't fool around with guys. I have standards."

"Standards involving making deals with a demon?" He 'smirked'. I stopped walking down the path, and glared at him.

"You forced me into that, remember? You threatened me to shake your hand, and actually told me that I wouldn't be stupid enough to back out." I fully turned around, hands on my hips. "Heck, you went on to say you'd just keep trying until my mind was shattered to pieces." I didn't think I quoted that correctly, but the message was there. Our first meeting was not a memorable experience, and I'd love to forget it happened. _Heh. As if that's going to happen anytime soon._

"Oh, right!" He said, chuckling. A thin black arm glided around my body, and his eye flashed a light blue. "How time flies, huh kid? Anyways, that's not what I came here for. How'd you like to meet my friends today, Angel?"

"Your… friends?" __Does he mean the Hench… maniacs he mentioned before? But… why would he want me to meet other monsters that could possibly kill me without a second thought?__ How did they compare to what I had already seen through Bill? Were they better? Worse? Just as twisted and monstrous?

"Angel, don't you realize I could've done the same thing you're thinking of?" Bill cut into my thoughts. I winced as the triangle drummed his clawed fingers on my shoulder, feeling the nails through my plaid shirt. "The only reason you're still living is because you're in a dimension where I can't physically hurt you. Mentally though is a different matter altogether."

 _ _Oh…__ judging by my slack-jawed face reflected in his pupil, he saw I did not know this. "R-really…? So you… would you physically hurt me,if you were able?"

"Kid, you'd be better off not having me answer that." _Does that mean yes?_ He had used his powers to choke my subconscious while in the Mindscape, so the idea of anything harming my real body… terrified me. "Also because you've been proving yourself useful. Not many humans are able to keep up with me, and can match my insanity. That, and we both had come to the same conclusion that we like each others companionship." I nodded at his reasoning, but my mind still focused on his previous statement. _He could… kill me, very easily._

I frowned at the demon, who was still watching me in amusement. Best I'd stop thinking about it. I knew he was dangerous, but keeping my mind on that concept would throw me off for a while. __Oh well. Best to go get this over with.__ "Okay, Bill. Let's go meet your… friends."

"Glad you're seeing things my way, kid!" He let go of my body, and held out his hand. Hesitating for a few seconds, I slid my leather clad hand into his pitch black one. _Amazing I could even get those paper bones to stick to this._ With a snap of his fingers, a loud rip echoed through the forest, and we found ourselves standing in front of a portal similar to the one Bill had thrown me through a few days ago. The triangle began floating towards the rip, and I followed after him into the Nightmare Realm. __Aw, the familiar scent of burnt hair.__ I walked out onto a meteor that stretched for several miles, as gravity had kicked in on the large surface, and Bill dragged me over to a massive crater close by. "Well, here we are! Miss me, boys?"

"Whoa..." I couldn't believe my eyes. More than a dozen monsters and demons of all different species were watching us from below. I could make out a few geometrical shaped ones like Bill, but most of them seemed to be creatures straight out of a nightmare. A strange, bizarre, and twisted was a tall green goblin monster with 8-balls for eyes and two cuffs dangling from his wrists with a small segment of broke chain on each, also sported a massive underbite with large jagged fangs. An almost 20 foot purple gorilla monster stood not that far behind him, with a head that resembled a… loaf of bread? __If Bill was his full size, he would easily tower of that guy.__ I could spot a few pine saplings growing on his shoulders and back, and tilted my head in curiosity.

A pair of living dentures with a pink aura, a short blue monster with a keyhole in his forehead with a light blue aura. The most traditional looking demon was the short dark gray demon with large bull horns, two glowing red eyes, a red aura, smaller light red eyes for nipples, and a large red pacifier in his stomach. _Man, he's creepy to look at._ _And why does he also have to look like a baby?_

I didn't even want to know what's hidden behind that eyes trailed to one monster than stood out more than the rest. She, I assumed, stood roughly 7 feet tall, including the hot pink heels on her feet. Her arms and legs were lit up in bright pink flames, and she wore a magenta cape pinned to her shoulders. Like Bill, she only had the one eye, and had short hair the same color as the cape. She also had two large horns on the side of her head, plus the four trailing down the back. Besides her vibrant appearance, she also had large thick lips, buck teeth, fangs, and a wide mouth. All of these creatures, these demons… I could understand what Bill said earlier. These were interdimensional criminals. I had expected them to be not your average, everyday creature, and looking down, I did feel nervous. But with the demon beside me, who gazed down at his minions happily, I think I was more safe than I realized.

Plus, if she was the only other female in this group, I may as well try to befriend… her. __Wait. Flaming limbs… and her skin is the same color as-oh gosh.__ I felt my cheeks light up in embarrassment. __She's naked like the rest of them.__ Hey, it was more bothering than the other guys, okay! She's the most human looking out of all of them, and the fact nothing covered her… chest, was a little… much.

"'bout time you came back, Bill!" The fire demon yelled as we made our way down the slope. The monsters walked/flew towards us, and I felt Bill's grip tighten on my hand. I looked up at him out of the corner of my eye, slightly surprised at the action. Guess he didn't want me getting… eaten, or something by his 'pals'. "So, where's the human Keyhole's been mentioning?"

 _ _He's been…__ "you've been talking about me?" All eyes turned to face me, the fact I had spoke up drew their attention from their boss down to me. __Oops.__

"You're made a name for yourself Angel," Bill said somewhat affectionately, and let go of my hand. It moved up to the top of my head, and teasingly ruffled my hair. "I don't talk about my fleshbag minions unless they've proved themselves in my eye. And you kid, have done just that."

"Wow. Um… thanks, Bill." Not exactly the compliment I was looking for, but I'd take it.

"Boys. This is Elaine." I sensed Bill's power flare out from his 5 ft form beside me, his eye turning red for a split second. "We ****WON'T**** be eating her, understand?" The Henchmaniacs quickly nodded, and I understood why Bill was the one in charge. He may appear weak with his limbs and had no muscles, but he could be crazy scary when he wanted to be. Which, in all honesty, was almost 24/7.

"Whatever… sure, Bill… yes, sir..." the mumbled replies sounded less than enthusiastic, but came out quickly in fear. Hey, not my fault fleshy beings wee possibly delicious. _If that was a cannibalistic joke… maybe I've been hanging around Bill a little too much._

"Elaine!" I looked towards the feet of the taller monsters, and watched a small creature push its way through the crowd, and stared up at me on the slope.

"Asger?" I ran towards the teen, almost tripping up on the way down, and through my arms around his neck. The demons went back to their previous discussions, and thankfully Bill left me alone to speak to him. "What are you doing here?" I asked, searching his body for any visible injuries. Was I dreaming-wait. Of course I was dreaming. My body was somewhere in the forest still. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"

"No, I'm fine. Um, l-let's just say that you're not the only human he wanted to introduce to his gang." I smiled as Axel brushed against the dark skinned boy, a low purr echoing from her body. "Just can't believe you've already been here before." Asger gestured to our surroundings in disbelief. "He dragged me here just as I was getting ready to sneak Axel out for a walk. But seriously, this is-"

"Crazy as all get out?" I suggested, cutting him off. "Yeah. Bill grabbed me as I was heading out for a walk in the forest too. Didn't make too far until I fell asleep."

"Makes sense. Also, try to avoid Zanthar. He's nice, but it's hard to avoid being underfoot at our size." He walked away, but not before giving a small wave, and went back to a grayish black rhombus monster with one eye. It looked a lot like Bill, except he had ruler lines along the edges of his body. Axel nudged my leg in, giving me a toothy grin before joining her owner.

"You brought him along too?" I glanced at Bill in confusion. That didn't make much sense. Asger made a deal, yes, but wouldn't he be left behind, seeing he was only in this because of me?

"You and Drake here are in this for the long run, kid. It'd be best to have you both meet my pals sooner or later." Bill reached to grab my hand, and once again I was dragged along behind him. I stared at his yellow back, and found myself smiling. Bill's excitement about me meeting his friends was… really adorable, to be honest. How this trillion year old monster with incomprehensible power, knowledge, and sadistic tendencies, could become a little kid at the flip of a switch. _Hmm… wonder about that._ Was Bill that old? I mean, yes, he was a trillion years old, but could that equal to something else? How one dog year equaled seven human years, or something like that? _Might be worth asking._

The monsters continued on speaking with each other, and we walked on past them. I could feel their curious gazes on my back, as they would look at me as I passed close enough. Why would they be curious about me? Asger was a human, so shouldn't he be getting attention too? "Here we go, Angel!" I snapped back to the demon as he walked up to a large booth set up by the hill of the crater. A lava lamp monster stood behind it, wearing a bowler hat and appeared to be running some sort of bar. "What are you waiting for, kid? Take a seat!"

"Uh, o-okay," I said hesitantly. I pulled myself up on the tall stool, my legs dangling a few feet from the ground. "What are we doing, Bill?"

"Just gonna get you a drink, Angel. I need to have a chat with some guys before sending you and Drake back." He leaned an elbow on the counter, 'smirking' at the creature running the bar. "Give the girl the best drink you've got. I'll be back in a moment, kid." He floated away before I could say anything, and I sighed in defeat.

"I don't get a say in anything, do I?"

"What'd you expect, human? You're his puppet after all." I spun on my stool to meet the tall pink monster woman from before, sitting down beside me. "I will admit though, it's nice to finally have another girl around here." The lava lamp slid a shot glass over to her, filled with some liquid that resembled outer space. The sparkly stars and swirling galaxies in the glass intrigued me, and I watched the succubus down it with no hesitation. She wiped the back of her hand not holding the glass across her mouth, staining her skin with the drink, and grinned at me. "Name's Pyronica, fleshy."

"Elaine," I mumbled. __Why does her voice sound so familiar?__ _ _And why fleshy?__ Shrugging off the thought, I heard the sound of another cup sliding across the wooden table, and found a shot glass in front of me. "What is this stuff?"

"Cosmic sand. Same stuff Time Baby drinks," Pyronica casually replied. "Also known as time punch."

"Is it… alcohol?" I may not be following the exact rules of my dimension anymore, but I refused to take part in anything like that until I was 19. _Wait. If I'm in Oregon, then wouldn't that be 21?_ If I wanted to drink already, I'd go find a country where a girl my age could get away with it. Even then, alcohol and smoking and all that stuff never really interested me. If I were to drink, it'd be very rarely.

"Well, duh! What did you expect us to be drinking out here?" She asked rather loudly, finding the question ridiculous. "It's not spiked or anything, shorty. Try some!"

"Uh..." I picked up the cup in my hands, and swirled the cosmos around in the tiny glass. I doubted such a small amount of alcohol could hurt me that much. I had tried a bit of wine at Christmas, not enough to make a big deal out of it, and it didn't bother me that much. Besides, one sip wouldn't kill me… right?

Raising the glass to my lips, I cautiously took a sip… and felt my entire throat burn as if a hundred suns had imploded. __Oh gosh! Wrong! Wrong! That's horrible!__ The strong burning liquid burned the passageway, and I coughed in a weak attempt to clear it out of my system. "It's like it's burning my insides!"

"Oops, hehe." Pyronica laughed, and spun around to watch me try to redeem myself from the time punch. "First time drinking alcohol from another dimension, kid? Hehehe, we probably should've started you off with something easier, huh."

"Ya think?" I slammed the glass back down on the counter, and the lava lamp monster took it away. He was enjoying my reaction, I could tell. He wasn't laughing, but the gooey yellow mouth with the floating orange blobs inside was smiling wickedly. "Dang it, Bill. Why'd you try to get me drunk?"

"Fairly sure he didn't know you'd have that reaction, kid." The fire demon patted my shoulder in slight consolation, but just like the monster behind the counter, it was clear she enjoyed watching that. "You're a lot more fun than that other meatsack." She pointed over behind me, and I turned to see Asger laugh alongside the rhombus demon and the pair of teeth. "At least you're more open to our insanity than he is."

"Yeah, I'm the oddball in our little squad," I agreed. Asger seemed to be more rational, and Kat was more reserved. Though, I think I was slowly turning her to my side. "The fact I'm so willing to be around that crazy triangle is probably a reason for that."

"That's what Keyhole's been telling us." Seeing my confused face, Pyronica continued, "he's been keeping us updated about the boss' constant spying into your dimension. I won't lie, the boss has been keeping his eye on you a lot."

"He has?" That didn't surprise me… too much. I knew there were many windows in the Mystery Shack that he could look through with his bubble, but did he use them to check on me that often?

"Yeah! You seemed surprised by that, kid. Cipher doesn't take an interest in just anybody. You must be really special to get his attention that much," she smirked, revealing her large teeth. _She could bite my arm off with those fangs!_

"Well, uh… I-I wouldn't say I'm special or anything." Rubbing the back of my neck sheepishly, I gave a weak grin. "But I will admit, Bill's been a good friend. A sadist, and kinda possessive, but still. He's not that bad." _I… what?_ I called Bill my friend... publicly. Not like when I was alone with just my thoughts, but with someone who interacted with Bill for far longer than I had been around. It just came out, with not much thought behind it, taking me by surprise the moment I was done speaking.

"Really?" Pyronica leaned forward, eye not leaving my smaller frame. "Are ya sure about that?"

"Um, yeah…? Why wouldn't I be sure about us being… friends?" I rolled my shoulders in a so-so motion. "I mean, it is still a case of him trying to boss me around, but I've been standing my ground as much as I can. I think the fact we're both so willing to be around each other and like each other's company helps." What more did she want? I thought I covered everything.

"Hmmm… alright! Whatever you say, kid!" Pyronica announced, crossing her legs and swinging her heeled feet back and forth. "Speak of the triangle… ready to take her back, boss?" __What?__ The familiar yellow glow appeared in the corner of my eye, and I turned to face Bill floating up to us.

"Yep! Time to go, Angel. You've been gone long enough in your dimension. We wouldn't want Pine Tree or Shooting Star finding your comatose body in the forest, would we?" _How could I forget about that?_

"No, we would not." I jumped off down the stool, and turned back to Pyronica. __Oh! Now I know why her voice is so familiar!__ I grinned in spite of myself. __She's Topanga!__ I'd watched enough Girl Meets World to recognize that voice. There was not too much shock though. Gravity Falls was known for its extensive use of guest stars, and in this dimension, that voice was their own. _Now, if only we could throw in Jay Baruchel…_

"Nice meeting you, kid. Next time, let's start you off on an easier drink," she laughed. I cracked a grin, and nodded. She was a little loud, but she didn't seem to be all bad. _I think I can get used to her._

"I'll be looking forward to it. Let's go, Cipher. Lead the way." Bill laughed, and grabbed my hand. __Huh. I can feel the heat of his hand through my glove.__ I hadn't noticed the last few times, but now that the flood of nerves had died down, it was pretty obvious.

"Ha ha ha! You're not exactly one to be ordering someone, Angel. But it's not like you have any other way of getting back." We went back out of the large crater, and I cast one last look at the many demons below.

"Um, Bill?" I turned to the triangle, a question popping into my head. "How come you didn't do my daily question today? Isn't that part of our deal for keeping me healed?"

"Was wondering when you were gonna remember that, kid." __What does he…?__ "You've forgotten your question the last time we met up. And we didn't do yours when we met up on your little outing with Drake and Kat."

"So why didn't you have me make up for them today?" We stopped moving, and Bill moved in front of me. All of the voices had faded, so it was just us alone again.

"Simple, kid. I had business to deal with today; old friends to talk with. As long as ****I**** get to ask my questions, I'll keep your fleshy meatsack of a body healed. Your questions aren't as big of a deal compared to mine, since your safety isn't at risk if you forget or not." _Gee, thanks for caring about me!_ "On another note, I felt that it was about time for you to meet my Henchmaniacs. After all, you're gonna be seeing them a lot more often."

"Honestly, I wouldn't mind that. Pyronica was pretty good company, despite her… appearance." __Try not to imagine it, Elaine. Block it out.__

"Hehehe." Bill snickered. "You're pretty adorable when you're flustered kid, you know that?"

"I'm… a-adorable?" __Did I hear that right? The omnipotent thinks I'm__ ** _ ** _adorable_**_** _ _? That's… an even better compliment from before.__ He really was warming up to me. Or… he just heard my comment from beforehand. The demon's arms snaked around my back, pulling me backwards.

"Yep! Ha ha! Until next time, Angel!" I felt a warm buzz in the back of my head, and I felt myself slump against his chest.

 _ _Did he… just hug me from behind?__

* * *

"Ahh! Why am I even out here at night?" I raised a brow at Stan, the older man stood outside the Shack with the electron carpet rolled up under his arm. My body was laying against a tree, hiding behind a few bushes in case any creature or person walked past. Seeing the darkened sky, I had immediately booked it back to the house. Looking to the attic, I could make out the twins' laughs through the smashed hole in the window. __Just when I thought we were doing breaking glass.__

"Dunno, Stan. But why don't you deal with that tomorrow morning." I patted his shoulder, and walked passed him and through the door.

"Kid? Where you been? Dipper and Mabel have been wondering where you were," Stan asked behind me.

"I went for a walk and visited Asger!" I shouted back, and ran up the stairs to the bedroom. _Once again, not a lie._ Opening the door, I was met with the same scene from yesterday; two siblings playing golf without a care in the world. __Now if only the entire summer could be like this.__ It was wishful thinking. Gravity Falls was anything but normal, but the rare moments that were, were moments I loved dearly. "Hey guys!"

"You're back!" Mabel launched herself at me, knocking the wind out of my chest. "How was your day, Elaine?"

"It was… interesting, Mabel." That's putting it lightly. "What did you two do all day?"

Mabel let me go, and exchanged a look with Dipper. "We've been… walking in each other's shoes," Dipper answered, grinning proudly. __That is the greatest inside joke ever, Dipper.__ Mabel stifled a laugh, and I patted her head, giggling.

"Alright then. I have a feeling there was more than what you're saying, but I'm not gonna bother questioning you two. Now," I tossed my bag on my bed. "Where's my club?" The twins grinned, and I found myself staying up until midnight, with two kids and a ton of laughter. __Today was a beautiful day, and I can't wait until tomorrow.__

And I couldn't wait to see a certain monster tomorrow too.

3rd POV

Pyronica, Keyhole, 8-Ball, Kryptos, and Teeth sat at the bar, the lone female radiating an anxious and excited glow. "Alright boys. What's the bet here?"

"I say the boss'll make the first move," 8-Ball growled out. Keyhole and Teeth nodded in agreement.

"I think the fleshy would," Kryptos countered. The group turned to him in surprise. "She seems like someone who doesn't like to be forced into stuff. She'd act first." She had stood up against the boss several times, so he did have that bit of background knowledge to help with his argument.

"We ****are**** talking about Bill here, Kryptos," Teeth reminded him. "What about you, Pyronica?"

"I'd love to see her act first, but it's gonna be Bill in the end. Now remember boys, loser has to buy the rest drinks," she smirked.

"Let the game begin," the monsters echoed, and clinked their glasses together.

* * *

 ** **It was a last minute job, but it's done! About time too, I was all over the place this week.****

 ** **I know it's early in the morning to be posting this, but I need to co-lead a parade,**** ** **a**** ** **nd then help assist in a shooting display. Normal things, really.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	30. Boyz Crazy

****Disclaimer: Also known as, the chapter where many boys realize their feelings or get their hearts broken.****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: Exams are real fun, aren't they? So glad I only have three to do, and that's not until the end of June. I hope I played the Henchmaniacs out well. Pyronica was a blast to write.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Made Me Realize! Also, no friendship with a demon wouldn't come without its fair share of deals and bets.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Lots of crushing going on here! Between Dipper's childish crush, and Bill's undiscovered feelings, Elaine's in for a rough ride. As for the small bit with her sister… that will be addressed in the future. I may write this with a lot of heartbreak and drama, but I'm not that cruel!****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: Bill may be their boss, but wouldn't you want to bet on his love life? I wouldn't say Elaine and Pyronica got along, but the succubus is definitely trying to figure out the human's idea of what she sees in Cipher.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Try to imagine how big Toothless is in HTTYD. Now imagine him a little smaller. That's Axel's height.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Let's be honest; everyone bets Bill.****

 ** **CracksInTheConcrete: So, this being my first story EVER, the concept of having the familiar cartoon aspects in here, while still making it appear realistic was my goal from the beginning. A mature Gravity Falls is my aim, and I feel like I'm accomplishing that.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks!****

 ** **AndreeaIoana7: Thank you!****

 ** **Guest: Updates happen every weekend unless otherwise. But this story won't be abandoned at all, trust me on that.****

 ** **AshuriIncarnate: Seeing how this was my first story, I had expected the characters to be a tiny OOC at the beginning. I also understand about the beginning chapters. But I think things are falling into place now, wouldn't you agree?****

 ** **I own Elaine and Gail. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 6/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

" ** **I can't believe we're almost at the**** ** **halfway point of the summer**** ** **. Don't get me wrong, the past few weeks have been amazing.**** ** **Dipper and I are great friends, and I don't feel as shy and enclosed as I did before with Mabel's help. I'm more open, even with the secret I've been holding.**** ** **It's just… I'm nowhere near my goal of getting back home****." I bit my lip, frowning at the obvious statement. A part of me was looking forward to what the rest of the summer held. There was seeing the portal, meeting F… Ford, and hearing his past with Bill firsthand. _Okay, maybe not so much with Ford._ However…

It upset me that I had yet to come to a conclusion of how I ended up in Gravity Falls. The wondrous world appealed to me, and I cherished the friendships I had made with everyone. Mabel saw me as possibly a sister, and Dipper had found someone who shared his interests with the supernatural creatures living in the town. But with the added fact that even Bill didn't know how I arrived in this dimension, I was… starting to lose hope.

I knew that I would come to a conclusion in the future, and find out how and why I came here. But the possibility of never getting home soon seemed more and more of a reality with each passing day. Sighing, I went back to my book, and continued writing. Compared to Dipper-from the small bit he showed me, and Ford, my journal flowed more with my thoughts on events than scientific research. Though, I did have plenty of information documented about my own findings. " ** **Whatever happens, mom, dad… Gail… I promise you, I will see you. Either in this life or the next, I will see you guys again****."

Gail. She hated being called Abigail, and insisted on a shortened version once she was old enough to really think about it. With rich dark brown hair, bright brown eyes, and a smile that never faded, she could easily equal Mabel in looks and personality. She reminded me so much of Gail, it… hurt, but… in a good way.

"Well, that's enough emotional baggage for one day. Now let's think here…" I slid the journal back behind the boxes, and made my way back downstairs. __Today is Boyz Crazy. So we have Mabel and her friends, possibly including Pacifica, smuggling clones into the Mystery Shack. And there is… ick, Robbie.__

The only great thing that came out of tonight was the end of Wendy and Robbie. About time too. I was ****this**** close to punching his lights out. I wondered though… if Asger might have a role in how things were about to unfold. Ever since Dipper's unusual behavior at the pool a few days ago, I started to question how much he still cared for the redhead. When the twin had purposely came back with me to help with my ankle, I wondered… did I mess up the dimension that much? Did Dipper Pines have… feelings for me?

 _ _No. No, that's silly,__ I laughed awkwardly as I took the last step down the staircase. I headed towards the living room, shaking my head. __It's Wendip. It's always been Wendip. Dipper can't like… me. I'm from an entire different world. Any possible thought of romance while I'm here is out of the question.__ _After all, who knew how long I would stay there._

"Uh… what are you doing?" I blinked, watching Dipper give Waddles a power hug.

"Wendy just said she wanted to break up with Robbie!" He grinned. "Come here!"

Chuckling at his excitement, I knelt down by the door beside him. Dipper's vest brushed up against me, and I quickly analyzed the preteen's expression. __He likes Wendy, Elaine. Not you. Just keep thinking that, and you'll calm down.__ "What's with that CD?" I whispered. Dipper raised an eyebrow as we watched Robbie pull a disk out from a sketchy looking case. The design didn't seem like anything one would find in a normal store, and it was clear he didn't create it. He popped it into the machine on the stool beside the counter, and looked back at Wendy.

"I wrote this song just for you," Robbie said, and pressed play. "When I think about you, I feel feelings so deep. I'm tossing and turning, and you know I'm losing sleep."

"Yeesh," Dipper exclaimed in disgust.

"I know," I nodded in agreement. "Those lyrics are awful."

"And I know I'm going crazy, when I look into your eyes. Just listen to this song, and you'll be hypnotai-ai-ai-zed." Robbie sang his final words, and my heart dropped as Wendy's eyes widened in a slight trance.

Rubbing her eyes, she looked away in embarrassment. "Y'know, maybe I was being a little hasty. I'll give you another chance."

"Yes, alright!" Robbie cheered, and grinned wildly as Wendy leaned forward and kissed his cheek. I looked beside me, and frowned at Dipper's shocked face. __Poor kid.__ I couldn't act yet. I had to allow the night to play out as normally as I could. If I told Wendy that she was being hypnotized now, who knows what could happen. _Gah! So I can't think of it as a show, and I've accepted that, but I can't tamper with it because it's similar enough that things could happen but-ah!_

Wendy walked past to get her coat, completely ignoring us by the door. Quickly, Dipper and I got to our feet and marched up to the moody teen, still standing at the counter. "Alright Robbie, I saw that weird CD. What the heck are you up to?" Dipper asked.

"It's called romance, kid," Robbie glared, going from Dipper to me. "Something you and shorty here would never understand."

"Excuse me?" I crossed my arms, and tried to hold myself higher. "I'll have you know, I **have** dated before. So don't think for a second I know nothing about relationships." I placed my hand on the counter, and used it to push myself up on my toes, allowing me to look Robbie in the eye. "If you ever hurt Wendy, I know a few good friends who would ****love**** to show you a good time." Specifically _, a certain teen and his pet dragon._

Okay. Maybe I'd been hanging out with Cipher a little too much. That, or I'd seen too many walkthroughs of Undertale. _Seeing how I had referenced the game after Summerween where I dressed us all up as characters, I'm guessing the second one._

"You ready?" Wendy walked back into the gift shop, oblivious to my threatening. Robbie had leaned back a little, showing he was slightly intimidated by me. _Good. I'm glad he is._ "I can't believe you wrote that for me."

Robbie wrapped his arm around her, and they walked out the door. Unfortunately, Robbie briefly turned back and taunted Dipper, mockingly waving at him as they exited the Mystery Shack. "I know, I'm just insanely talented."

"If being a jerk had a face, it'd look like Robbie," I growled. "Man, I hate that guy." I ran a hand through my ponytail, and hopped up onto the table. Dipper nodded in agreement, and took the CD out of the player.

"Hmmm..." Dipper glanced it over, holding up to the light. I giggled when he started sniffing it, and then licked the metal.

"What are you doing?" We turned to see Mabel, Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica watching him, baffled. __Huh. What do you know? I was right about Pacifica showing up.__

"Guys, the weirdest thing just happened. I think-" I rammed my elbow into his side. "Ow! ****We**** think Robbie might be hypnotizing Wendy with his music," Dipper finished angrily, and cast a glare at me. I feigned innocence, and smiled shyly down at him.

"Oh, Dipper," Mabel waved him off. "Girls just like musicians. You'll understand when you're older."

"We're the same age!" Dipper argued.

"Girls mature faster than guys. Right, Grenda?" We turned to look at the taller preteen, and Dipper and me stared blankly at her as she kissed a photo of the band mates.

"This is Grenda time!" She shouted back, and continued kissing, smearing lipstick over the pages.

 _ _Uh…__ "ye-yeah… mature."

(Time Skip)

"Stockin' meat for the apocalypse, doodly-doo. We're all gonna die," Stan sang as Dipper paced into the room. After the girls had left for their concert, Dipper had barricaded ourselves in the bedroom. Sadly, neither of us knew anything about music, so we couldn't come up with any answer to the freaky CD. While I may have been from several years in the future, technology still appeared to elude me.

"What's with the pacing, kid?" Stan asked as I sat down at the table. "You look even more freaked out than usual."

"Um, I dunno…" Dipper looked away, hiding the CD in his vest. "You wouldn't understand."

"Aw, c'mon kid." Stan reached behind him, and pulled a chair over to Dipper. He looped an arm around the boy, guiding him to sit down. "Try me."

"Okay. This is gonna sound weird." He took the CD back out from his vest, holding it out. "But me and Elaine think Robbie might be brainwashing Wendy with music," Dipper explained. Grunkle Stan looked at me, and I nodded in agreement.

"I've seen this before," Stan said, shoving a spoonful of mystery meat into his mouth from an open can.

"Really?" I asked, inching forward. I always got a laugh out of his hallucination in the show, with the flying bellbottoms and rainbow trails. I wanted to hear this for real, and tell it to Mabel for future laughs.

"Her name was Carla McCorkle. Carla 'Hotpants' McCorkle," Stan said, frowning sadly. "Me and Carla baby would cut a rug together at The Juke Joint, our favorite 50's themed, 1970's dinner." Stan tightened his grip on the can, squeezing the meat out over the top. "Then one day, this new age tree hugger starts playing this transcendental hippie music." The elderly man sighed in defeat, lost tin his flashback. "Carla's hotpants turned into bellbottoms before I even knew what happened. As they embraced and her hotpants changed, they shot outta the diner in an explosion of rainbows from their feet."

"Stan, I-I don't think you're thinking straight," I said, giggling.

"My memories get a little hallucination-y at the end, but you two get the gist," he replied, shrugging.

"So, wait… you actually believe our theory?" Dipper asked hopefully.

"You're darn right I do," Stan growled, tightening his hold on the can. "And we're gonna get to the bottom of it." Dipper and I smiled at each other, and I got up to stand next to him. "Right after I get to the bottom of this brown meat." Stan held the can over his mouth, and hit the bottom so the rest of the meat fell into his mouth. "Om, nom, it's apocolicious!"

"Alright then." I patted Dipper's shoulder. "I'm gonna grab a few cans of Pitt Cola. Something tells me we'll be up for a while." I may have become addicted to the peach flavored drink. I had have a can every now and then, a few times each week. Normally, I didn't drink pop that much, but the sweet taste allowed me to forgive the carbonation.

"Elaine, you don't have to stay up with us, y'know!" Dipper called as he and Stan watched me head towards the kitchen, vanishing from the pantry. _Never even knew we had a room filled with canned meat. How many rooms have I missed?_

"I know! But I don't like it when people mess with my friends!" I shouted back. Marching into the kitchen, I grabbed a few cans, tucking them under my arms. "Is it too much to just relax for one night? Just one night?" _… apparently._

"Y'see, Dipper, music has subliminal mind control hidden in it all the time." Carefully carrying my cargo, I found the two in the living room. "If you listen closely, even the music I play in the gift shop has subtle hidden messages." I sat the cans on the table, and Stan cracked one open. After taking a long sip, he put it down to pick up a record player off the floor. I had heard such 'messages' once while heading out for a walk. I had to cover my ears when the screeching on the sound system started. "If you wanna hear the mind controlling messages, you gotta slow down the record. Gimme that LP."

 _ _He… does know that's a CD, doesn't he?__ I thought as Stan took the disk from Dipper, and sat it on the turntable. Putting down the needle, I grinned in amusement as the end result was only a discharge of small sparks.

"Oh, right," Dipper said, realizing the mistake.

"We're doin' something wrong here, but I can't place my finger on it…" Stan mumbled.

"It's a CD, Stan. Not a record," I replied. A loud bang came from the staircase, drawing our attention towards the entrance of the house. "I guess the concert's over." I walked over to meet the four girls, followed by Dipper.

"Hey, guys," Dipper said. "How was the concert, and what's in the bag?" We stared down at the massive duffle bag in confusion. _Where did they even get that?_

"Uh… money!" Mabel shouted. "Money we stole!"

"We are criminals!" Candy exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "We will cut you!"

"Let's get out of here now!" Pacifica yelled, shooing the three upstairs to the bedroom. The blonde joined Mabel at one end of the bag, and helped Candy and Grenda drag it up the staircase. The faint sounds of the clones yelping came out of the bag with each step. We glanced questioningly at each other, and turned to look at Stan, who only shrugged.

 _Well that could have gone… o_ _ _h no.__ I struggled to hold back a yawn, and let it slip through my hand as I tried to cover my mouth. Dipper laughed at my contorted face, and I sighed in defeat. __Yeah, I'm going to bed.__ "I'm, uh… gonna catch some shut eye." I pointed at the couch, and moved over to it. "Something tells me any sleep upstairs will be near impossible." I laid down, and grabbed the brown blanket laying on the back of the seat. Wrapping it around myself in a snug cocoon, I grinned up at Dipper. "Wake me when you're done converting it to a record."

"Okay, Elaine." Dipper patted my shoulder, as I felt my eyelids grow heavy. "See you tomorrow, or… tonight, maybe."

* * *

Darkness. Quiet, peaceful darkness. Usually, I never paid much attention to how I felt when I traveled through the Mindscape, but it was a very… soothing feeling. Like warm water flowing over you, without the idea of drowning. A soft light grew outside my lids, and after opening them, I grinned to myself. My body was lazily floating in the Nightmare Realm on my back, my ponytail swishing up to my face. The rumbling of the demons in the distance, and the strange swirling sounds of the dimension's colors shifting could be heard all around me. _What do you know? When you're not fearing for your life, this isn't all that bad._

"Well, well, well. You seem fairly at ease tonight, Angel. What's the special occasion?" I looked over at Bill, grin turning to a smirk.

"Does one really need an occasion to feel happy, Cipher?" I responded. "I just feel… at peace, I guess." Kicking my legs, I rolled over into a seated position, allowing my legs to float out in front of me. It's… an interesting thought, that I was the first human to come here in almost 30 years. I didn't count McGucket, since he only got a brief glimpse of the Nightmare Realm. Asger, he was only there to meet the Henchmaniacs. Ford on the other hand, he was there for an undetermined amount of time. I knew that he did eventually escaped to other dimensions throughout the multiverse, but I wasn't sure how long that took.

I never fully even realized it until now, but Stanford and I were a lot alike. Bill probably already saw it, and I sort of knew it too, but it really started to sink in the further the summer went. We were both too curious for our own good, and got meddled in the affairs of the paranormal and the dream demon. Both of us were separated from our families, chronicling our discoveries… I laughed a little, and turned back to Bill. The triangle, who unlike my last visit, was back to his larger size, situated in his throne of illusions once again. His large eye examined my smaller form, but unlike the many times where I could identify his emotions, there was something… I couldn't tell this time around. But what?

"Bill, could I ask you my question?" I finally spoke, pushing my glasses up my face.

"Yeah, kid?" Bill asked, leaning back into his seat.

 _ _What could I ask? What could I ask?__ There were many things I had to say, ever since he dragged me along to meet the Henchmaniacs. But… what could I ask? __Think Elaine? What was never addressed in the show, that was mentioned in other media? O-oh! I got it!__ "I know you're a different species and all, and from a different dimension, but I want to make sure I'm doing this right. You are a guy, right?"

Bill blinked, before sputtering into laughter. "Pffft! Ah ha ha ha ha ha! R-really, kid!? That's your question?" He held a hand to his chest, his laughs slowly coming out more slowly. His legs were kicking out in front of him, and thankfully I was far enough away to avoid being struck. "Ha ha ha!"

"It's a reasonable question!" I exclaimed, crossing my arms over my chest. "A few years back, they had an AMA on Reddit, and they had people ask 'Bill' questions. That event ran late into the night, and had some pretty strange questions asked. Most are stuff I already had a vague idea about, but there were a few things that caught my attention. One person asked what your… sexual orientation was. The answer given was that your dimension had thousands of different genders, and that it would take years to work out the paperwork." I nervously wrung a strand of loose hair in my fingers, grinning sheepishly up at him. "Am I wrong or…?"

"Well, I'm not sure where they're getting their info Angel, but that's correct. There were countless genders in my home dimension." Bill's hand clenched in a fist atop the arm rest, as if he was remembering something painful. "Same goes with me in the whole 'paperwork' bit. You ****can**** call me a guy, but it's fairly complicated to try and sort out."

"So… it doesn't bother you if I call you a guy or a girl or… whatever?" I asked earnestly. I didn't want to insult Bill, as I was already keeping on my toes around him.

"Yep! I'm a being of pure energy, kid. Gender and stuff like that doesn't revolve around something like me." I nodded in understanding. I guess… that made sense. Ford had been calling him a guy for as long as he knew him, and he was always addressed as a male in the show, but he was a different species. It would make sense that his home dimension played a different set of rules than our own.

 _ _I really ought to add this to my journal when I wake up.__ "So, Angel." I looked back up at Bill. "I've got a surprise for you tonight!" He clapped his hands together, and got up off his throne. A surprise. From Bill. _Yeah… I don't know if I'm gonna like this._ The triangle shrank back down to his 5 foot height, and hooked an arm around my shoulders. "Close your eyes, kid."

"If I'm getting thrown into a random portal again, Cipher…" I warned him, voice low. I was not in the mood for skydiving lessons again. The trip was nice, yes, but I'd rather not be fearing for my life.

"Relax, kid." Bill 'grinned' at me, and I found a black hand covering my glasses. The demon cupped my frames enough to shield any peeking from around the large lenses, but still kept his other arm around me. __Smart, Bill.__ "You're gonna like this."

I felt a sudden chill rush over me as I was pulled into another portal, and gravity immediately took effect. Knees bending instinctively, I felt Bill yank me back up as I stumbled forward to avoid falling. "Um, Bill?" Chuckling, the demon released my eyes and removed his arm, and I gasped at the sight before me.

It was like a realistic version of M. C. Escher's Relativity. A mixture of black and white walls with various patterns, with gaps showing the Nightmare Realm outside. Meteors and the occasional eye-bat passed by, leaving the strange and bizarre place alone. Dozens upon dozens of staircases led to various directions or to nowhere, with a different source of gravity in each area, judging from how the few marble pillars were set up. "Wow. I felt like I just walked into a modern piece of art." I stepped forward until I was close to the edge, and looked far up to the left at the giant wall that resembled a giant chess board. _Even with the stairs going to nowhere, nobody else is in here._ Paintings of Bill in various poses hung on the walls, scattered about. One that really stood out was the one above a large hallway higher above her head, larger than the smaller arched corridors scattered about, was of him wearing a golden crown with skulls lining the bottom, holding a golden staff and planting his foot atop of the Earth with a look of twisted proud accomplishment. Not just any Earth. _That was… Gravity Falls' world._

"Thought you'd like this, kid. This," Bill spread his arm out, still holding onto me. "Is where I reside, when I'm not watching over my minions and you humans." I unwrapped myself from Bill's hold, and stepped forward. "The Quadrangle of Qonfusion. What do you think"

My eyes soaked in everything, my mind trying to keep up with the ever shifting walls. Every few seconds, the walls and stairs changed, making the room look entirely different. There would be a faint grinding sound as they shifted, before coming to rest once again. I turned my head just enough to look at the triangle, and smiled at him. I was impressed. Did he make this himself? Was this always there in the Nightmare Realm? _Though… that image there…_ I didn't like that. "It's amazing, Bill. Thank you." While part of me was disturbed by that, the rest of it really was incredible. His eye crinkled, Bill floated over to me and ruffled the top of my head. Smaller loose strands of brown hair fell in front of my face, and I gave a small laugh.

How was it, that we went from him trying to kill me, to him treating me so friendly? I was fine with possibly thinking of it like that, but I did wonder how he thought of our partnership. "This way, Angel. Got one more thing I wanted to show you." Bill directed me towards a staircase that just finished lining up with the platform we were standing on. I looked over the edge, seeing the swirling colors of the multiverse's crawlspace underneath me. __No railings,__ I noted. __That's a… long fall.__ Inhaling, I carefully made my way up the floating steps, arms spread out to keep my balance. I didn't expect that falling would hurt me, as gravity would probably back out once I passed out of the maze I was in, but I didn't want to risk it. "Hehehehe." Throwing a confused look at Bill, he replied, "you're not gonna fall to your death, Angel. That's not gonna happen on my watch."

"I trust you on that, Bill," I replied, before freezing. The sudden stop let Bill bump into me, but I managed to catch myself before stumbling. _Did… did I just say I… trust_ _ed_ _him?_ Bill blinked, equally in shock, before chuckling even louder. "I just admitted that out loud, didn't I?" Well… was it wrong? He had done a lot for me, and in all those moments such as answering questions and helping me when I was panicked, he didn't seem to give me any reason not to.

"Yep! Don't worry Angel." We stepped off onto another platform, and he led me down a tilting hallway. The walls and ceiling slanted at odd angles. "I won't think any more of you."

"Um, don't you mean 'think any less of you'?" I corrected.

"Nope. My opinion of you humans was already low. Having you say that you trusted me only tells me that you're… you're…" Bill trailed off, and looked ahead of him in confusion.

"I'm what?" Bill's pupil moved to see my equally confused face. What was he so lost on that he couldn't come up with an answer? "Bill?"

"Nothing, Angel. Just ignore it." He sped up past me, and I had to jog to keep up with the monster. Bill soon slowed down to a halt, and he turned to face a polished wooden door. He took a hold of the golden knob, and opened it. "Here we are." His voice was slightly bitter, making me inch away. __What was that about?__ I maneuvered around the demon, and into the room. Thankfully, for my sake, he didn't reply to my obviously loud thought. "What the… Bill?"

A master suite. I blinked, seeing if I was looking at this right. _Hmm_ _…_ _y_ _ep, I'm seeing this right._ There was a master suite in this freaky madhouse, which, compared to everything I knew about Bill, made no sense whatsoever. The room was made of dark reddish brown bricks, with ever-changing neon colors filling the gaps. A blood red crystal chandelier hung from the middle of the room, and right below it was a massive king sized bed with a black bedspread and yellow trim. A dark gray carpet covered the floor under the bed, and a smaller room branched off at the left.

A wooden armoire stood against the wall on the opposite side, and I found myself getting drawn to the black grand piano in the left corner from where we entered. Dragging my hand along the smooth shiny surface, I gazed at my reflection in the instrument. "What is this room?" I was expecting something horrible and grotesque, not… dark and decorative.

"My private quarters, kid." Bill joined me and examining the piano, as I saw him accompany the reflection. "I don't physically need sleep, but even I need to take a break at some point."

"I can imagine why. The Henchmaniacs must be pretty exhausting to deal with all the time. I never knew you played the piano, Bill." It didn't really seem to suit him, you know? I always expected loud, and insane. A piano could be loud, but it was also… gentle, and majestic.

"I do. Someone I… once knew, taught me how to play. Even after all these millennia of waiting to get into that dimension, I always enjoyed taking the time to play a song." Bill moved to the bench, and sat down on the red velvet cushion. "You play the piano, kid?"

"I tried. My mom wanted me to learn, but it wasn't really something that I got the hang of," I shrugged. "I play the trumpet though." I smiled fondly at the memory. Trumpet was a choice I loved because I loved jazz and swing. I mean, I loved all types of music, but one with a good brass solo made my day. "While I could never get the hang of it, I loved the calming effect that the piano has. It's one of my favorite instruments." Bill reached forward to shuffle through the music sheets on the stand, not replying back. "What are you doing?"

"You like the piano, right? Take a seat, Angel." He turned to me, and 'smirked'. "So here's my question of the day for you: what song would you like to hear me play?"

He… wanted to play me a song? _That's… odd._ Out of all the few things he could have asked, that was not one I was ready for. __Let's see… what song do I really like listening to?__ _Well, there was a few. But I could recall from one film, when I was younger, that had the most incredible piano song._ Smiling in my decision, I looked back at Bill. "The Wind Forest by Joe Hisaishi. It's one of my favorite pieces."

"Don't care much for songs with lyrics?" Bill questioned, and moved over on the seat. Taking this as a sign, I sat down beside him, shaking my head.

"Surprised you even know it. But no, not really. I really love instrumentals, and there's only a few piano songs with lyrics that I enjoy." Bill hummed, pleased at my response. Cracking his knuckles, he pressed down on the ivory keys and began playing. I laughed softly, and propped my head on my hand, resting my elbow on the corner of the keyboard. _Huh._ _ _He's really good.__ Music and Bill Cipher didn't seem like a concept that would go together, but the triangle was extremely good at it. His claws barely made a sound as they struck the keys, moving along the keyboard, speeding up and slowing down when he needed to.

Humming along to the tune, I swayed gently to the melody. A light buzzing went off in the back of my head, signaling me that I was about to wake up. __That's a shame. I really wanted to hear him play mor-and I thought that out loud.__ The demon laughed, and I sighed, grinning at myself. Yep. He heard that. __Oh well.__ The buzzing increased, and I started to slowly to fade out, my vision blurring as I watched the triangle turn into nothing but a bright yellow light. The song was approaching its ending, coming out stronger, until it ended with those final few key strokes. __Bye Bill.__

Bill's hands lifted from the piano, and turned to watch my form vanish. I couldn't hear him speak that well, but what I could hear, and what I could see, was the curved eye in a genuine smile. Not mocking, or belittling in it. "See you next time, Angel."

* * *

"Spit-take here I come!" I groaned, hearing Stan shout from across the room. Sitting back up, I rubbed my eyes, unintentionally pushing my glasses up my face and almost having them fall off.

"How long was I out, Dippin' Dots?" I asked tiredly, seeing the young boy and Grunkle Stan over at the table again.

"All day, actually. You seemed really tired, and we didn't want to wake you up," Dipper said. He pushed his hat up as it was falling over his own eyes, smiling. "Here. Figured you'd be hungry when you wake up." He tossed over an apple, and I greedily took a bite out of it. Dipper looked back at the record player, and put the needle on the disk. As the song played, Dipper slowed it down, and we listened for any messages.

… nothing. Absolutely nothing. Stan swallowed the mouthful of Pitt Cola, and frowned. "Hmmm… that's not spit worthy. What gives?"

"What? Is that it?" Dipper glared at the player, and started moving the speed dial up and down to no avail. "Ugh! This was so stupid! Course there's no hidden mind control messages! Mabel was right. Wendy just likes the song." Dipper slid to the floor, leaning against the table leg. "She just likes Robbie."

"I'm sure that's not the case, Dipper." I got up off the couch, and walked over to him. "Have you analyzed all possible outcomes? Maybe there's something you missed." I had said something similar to when Dipper was trying to make sense of the wax figure case, but this time, he would be able to figure it out without too much trouble.

Before Dipper could respond, Wendy and Robbie walked into the living room. "Hey, Dip," Wendy greeted him. "Forgot my keys." _First your jacket, and now your keys?_ She walked through the room to the gift shop, leaving Robbie behind. I glared at the teen, sharing in Dipper's hatred.

"What's up, juniors? What are you doing?" He looked at the board behind Dipper that he had set up in trying to figure out the record, and laughed. "Trying to come up with an equation to make girls like you?" Wendy walked back over to him, and out the door.

"Ready to go to Lookout Point?" She asked, sticking the keys into her jeans.

"Am I! Later, dorks. Catch ya on the rewind," he added, looking behind his back. "Hehehe. I made that up."

"I'll rewind your face!" Stan yelled, shaking his fist.

"Wait a minute. Stan, rewind!" Dipper stood up, and slowly manually turned the record backwards. But unlike last time, we heard something much different. "You are under my control. Your mind is mine."

Dipper looked back up, only for Stan to spray him with Pitt Cola. "Holy mackerel! Now there's your spit-take!"

"Ha ha! I knew it! It's mind control after all!" Dipper cheered as the drink dripped off him, before realizing what he just said. "Oh no, I've got to save Wendy!"

"Finally, a good reason to punch a teenager in the face," Stan grinned, giving shifty eyes at the exit. "Let's roll!" Stan ran upstairs, most likely to throw his suit on. Dipper turned to me, and grabbed my hand.

"Come on! We got to get in the car!" He shouted, and dragged me outside before I could protest. I did manage to snatch up my bag as I was pulled away, and had it dangling from one of the straps as we went to the vehicle.

"Hey!" I cried, feeling the boy push me into the passenger seat. Dipper got into the back, and buckled himself in just as Stan got into the driver's seat. Growling, he hit the gas, and we sped off down the road. I peered out the window, seeing the sun start setting over the treetops. __Man, I really was in the Nightmare Realm a long time.__

"We gotta warn Wendy about the song before she gets brainwashed!" Dipper instructed us.

"Road safety laws, prepare to get ignored!" Stan yanked the wheel hard to the left, and we smashed through a blockade. Trees whipped past us as he drove us up a hill, and straight up the cliff's edge.

"Ahh!" I gripped the dashboard as the car slammed to the ground, and spun around to face Robbie's car. Stan fell out his side, while Dipper ran out and over to the other car. "Ohhh… hurts. Everything hurts." I unbuckled my seat belt, and walked over to Dipper with Stan. Taking my bag, I threw it onto my back. _Might need this._ Dipper held up the Walkman with the CD inside, and started playing Robbie's song.

"Uh… there's a message in there," he laughed nervously. "I swear!"

Robbie glowered at the boy, and reached towards the window. "Let me just… close the window."

"Wait, wait!" Dipper protested. "Here." He turned up the volume, and the backwards message came out of the speaker. I smirked as Wendy's face turned into one of shock, and finally to one of anger.

"Whoa. Robbie, what's that doing in our song?" She glared at him. Stan, Dipper, and me gave looks of ire as well. Dipper and myself I understood, Stan was a little more surprising. Guess that one came with how long Wendy had been working at the Shack, and allowed the grumpy man to warm up to her.

"Baby, I promise. I don't know anything about those messages," Robbie said quickly. He wrung his hands anxiously, looking away from us. "In fact, I didn't even write that song. I ripped it off some other band!" He looked back at Wendy hopefully. _Some other band? What band makes a song like that?_ "So, we're all good, right?"

"No, we're not all good!" Wendy yelled. "I don't care about the messages. You said you wrote that song for me, and I actually thought it was sweet, you big liar."

"I know, I know. I lie about a lot of stuff," Robbie tried to change the subject. "Lie using your makeup and fighting a bear, although-"

"No!" She cut him off harshly. "You know what? It's over, Robbie. We're through!" She opened the door, ignoring Robbie's protests. "What!? Wendy!" She gave him one last look, her face filled with sadness. "Goodbye!" Wendy slammed the door shut, and marched off.

I looked from her to Dipper and Stan, and ran over to her. "Wendy!" The redhead stopped, and turned to look at me. Already her eyes were welling up with tears, and were starting to turn red. "Here." I dug into my book bag, and with a small tug, brought out a piece of paper. Not from my journal, no. That was still back in the Mystery Shack. I happened to have a small notebook in there for random notes; in case I needed to write something down. Pulling out a pen, I jotted down a small message and handed it to her. Wendy read over the it, and looked at me wide eyed. "I know I can't really help you right now, and they might just make it worse." I gestured to Dipper and Grunkle Stan, watching us. "But if anyone can help, I'm sure he can."

"Th-thanks, Elaine." She wiped her eyes, smiling. Sliding the note into her other pocket, Wendy went to pull me into a tight hug. I could feel her tears on my shoulder, as her head was bent down to rest there. _If she wasn't so hurt right now, I would find it funny with our height difference._ Smiling sadly, I patted her back. I had been where she was, I had. When I had broken up with my boyfriend, I was a hysterical mess. Even though I was the one to break up with him, I was still in pain. It took several hours before I stopped crying, but I moved on once the pain faded. I just hoped Wendy would bounce back just as fast as I had.

Wendy moved in my arms, and I let her go. We exchanged a warm smile, hers being more forced, and she made her way back down the road from where Robbie had driven up. "What was that about?" Dipper walked up to me, watching Wendy vanish into the woods.

"Just giving her some girl help." I patted his shoulder, not looking away from where she went. "She might be a little touchy for a while, kid. But I thought it'd be best if I talked to her instead of you." I scratched my head awkwardly, and chose to look at him for my next sentence. "You, uh, might've said something stupid by accident."

"… fair enough," Dipper sighed. "You seem to know more about things like this. Ready to head home?"

 _ _Home…__ _ _he-__ _ _Dipper just referred to the Mystery Shack as my home.__ I wasn't sure how to really respond to that, but at the same time… maybe it was the fact I wasn't fully awake yet, but I liked the sound of it. I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him in front of me instead of where he stood beside me. I placed my chin on his head, smiling down at him. "Sure thing, Dipper. Let's… let's go home."

(Time Skip)

3rd POV

"Master Asger." Asger looked up from his bed, Axel diving underneath on instinct. The butler stood at the door stiffly, either not seeing the dragon, or not caring. "There is a Miss Corduroy at the door looking to speak with you. Would you like for me to let her in?"

"Wendy? Uh, yeah, sure! Let her in." The butler nodded, and closed the door without another word. Asger stood up from his bed, and glanced under to check on Axel. Green eyes started back in the pitch black, blinking. "I'll be right back." He reached for the plate that was on his dresser, and slid a piece of salmon onto the floor. The food came to a rest just short of the bed, not making it underneath where she was. Axel, nonetheless, promptly started chewing on it as her head darted out and dragged it back under the bed. Sliding on his shoes, he made his way out of the room and down the staircase. The bedroom door was closed behind him, making certain that Axel wouldn't escape. Just as the butler had said, the girl was standing in the foyer, hugging herself. "Wendy?"

The redhead turned to the dark skinned teen as he appeared, and made her way over to him. Once she got close enough, the boy could make out her bloodshot eyes and tear stains on her pale cheeks. _What happened to her?_ "Wendy?" She stopped in front of him, and Asger put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, are you alright?" Sniffing, Wendy looked up at him, and threw herself into his arms. "Wh-hey!" Asger stumbled backwards a few steps, before regaining his balance. Looking around, he checked that his aunt and uncle weren't nearby. Not that he would care, but he didn't need anyone else to see Wendy like this.

Asger carefully brought his arms around the girl, and directed her head to his shoulder. "Shh… shh… hey, it's okay. I-I got you, Wendy. I got you. Everything's going to be fine…. it's going to be fine."

* * *

 ** **You may be wondering why Bill seemed so upset with talking about his past. There's a single cipher that came out in the choose-your-own-venture book that talked about his past, his final words, and his thirst for power. Since it's been left alone and Alex Hirsch never built on that, I decided to create my own interpretation. You'll like how this'll play out. I can promise you that.****

 ** **Elaine's question did indeed come from the Bill Cipher AMA that took place years ago. Some things I read might be thrown in here to help move the story along. I recommend checking it out. Some things are great for a good laugh.****

 ** **I also really wanted to address Bill's usage of the piano in the finale. It seems odd that the almighty demon would play such**** ** **an instrument**** ** **, but I thought it was a great thing to add in.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	31. Land Before Swine

****Disclaimer: Last episode before the two-part season finale, people! YEESSSSS!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: In your face, Robbie! HA! And with Elaine… yeah, she doesn't really have a say in the matter.****

 ** **SnowyFalls: Sorry about the length. If I cut it in half, it'd be too short. The portal only leads to the Nightmare Realm, but not always in the same place. The interdimensional crawl space is fairly huge; not as big as most dimensions, but still pretty big. Ford did end up there first, but after taking refuge in an asteroid with a group of alien miners, he started his vast journey through the multiverse looking for a way to defeat Bill. This was revealed in he real life journal. Also, the Asger-Wendy part was the core of justice's idea. I thought it was really sweet, and wanted to end this chapter with them getting closer.****

 ** **Haruka Akatsuki: Season 1 is my goal before summer. Season 2 will pick up once I come back from staffing at camp. THIS STORY SHALL NOT DIE SO EASILY! MUAH HA HA HA HAAA!****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: Don't we all? There's a lot to the demonic nacho that we don't know. But there is a reason why he ended up helping Elaine with her panic attack, and avoided talking about how he learned the piano.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: I had to give Wendy a bittersweet ending. I hated how selfish Dipper acted at the end, and felt she deserved some happiness in the form of her childhood friend. Poor Dipper though. No matter how much he wants Elaine to like him, she just doesn't see him like that.****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: Thank you! Glad you're finally joining in!****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks! This is a big chapter, so you'll have lots to read.****

 ** **I think I sparked a little confusion last week. GFA is a story based on the entire series. What I was hinting at in the last chapter was with summer coming up, this may go on a small hiatus due to a lack of WiFi. Can't really write without Internet there. But we'll discuss all that when the time comes.****

 ** **Also, I know it's an early update. But I've got university courses to pick and fireworks to launch. I think the length of the chapter will make up for that.****

 ** **I own Elaine!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 ** **Edited:**** ** **Nov. 28**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Today's the day, guys." Dipper grinned at me and Soos, sitting on the back of Soos' pickup truck. "Thanks for coming along on this mission, Soos."

"Dude, it's an honor," he replied. "Today I'm sweating from heat and excitement! Hoo!" Soos wiped his brow, giving me a disgusting view of his pit stains. __Ew…__

"So… what are we doin' again?" I asked, swiping the endless beads of sweat from my forehead. My flannel was tied around my waist, revealing the white tank top I had on underneath. I climbed up next to Dipper on the truck, as Soos sat down on the other side. We were out on one of the dirt roads of Gravity Falls, surrounded by towering pine trees.

"There's something hiding in these woods." Dipper took a folder out from his vest, showing us the news articles he had cut out from the Gravity Falls Gossiper this week. It was a pretty intense few days as the news started to pick up on the story, especially since Kat herself had been one of the victims. Her mom had her van's roof ripped clean off on their way home from the mall, and barely managed to pull over without crashing. "Something big enough to rip the roof off a car. If we get a photo of this thing we'll be heroes!"

"Yeah we'll get all the babes," Soos said. "You'll be fending off smooches with a stick!" He playfully nudged Dipper in the side, making the young boy laugh.

"Ha ha, shut up, man." He nudged Soos in the stomach.

"With a stick, dude!" Soos repeated. Laughing at them, I reached behind me to pull the bag of disposable cameras into my arms. However, unlike the usual ones we got, these required development in a dark room. Dipper said that they would work better, and they'd get better shots than the cheap ones we used at the lake.

"Alright, you two. Let's go set these things up." Hopping off the truck, I marched over to a tree, followed by Dipper and Soos, who carried the large strands of rope we brought along too. It took about 15 minutes, but we managed to built a system of cameras all around the forest in our little section, high above the ground. In the center sat a large cut-down log with a hunk of raw meat.

"Here you go, Elaine." Dipper and I sat down on a large branch, and he handed me a can of Pitt Cola from the bag.

"Thanks. All of this is definitely thirsty work." Cracking it open, I took a long sip before wiping the drink from my mouth. Soos finished adjusting one of the cameras, and slid down the tree to join us.

"Oof! Got it." Soos let go of the tree, and frowned at the sap stringing off his hands. "Is sap supposed to be this sticky?"

"If everything goes according to plan, the creature will grab that steak, cross through the string, and set off cameras A, B, and C," Dipper told us, pointing to each part. __Good thin we have extras, just in case.__ The remaining cameras sat in the bag back on the truck, if we required more or if one broke. Soos grabbed a can for himself, and grinned.

"And nothing can go wrong. High five!" He held up his hand, and Dipper hit his own against Soos', only…

"This was poorly planned," Dipper sighed. The two frowned at their hands, both stuck together due to the sap. __Great,__ I laughed, only for a large gust of wind to come through and knock their hats off. I gripped the branch under me, managing to keep my balance and not get thrown from my seat. Closing our eyes instinctively, we heard the snapping of the thick ropes and the camera's flashing. Hesitantly, I opened an eye after a few seconds, and gasped.

The steak was gone, and the rope right behind it was torn clean through. "Oh my… ha ha ha! We did it!" I cheered, and jumped into the air. __Whoa! B-bad idea, Elaine.__ Didn't need to fall off there. Soos and Dipper gave each other a huge smile, giving excited gasps of their own. They stood up, and I hooked an arm around each of their necks, dragging Soos down to my height, and Dipper up to mine. Laughing at the younger brunette's flushed face, I ruffled his hair. "Let's go and get these develop… oh no."

And… my hand was now stuck to his head from the sap I was sitting next to. _Aw, perfect._ "Still poorly planned."

"Quiet, Dipper."

(Time Skip)

"We did it!" Dipper shouted. We ran into the Shack, stopping in the entry way. Dipper held up the cameras, each one sticky from the tree sap. Soos' arms were still covered in it, as was my left cheek. __Ugh. This is going to take a while to wash off.__ "Somewhere in one of these cameras is a photo of that creature! Me and Elaine'll develop the film."

"I'll go make us victory nachos. Mystery Bros!" Soos cheered, and held out a fist. Dipper eagerly met his, and the older male made a small explosion noise. Taking my hand, Dipper ran us up the stairs and into the bedroom. __Mystery Bros? Since when was I part of that? I only tagged along because Dipper asked.__

"Elaine, can you find us some candles? I'll prepare the solution," he instructed. I gave a mock salute, and ran into the washroom. Stan always had candles stored in the bottom cupboard of the sink. Apparently, he enjoyed scented candlelight while taking a bath.

… __never tell Dipper that story. Ever.__

Pausing for a moment to scrub off the sap, leaving my cheek red, I grabbed the candles and hurried back. When I returned, Dipper had started developing the images around the room, using a lamp in the corner. "Will these help, kid?" Dipper nodded, and took the three candlesticks from my hands. Quickly, he lit each one and sat them around the room. I looked at the picture closest to me, and could make out a blurred image of the pterodactyl's wing. "That's a wing, Dipper!" I called over to him.

"What?" He ran back over, and I pointed to the picture hanging from the string. "If camera B got the wing, then the one that should have gotten the rest is… camera C!" We ran back over to the other side of the room, and looked at an image developing in a solution container. As the image starts to appear, I could see Dipper's face light up in anticipation. "The creature!"

A loud crash came from behind us as Soos flung open the door, marching proudly in. Unfortunately, he knocked over a table beside him covered with developing images and the used and leftover cameras. "Who wants victory nachos?" He asked, holding the bowl up above his head. In a few seconds, the image promptly faded away into blackness, having to do with the fact Soos didn't close the door right behind him as I had done.

"NO!" Dipper cried, and held up the photo. I looked around him, frowning at the result.

"Dudes don't worry," Soos tried to comfort us. "I only ate like a third of them. Half of 'em." He started laughing, and shook the bowl upside-down. "I ate all of them, dudes!" Huffing angrily, I put out the candles and took down the garbage bag Dipper had used to cover the window. I winced as the bright light stun my eyes, and blinked to get used to the sudden change.

"I can't believe you, man!" Dipper shouted behind me.

"Sorry, dude," Soos said, putting his hands together. "I was just so excited! Nachos cause excitement!"

"Soos, no offense, but you gotta be more careful sometimes," Dipper said slowly. "I mean, what are the odds we'll get another picture of-?"

A deep loud roar echoed through the room, shaking the house. I spun around, only to catch a glimpse of a bright yellow-orange eye staring at me as the pterodactyl flew by the window. "Holy!" I shrieked, stumbling onto my bed behind the dresser I was perched on. Footsteps thundered behind me, and I saw Soos and Dipper had run outside to check it out themselves. "What? G-guys! Wait for me!" Pushing myself off the mattress, I ran through the door to find Soos, Dipper, and Grunkle Stan looking at Mabel nervously.

"Hey Elaine," Mabel greeted me on a bike, and turned back to the guys. __Seriously, where did she get the bike?__ Why did these things never get answered? Because frankly, I would love to know. __It's not the bike abandoned by those kids back at the start of the summer…__ _ _at least she's wearing a helmet this time.__ "What's going on? Why are you standing around all awkwardly? And where's Waddles?" She looked around anxiously for the pig, and I frowned as Stan discretely hid the peg he used to tie Waddles to in his jacket.

"Uh-uh… the good new is, you're gettin' a puppy!" Stan grinned forcefully.

"What happened?" I asked, setting a comforting hand on Mabel's shoulder.

"Well, see, uh, when the uh-"

"Your pig got eaten by a pterodactyl, bro!" Soos said pointedly. __Way to ruin a child's immaturity, Soos,__ I internally deadpanned.

"What?" Mabel threw down her bike helmet as she unclipped it, and ran around the yard. "Waddles? Waddles! Oh no, how did this happen?" Mabel's breathing started to quicken, and I ran small circles around her back.

"Easy, Mabel. Try to calm down. Panicking won't solve anything." The younger girl's breathing calmed slightly, and she gave me a thankful but still upset smile. Turning back to Stan, she walked up to him.

"Grunkle Stan, you didn't put him outside…?"

"What? No! I didn't put him anywhere!" He backed away from Mabel, bumping into the totem pole. "I'm not acting suspicious! YOU'RE acting suspicious. What's a pig!?"

"Then… what happened?" I asked. Stan met my eyes, and I knew he could tell I wasn't being fooled. __Try me, Stan. You can fool everyone else, but nothing gets past me.__

"Uh, look, it went down like this, see?" Stan shrugged, and began miming the actions. "So there I was, in the living room… tenderly nursing him on only the richest of creams. When all of a sudden, it bursts into the room and rips him from my bare hands! So I said, 'no dice, cowboy'! And I started punching him right in the face! But he played dirty…"

 _ _If I can remember, his imagination had the dinosaur poke him__ _ _through__ _ _his glasses,__ I recalled. __Even if they didn't mean to, the animators screwed up.__ "That really happened! Why?" Stan began fake crying, burying his head in his hands. "Why couldn't you have taken me!?"

"Oh, Grunkle Stan, you tried to save him!" Mabel ran over and gave him a hug, making the elderly man stiffen.

"Uh, yeah! I'm a great man, alright." Stan looked at me again, and I shook my head in disappointment.

"You punched the pterodactyl in the face?" Dipper asked. "I thought you didn't even believe in the supernatural."

"Dinosaurs aren't magic, they're just big lizards!" Stan shrugged, and pointed an accusing finger at him. "Get off my back."

"Oh, Waddles," Mabel whimpered. She pulled a picture out of her sweater, and sniffed. Wiping her eyes with her sleeve, Dipper and I walked over as her arm went back to her side. I wrapped the child into my arms, letting her head nestle into my shoulder, as Dipper patted her back.

"That's it. No pterodactyl messes with MY sister," Dipper growled. "We're gonna go out there, catch him, and save your pig! For Mabel, guys!"

"For Mabel!" Soos cheered.

"But how do we even find the little guy?" Stan asked Dipper. I let go of Mabel, and she looked around. Her face brightened as she hurried a few feet away from us, and pointed at the red yarn that had belonged to Waddles' sweater. "We follow that!" The strand swept back and forth over the tree branches over the road, showing the direction it took.

"Yes! Yeah! That's genius!" Dipper, Soos, and I approved.

"Or, you know, we could just call it a day, maybe hit the pool hall, or-" Stan stopped as he noticed we were all staring at him. 'Yeah! Let's go… save Woggles!"

"Waddles," Mabel corrected him.

"… him too."

(Time Skip)

"You got everything, Mabel?" T young female Pines and I were sitting by the deck, packing our book bags. I made sure my medical supplies were well-stocked, with a few granola bars, water, and my journal. __Y'know, just in case.__

"I got everything, Elaine. I just… really hope we save Waddles," Mabel bit her mouth.

"Don't do that, kid." I pinched her mouth, making her release her lip. "I do that enough on my own, and trust me when I say you don't want that to be a habit." Chewing the inside of my cheek was a horrible habit. I didn't want Mabel doing that too.

"Mabel, Elaine. We've got to talk," Dipper said, walking over to us. "This is a really high-stakes mission and I'm a little worried about Soos coming along on this one. I love the guy, but sometimes he…" Dipper whispered the next part. "… messes stuff up."

"What?" Mabel said, raising an eyebrow. "Since when?"

"How about the crystal ball in the gift shop?" Dipper asked. "Or the window in our bedroom he had to replace when we were done playing miniature golf? Or the fairy?"

"..." Mabel and I exchanged a look before turning to Dipper. Yeah, th-that last one had us convinced. "Let him down easy," we said in unison. "He's gonna come with us, isn't he?" I zippered my black bag, throwing it onto my back as Mabel asked the question.

"Dipper doesn't like letting people down," I shrugged. "He'll let Soos tag along because he doesn't want to upset him." Which would lead to everyone screaming at each other for the next few hours. __Ooh boy. I am not looking forward to this.__

We hopped into the back seat with Dipper sandwiched in between. Stan got into the passenger seat as Soos started up the truck. "Bros before dinos!" Soos cheered, and drove off down the road. Stan kept leaning out the window, and directed the handyman where to drive.

 _ _I can't help but feel… nervous, about all this.__ I stared out the window, watching the trees fly past us. __With the tension between Soos and Dipper, and Stan and Mabel… I don't want to get pulled into something horrible.__

But yet… this was the last adventure before Dreamscaperers. Gideon making that deal with Bill was going to happen any day now, and… I felt that that would be the day that Dipper and Mabel… discovered my friendship with Bill. I couldn't stop seeing Bill. I-I didn't want to stop seeing Bill. I'd grown accustomed to his sadistic tendencies, his blunt and demeaning behavior…

I won't lie, I was… awake, somewhat, when Bill brought me to that dimension with the crystal-like trees. I felt my body shut down from exhaustion, and as my senses died down I could hear some of what Bill was saying. He called me his puppet, emphasis on the 'his'. He loved the fact I played smart, and knew his rules inside and out. My differences had been my greatest weaknesses so far, but in Bill's eye… they were my strengths.

Why though… did he never say that to my face? Did Bill… really care for me? Well… in his own sick, twisted way, but still. __Can never be clear with him, really.__ "Elaine? Elaine, we're here." Dipper shook my arm, and I broke out of my trance. I looked at the twin, and smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, Dipper. Just… trying to figure stuff out." I undid my seat belt, and followed him out of the truck. "An abandoned church… well, that's not creepy at all."

"Okay, the red yarn leads to… Old Man McGucket?" Mabel stopped short in front of us. We stood in the entrance of the condemned building, and found the local kook sitting in a rocking chair on the other side of the room, strumming a banjo.

"Howdy, friends!" He waved, holding his instrument.

"What are you doing here?" Dipper asked.

"You'll never believe me! Now I was doin' my hourly hootnanny-deedly doo ding dang!" McGucket began a small dance, his long beard bouncing up and down. __Ugh…__

"Ugh, this guy." Stan rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. __My sentiments exactly, Grunkle Stan.__

"When this enormous wing-y critter stole my musical spoons and flew lickety-split into the abandoned mines down yonder!" He hopped off his chair, and pointed at the broken boards in front of our feet. The single red strand of yarn wrapped around a plank of wood, and disappeared into the pitch black pit.

"Looks kinda hairy down there," Stan said as got close enough to look for ourselves. Mabel looked up and patted his chest, grinning.

"C'mon, Grunkle Stan, you can handle it! You punched a pterodactyl in the face, remember?

"Oh yeah!" Stan's eyes lit up as he remembered his earlier statement. "Heh heh, I did do that, didn't I. Heh… hehehe…"

"My, what suspicious laughter!" McGucket said, hopping around the hole and over to us.

"Guys, we're going in," Mabel said determinedly. Dipper and I smiled at her, the sense of adventure radiating off the three of us in waves.

"Need someone to tag along and tell weird personal stories?" McGucket asked, stretching his suspenders and standing on his toes proudly.

"No thanks," Stan said quickly, putting his hands on his hips. I reached into my book bag, and pulled out a rope Dipper had given me earlier while we were packing. Tying it around a pillar in the corner, and giving it a few tugs, I nodded in approval.

"Move!" I shouted, and flung the rest of the rope into the pit. The heavy line thumped back against the edge of the floor, swinging back and forth with the momentum. Grinning down at the hole, I dropped to my knees, and crawled over the edge. __Thank goodness for these being leather gloves__. Equally amazing how the paper bones could stick to it with the right adhesive. The scratchy rope provided enough grip on my hands, and I began my long descent as the rope continued to swing beneath me. "You comin' or what?" I called up, seeing the Pines, Soos, and McGucket watch me in amazement.

I continued sliding down the rope, feeling the strands in my hand tighten as more and more weight was added to the line. __Alright, Elaine. Whatever you do, don't look down. If you do, you're gonna get scared and nothing good comes from tha-__ "AHHH!"

I had forgotten the rope snapped in the show… dang it. Groaning, we all began to pick ourselves up off the ground. Thankfully, I was only two dozen feet from the ground, so I didn't have as big of a fall as the rest. I rolled onto my stomach, and saw Dipper's hand out in front of me. Smiling, I graciously took it and let the preteen help pull me to my feet. "Thanks, kid."

"These plants look all Jurassic-y," Dipper noted. He led me to a dark red flower, as the rest of our group looked around in aw. Geysers erupted around the bottom of the hole, spraying mist into the air. Huge ferns, giant mushrooms… I felt like I got tossed into Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.

"Oh, Waddles." Mabel said, walking towards the large opening in the cave wall. "We're gonna find you." Dipper pulled a lantern from his bag and lit it. The orange glow threw shadows around us, and we joined Mabel in traveling through the mine. Watching my feet to make sure I didn't trip, I grimaced at the skeletal remains of an old miner, its pith helmet still attached to its head.

 _ _Not promising. Definitely not promising.__ "AAHHH!" The group in front of me screamed, and my body tensed in surprise and shock. __Welp, there goes my heart!__ The Pines gang plus Soos and McGucket calmed down, and I whacked Dipper on the head as I got closer.

"Warn me next time you guys plan on doing that!" I criticized. "Make me have a heart attack, why don't you!"

"Sorry, Elaine." Dipper rubbed the spot where I hit him, and looked up in wonder at the T-Rex stuck in the sap. From how it was trapped, it looked about ready to bite down on all of us with a single chomp. We all oohed in marvel as Dipper led us through the massive columns of tree sap, glowing an orange light like amber. "They're trapped inside the tree sap! That's how they survived for 65 million years!" Dipper and I stopped in front of a glob of sap, which had melted away to reveal a large pterodactyl shaped hole. "The summer heat must be melting them loose!"

"Uh, dudes…" we walked over to Soos and McGucket. The two were looking nervously at a velociraptor, a single claw wiggling free from its sticky tomb.

"Maybe… we should keep moving," Dipper mumbled.

"Yeah. I am not having a Jurassic World arc, people. I am not going to try and tame dinosaurs like Chris Pratt." __No matter how awesome that may be.__

Dipper gave me a confused look, and I mentally slapped myself. __I just mentioned a franchise from my world again. Stupid!__ Before he could ask me what I meant, Mabel stormed past us, covering her ears. "LA LA LA LA LA! I can't hear anyone! No one's talking to me!" She shouted, her voice cracking at the end.

"Guys, guys, don't fight!" Soos pleaded. "Why can't you be more like me and Dipper!" He wrapped an arm around said boy's neck, making Dipper's face red from a lack of air as he was pulled into the hug. "Look, everything's gonna be cool." Releasing Dipper, he bent down and picked up the red yarn strand. "All we gotta do to find the pig is follow this here yarn!" Soos began wrapping the yarn into a ball as he spoke. "Just keep following and following, until we reach the end!" He held it up, before realizing what he did. "Oh-uh oh." We all stared in horror at Soos. Our one way of finding Waddles, gone, just like that. __Dude!__ "Which-which cave was it again?"

"Arghhh!" Dipper let out a frustrated yell. "Soos, you lost the trail!"

"Hey, come on. We'll find our way, TRUST me." Soos playfully whacked Dipper on the back, knocking the lantern from his hands. The light source bounced on the ground, and shattered into pieces.

"… sorry, dude." __Soos, sorry doesn't even begin to cut it!__

"Ugh! That is it! See, this is why I didn't want to bring you along!" Dipper shouted, startling Soos.

"Look! What-what do you mean?" He asked, seeing Dipper's anger. Soos didn't understand it, which made this all the more frustrating for the boy.

"I MEAN, this is really important to Mabel, and you keep screwing everything up!" I winced at Dipper's tone, and stepped away from him. I loved Dipper, I did, but when it came to stuff that involved his sister and family… one should never mess.

I clenched my hands, looking away guiltily. Wasn't this what I was doing right now? I was playing the entire Pines family just for my own gain, just to get back home. But since two nights ago, when Dipper and me were heading back to the Mystery Shack… I called the Shack home. I called Gravity Falls ****home****. Why? I wanted to go home, didn't I? Then why was I considering this place…? "You ruined our photograph, and now you got us hopelessly lost!"

"But we're the p-terodactyl bros!" Soos frowned. "I made us t-shirts!"

"It's pronounced pterodactyl!" Dipper emphasized angrily. "And these shirts are useless, they're gigantic!"

"I have a different body type, dude!" Soos yelled in offense.

"Oh, so it's my fault?" I walked back to stand next to McGucket in distress, watching all four of them argue. Their voices started to rise, and I felt something… snap. __Okay, that is it!__

"Will you all just SHUT UP!?" The twins, Stan, and Soos froze at my voice, and turned to meet my rage-filled face. My hazel eyes bore back at them, and my fists tightened even more, making my knuckles white under my gloves. "Yeah, you all screwed up! Big FREAKIN' deal! Need I remind you four that we're stuck in an abandoned mine in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by massive sharp toothed lizards that can tear us limb from limb!?" Okay, I may have a problem overreacting, like Bill had said when I had found the truth about Asger. But I couldn't stop myself now. Once I started, I had to keep ranting until something stopped me. Either I ran out of steam, or I said something I'd regret. "Yes, Stan messed up, but may I remind you that it's not his fault for a pterodactyl kidnapping Waddles from our lawn! And Soos, Dipper has a perfectly justified reason to be mad! He is just looking out for Mabel! The fact we're doing this for his sister is much more important than t-shirts right now!" I shook in a mixture of sad rage, my breathing coming out in short inhales and exhales.

"Elaine?" Dipper whispered, stunned by my outburst.

"You guys are all family and friends!" I cried. Tears began running down my face, and I blinked them back. Th-this wasn't sad, no. But I needed to make my point. They had to understand. "You seriously can't just let this come between all off you! Why… why can't you all appreciate what you have… while you still have it?" My voice came out hoarse, and I looked down tiredly. "Why…?" I felt a hand on my shoulder, and a soft glow light up the room. Glancing to the side, I saw McGucket smile sadly at me, holding a now rebuilt lantern.

"Hey! Cheer up, fellas!" McGucket said, looking back at Dipper, Mabel, Stan, and Soos. The four were watching me in equal pity and shock, obviously not expecting my reaction. __I… thought I said I don't… need pity?__ "I fixed your lantern!" I looked beside him, and immediately realized my stupidity. __And I forgot the pterodactyl was above McGucket. Well, aren't I just full of great ideas today.__

"AAAAAUGH!" They screamed, and stepped back in horror.

"AAAAUGH!" McGucket copied them. "Heh heh. What-what're we doing?"

"M-McGucket?" I stuttered, and pulled the man around. He and I backed away slowly from the dinosaur. __Not good, not good, not good.__

"Nobody make any sudden movements or loud noises," McGucket instructed us. __Three, two one.__ "YEEEEEHAW! We found a pterodactyl!" __Why did you have to scream that!? And why did my count have to be so accurate!?__

The dinosaur roared angrily at the loud noise, and I spun around and grabbed McGucket's hand. "RUUUN!" I shrieked, and dragged the old man behind me. The Pines and Soos were a small distance ahead of us, and ran through one of the mine shafts. "Go, go, go, go, GO!" I slammed to a stop once we exited the tunnel, as the path led to a large open cavern. Looking around in panic, we jumped over the rocks that stood beside us on the right, and ducked down. The other four were already hiding, and looked at us worriedly.

"Are you alright, Elaine?" Dipper asked, setting a hand on my knee. Taking deep breathes to regain myself, I threw an angry glare at him, making him flinch back. __Gee, what do you think?__ "Guys, we need a plan to get of here." Dipper looked over at the people behind him, searching for an idea.

"Okay, okay. How's about Mabel knits Soos a pig costume," Stan began.

"I like it!" Soos commented.

"And we use Soos as a human sacrifice!"

"I like it!"

"No, no human sacrifices," I muttered. "We aren't killing anyone…" __no matter how tempting that is right now.__

"What do you say Mabel?" Stan turned to look at Mabel, only for the girl to draw her knees up to her chest and face the opposite direction. Her brown eyes glaring off into the distance.

"Ah, come on. You can't stop talking to me forever," Stan said, leaning around Soos.

"Yeah Mabel. We have to work together here," Dipper agreed. I nodded slightly. Arguing was not going to help us out here, and if they didn't want me screaming at them again, they really should consider smarting up.

"Oh, what, you want to work with Mabel but not your buddy Soos?" Soos asked. I huffed, moving around them to sit next to Mabel. The three started arguing, with Mabel still remaining silent.

"Hey." She looked up at me, and frowned. "Sorry for… that, earlier. I just…" I exhaled sharply. "I had no excuse for yelling at you guys like that."

"It's okay, Elaine. You shouldn't have had to put up with our problems." Mabel leaned against my shoulder, and smiled at me sadly. How could this sweet little girl be trying to cheer me up, when her pig was still missing somewhere? "You should try to focus on yours first."

 _ _I've been trying kid, trust me.__ "WHONK! WHONK!" Mabel and me jumped at the noise, and looked at each other.

"Mabel, that was not me." I held my hands up in defense. We looked over at the middle of the room, seeing a large rock spire with a nest sitting on top of it.. Inside was a giant pterodactyl egg, and Waddles watching us eagerly.

"Waddles!" Mabel cried happily. She got off the ground, and ran towards the nest over the rickety mining tracks.

"Oh, wait, kid!" Soos shouted as we sprang to our feet. The tracks under Mabel's feet shook, not used to the sudden weight. Bits of the old wood fell far below her, and it was a miracle they were even still standing.

"Mabel!" Dipper and I shouted as Stan cried out, "are you nuts!?"

"Oh, is someone speaking?" Mabel paused on the tracks, turning back to us. "Because I can't hear anything!"

"Oh no!" McGucket cried. "She's gone deaf with fear!"

"Mabel, come back!" I raced out over the hole after her, the guys chasing after me. I glanced over the edge as I ran, and immediately picked up the pace. "Oh, bad idea to look down. Very, very bad idea!"

I climbed onto the edge of the nest, and felt Dipper come straight to my side. He looked at me, seeing my suddenly pale face. "Elaine, why are you…?" yeah, a huge skeletal pile of human remains would freak anyone out. Judging from how they were dressed, it was clear that they were the old miners of the town. __I think I read something about this in the journal. Mining operations stopped somewhere in the 1800's due to… prehistoric beasts.__ "Uh… Mabel?" Mabel scooped up Waddles in the pig carrier as Dipper ran up to her. "Mabel, quick! We gotta-now we gotta get out of here!"

"WHOOONNNKK!" Waddles screamed, and I looked up at the pterodactyl circling over our heads. __Oh no.__ Waddles jumped out of Mabel's arms, and ran past me. "WHOONK! WHOONK!" Waddles jumped onto Stan, who stood right behind me, knocking him onto the tracks.

"Ah! Get off me, you dumb pig!" Stan shouted, holding Waddles in the air.

"Look out!" Dipper exclaimed. The twins, McGucket, and Soos ducked down in the nest. The pterodactyl screeched, and dove at the tracks. It missed Stan, it's claws snatching at the tracks instead. But it was just enough movement to topple him and the pig over the edge. The wind current caused by the massive wings threw me overboard with him, as I hadn't been able to jump into the nest in time.

"Aaaaaaaaaugh!" We screamed as we fell into the large chasm below, pieces of wood falling past us. I felt my back roughly hit an enormous mushroom, bouncing onto a lower one before dropping to the filthy ground. I groaned, rolling onto my side as I pulled myself back to my feet. Ringing the dirty water out of my hair, I started wiping my glasses clean as Stan rubbed his head.

"Yeah, you would enjoy this," he grumbled. Waddles oinked happily between us, rolling in the mud puddle they were sitting in. The pig bag laid next to me, equally stained and having fallen off of Waddles. "Aaaaah!" A lord roar made us look up, as the dinosaur flew towards us once again, and I dove back onto the ground on my stomach to avoid its talons. "Huh?" __It missed?__

Sticking my glasses back on as I still held them in my hand, I saw Stan was now missing his fez, showing his light gray hair. "Come on!" I scooped up Waddles, and ran under one of the mushrooms. Stan followed behind me, and we sat down next to the rock wall. The pterodactyl screeched overhead, and we looked up nervously.

"The dumb thing must be hungry," Stan figured. "I guess it's just us or you, pig." Stan stood up, and shoved Waddles out from under our shelter. Waddles turned around to look at him curiously, tilting his head. "What are you looking at?" He looked away, and then turned back to the pig. Waddles blinked at him, as if he was pressuring him to continue. I would speak up, but I felt that this was an important moment between a… a man and a pig. "Aw come on, don't give me that look! What am I supposed to do, let it eat me?"

Waddles kept staring at him, and Stan let out a frustrated yell. "Argh!" Standing up, he marched over to the edge of the mushroom, and glared at Waddles. "Oh, I get it. You're trying to guilt me. Well, it ain't working, pal. Who cares if you're Mabel's favorite thing in the world? I can live without the kid talking to me all the time!" Stan paused mid-rant, realizing what he was saying. "Telling me her jokes… makin' me laugh…"

Waddles snorted, approving what he was thinking. Laughing, Stan looked back at me. Grinning, I got up and joined him. "Uh, Stan? It's coming back around!"

"Aw, dang it!" The pterodactyl swooped down at the far end of the cavern, and sped towards us. From its current angle, our hiding place was no longer going to work. "Kid, I want you to hang onto my back, and whatever you do, don't let go!" He grabbed Waddles, tossing him into the carrier and threw it over his chest. "Well, this is just about the dumbest thing I've ever done." He clipped the straps in the middle, sliding it around so the pig was in front of him, and stretched his arms out wide. "YOU WANT THIS PIG!?" Stan shouted at the dinosaur.

"WHOONK!" Taking this as my signal, I jumped onto his back as he knelt down to get a running start.

"THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET THROUGH ME, YOU FLYING DEVIL! COME AND GET ME!" Stan sprinted at the dinosaur, and threw himself at its head. With a roar, the pterodactyl shut its eyes and threw its head around, desperately trying to shake us off. Growling, Stan wrapped his legs around its neck, and started throwing anger-fueled punches at its face. The pterodactyl cried in pain, flinching at each strike. I however, was laughing my head off as Stan let loose a warrior cry. "From heck's heart I stab at thee!" Stan brought his hands together, and stabbed the middle of its head. The pterodactyl shrieked, and dove into the cliff where Mabel, Dipper, and Soos were. As it struck the rocky surface, it fell back into the chasm, leaving Stan to cling to the edge. Quickly, he scrambled up and way from the drop, panting heavily.

"That was AWESOME!" I shouted gleefully, jumping off his back. "I had a Jurassic Park moment! In your FACE, Chris Pratt! Woo hoo!"

"That was awesome, Stan! Way to go, Mr. Pines!" Dipper and Soos cheered, running up to him from behind the rocks.

Mabel walked to us, and beamed up at Stan. Chuckling, Stan unbuckled the pig harness, and handed Waddles over to her. "Here's your pig, kiddo."

"Waddles!" Mabel hugged the content pig, and smiled at Stan. The girl had his fez over her head, wearing it proudly. "You saved him for me!" Stan plucked his fez off of her, and put it back on.

"Yeah, well. Sometimes, you just gotta-"

"LOOK OUT!" I screamed. The pterodactyl crawled up over the cliff behind us, and slammed its claws right next to me. As fast as we could, we ran back through the tunnel, screaming in terror. "Where's Dipper!?" I looked behind me, seeing the dinosaur nip at his vest. "C'mon!" I slowed down enough to grab his hand, dragging the boy behind me. We exited the mine shaft, finding ourselves back in the large hole we began in. Looking up, our hearts plummeted as we saw the severed rope swinging in the wind. __How could we forget that!?__

"We're trapped!" Stan cried.

"Quick! The geyser can shoot us back up!" Dipper called, running over to one of them. We climbed into the lukewarm water, and I shivered as the liquid went up to my waist. The pterodactyl could be seen zooming towards us from the tunnel, orange eyes narrowed in anger and hunger as Dipper splashed the water as if it would activate on command. "C'mon… go, go!"

The pterodactyl, with sharpened claws fully extended, swooped down at us. Screaming, I instinctively clung to the twins, using myself as a human shield. "Bros before dinos!" __What!? Soos__ brought his fists down on the side of the geyser, and set it off. "AAHHHH!" We screamed, and flew up at of the hole. The force of the water carried us on top of the stream, forcing us out of the hole and past the floor itself. With the amount of pressure by the geyser, we ended up breaking through the roof of the church, before the geyser finally came to a halt. I felt myself drop into the open back of a piano that was piled high on top of of several fallen boards, water dripping off of me and back aching on impact. Panting, I slowly pulled myself upwards, and peered over the edge. The roof, thank goodness, had collapsed from our unexpected entry. The huge hole was now filled in, preventing anything from ever escaping.

"Heh… heh… hehehehe." Chuckling, I climbed out of the piano. __I think that's, uh… enough adventure for one day. The guys__ climbed out of the coffins they fell in, while Stan helped Mabel down from the chandelier she and Waddles were hanging from. "Let's go, guys." Mumbling in agreement, we finally exited the church, our long and tiring journey finally over. __Finally!__

"I can't believe you did all that for Waddles!" Mabel walked beside Stan, Waddles hot on their heels.

"Ah, well. I can't have my favorite niece not talking to me." Stan stopped to lean a hand on a tree, not seeing the gob of sap dripping from it. "And if I gotta leap onto a pterodactyl and punch him in the face, then that's what I gotta do."

"That's kinda sappy, Stan," I said as I walked past him with Dipper and Soos.

"W-what? That's how I feel!" He protested.

"No, she means..." Mabel pointed at his sap covered hand, and Stan removed it from the tree.

"Oh, yeah. Gotcha!" Stan put his hand on her face, laughing. "Uh-oh." Seeing his mistake, he grabbed his wrist, trying to pull himself off of the girl. The sap though proved to be much stronger than he thought, lifting Mabel into the air by her face. I giggled as I climbed into my seat, hearing them scream behind me.

(Time Skip)

After a long shower, Mabel and Stan had removed the gross tree sap. With some time still left in the day, we decided not to open the Shack, and settled down in the living room. It was too late to open anyway. The sun was starting to set, and the air began to cool. I laid next to Dipper on the couch, Soos sitting on the skull coffee table. We were watching TV, specifically one of Gravity Falls' weird infomercials. "Hey, I'm Bobby Renzobbi. Are your arms jealous of your legs? Then you need Arm Pants! The pants you wear on your arms!"

"Yeesh. Who actually buys these infomercial stuff?" Dipper asked.

Soos chuckled, and elbowed him. "I know, right?" While Dipper was distracted, I grinned as Soos quickly picked up the home phone beside him. "Cancel the order, cancel the order!" Shaking my head, I leaned against Dipper. __So… we're here. Dreamscaperers is gonna start soon, and I don't think I can shake off the fact that Dipper's gonna find out about… Bill.__

But how would he react? Would he be mad, feel betrayed, or… would he never want to speak to me again? __No. No, don't think like that, Elaine. Dipper would still be your friend no matter what. You're not betraying him. He never even knew Bill until that exact point in the series. He doesn't even know why you made that deal in the first place. If Dipper__ _ _does ****__ _ _find out about Bill's and my deal, then… then…__ I sighed, and looked at ahead of me in with a fixed decision. __I'll… I'll tell him. I'll tell him, Mabel, and Stan where I came from.__

I knew for a fact, 100 percent, that I would probably have a little breakdown when they find out. But if I could handle the disturbing truth that I could die outside of my dimension in a dimension based off of a cartoon in my world, then I could handle a little honesty, right?

Besides, it's what I said earlier in my journal. Nothing could go more wrong than it already has. I'd already developed an attachment to my new friends, gone on life-or-death adventures, been strangled, and burned. I had pretty much screwed my life over at this point, so what else could happen now?

Bill's POV

I didn't get it, I just didn't get it. Everything was going exactly according to plan. Been making deals, chatting with old friends, preparing for the big day. But why couldn't I focus? Why couldn't I stop going to my weirdness bubble!? WHY COULDN'T I STOP WATCHING ****HER****!?

What was it about that pathetic weak fleshbag that I found so fascinating!? Ever since I had taken her to see Dimension 36, I'd felt… weird, around her. I didn't mean my normal, psychotic weird. This was a… different weird. A fuzzy feeling, like… like a duckling full of tarantulas! It was an irritating sensation, but I didn't want it to go away.

What was this? What was this… feeling, that I kept having around that stupid human!? __Think, Bill! What makes Angel so much different!?__ Well, she was one of my youngest pawns for starters. Drake was younger, but he was only to keep an eye on her for her when I wasn't around. Angel knew almost everything about my plans, even before she made her deal. She knew perfectly well what could and would happen if she screwed up. I could easily drive her simple fragile mind into pure insanity if I chose to, but what's the point of that when she already could match my madness?

Angel was smart, stubborn, and willing to do anything to reach her goals. But with all of these traits, why was it I felt so attached to her? Heck, she's almost exactly like a miniature Sixer! So then, what was this cursed feeling, and why won't it go away!? "Hmmm…" I put my hand to my eye in thought, leaning an arm on my throne. The neon swirling illusions swirled under me, matching my confusion.

I was an omniscient creature. How in the multiverse was ****I**** unable to come up with an answer!? "Arrgh!" Giving a frustrated yell, I slowly looked up at a weirdness bubble drifting by me. I let go of my eye, and beckoned the orb closer to me. In the misty kaleidoscope of pure madness, Angel was curled up in her bed, head stuck in her journal. The human brushed a strand of hair out of her face, and I raised my brow at the noticeable bruises on her arms. __Gee Angel, what have you been up today?__

Angel. How painfully ironic for her. The once pure and innocent angel; manipulating her friends, associating with demons and monsters, and liking my company. But… why did she like my company? Why was it that after all of my attempts to shake the human off, and make her hate me, did she still come back? Why did she make me so… so… what did she make me feel!? ****Why**** did she make me feel!? I wanted to understand! I wanted to! __But… but how?__

* * *

 ** **Ah, Bill. The mean ol' demon is confused~ He hates that he has feelings, he hates that he doesn't know what they are, yet he wants to know what they are. Also, the duckling full of tarantulas thing was a reference to a deleted song from Weirdmageddon called 'It's Gonna Get Weird'.****

 ** **Also, dino names are beyond me. Not sure if they should be capital or not, but in this case, I don't think it matters that much.****

 ** **Seriously though. Dreamscaperers is up next. Don't go away yet, this is gonna be a very important part of the story.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	32. Dreamscaperers Part 1

****Disclaimer: It. Is. TIME! Hold onto your hats, people! We're in for a ride!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: It's a shame, isn't it. Like when Elaine dressed up as Sans and had Dipper and Mabel go as Chara and Frisk… such a shame they never caught the references.****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: I loved the hint towards the deleted scene. I thought others might enjoy it too.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thank you!****

 ** **Haruka Akatsuki: Bill's confusion is our laughter. You're gonna like this chapter, trust me on that.****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: So of course, Elaine is confused about what is wrong with Bill, Bill is confused on what's wrong with him, and Dipper and Mabel are confused as to what Elaine is hiding. Everyone's confused!****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: First; thank you! I wanted to do an OC insert from the start, but I wanted to take this in a different manner than what I usually read online. Second; at the beginning, I had wanted to add a few other people to be Elaine's teen friends. Kids who she could talk to that wouldn't judge her for what she was trying to accomplish, and who she could vent to. Third; I have to admit, is my favorite part of this story. Elaine is almost taking on the role of older sister/best friend. But she hates herself slimly for letting herself get close. She knows for a fact that if/when she leaves, it'll destroy her and them. Fourth; Bill and Elaine. Every story I read alters his personality to fit a romantic setting. I didn't want that. So! Keeping it classic Gravity Falls, I made sure to keep the sadist as he was and have Elaine suffer through it with a smile on her face and scars on her arms. Also, I love when I get detailed reviews like this! It's no trouble at all.****

 ** **Sorry if I went overboard guys. I had a lot to say. (Shrugs)****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Cookie! Om nom nom! Great cipher, by the way. The sarcastic Angel had burrowed her way into his destructive mindset, and changed his plans completely… but is it for good? Or for bad…?****

 ** **SnowyFalls: I was gonna add the dinosaur egg in this chapter, but it's nice to notice someone else seeing it could be added too.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Look at these people, puny and feeble!****

 ** **Bob: Luckily for you, it's updating time.****

 ** **Akira D. Ryusuke: It's pretty split, but at least Dilaine doesn't have sadistic tendencies. Billaine****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: So much, pal. It'll complicate things so much.****

 ** **Now, let's get to it! I only own Elaine, not Gravity Falls.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 9/18**

* * *

3rd POV

" ** **So, not too much has happened these past few days. Grunkle Stan (not surprisingly)**** ** **had stolen a dinosaur egg that hatched into something the size of a rooster.**** ** **How he nabbed it, and when he did it, we didn't know. Personally, I think it happened when Stan was wandering around the massive collection of dinosaurs trapped in sap. This meant he had to have taken one from the melting goop.**** ** **I can't even bother writing the name, let alone pronouncing it**** ** **. He was thrilled with it, teaching the creature how to steal off customers. However, we gave it to Sprott when it started stealing Stan's wallet and not sharing in its ill-gotten gains. I swear, that dino was screeching 'no refunds' at some point.****

 ** **I've been waiting patiently for Dreamscaperers to begin. Bill has… been ignoring me for a while. Not that I don't mind the peace and quiet, but… I miss him****." Sighing, Elaine leaned against the window, watching the rain fall outside. __Nothing weird happened since last time, so why hadn't Bill visited me?__ Shaking her head, she continued scribbling in the dark blue book. The light overhead reflected off the silver metallic angel wings symbol on the cover, and the inside held a drawing of said dino holding a wallet in its claws. " ** **I know he'll return soon though. After all, he'll be encountering Dipper and Mabel soon.**** ** **And when that happens… I've thought of many ways that could go, but I'm hoping none of the worst occur. Bill had gotten much nicer around me, and I hope that would affect how it goes. That… nothing bad will happen.****

 ** **Nothing.****

 ** **That's another thing, dear journal.**** ** **Even with thinking about it,**** ** **it still… worries me. I've become… fragile, in a sense. Before I came to Gravity Falls, I was still very sarcastic and full of attitude, but at least I had more confidence then. Getting attacked and verbally taken down by Bill… does hurt, but he's improved since then. So have I.****

 ** **Okay, this has gotten enough emotional baggage for one day. I'm done****." Elaine snapped the book shut, and tossed it back behind the box. "Elaine!" She looked towards the door, hearing Dipper's voice from downstairs. "Come here! Stan has something he wants to show us!"

"Coming!" She called back, and grabbed her bag off the ground. A large bucket sat beside it, halfway filled with rainwater. __This is what you get Stan, when you don't use your money to fix your house.__ Elaine closed the door behind her, and made her way downstairs. __Wonder what Grunkle Stan wants?__ _She_ popped her head around the corner of the living room, finding the Pines gang, including Wendy and Soos, watching the TV. "What's up?"

"I need you to laugh at this with me!" Stan said, laughing in his seat.

"Who's cute as a button, and always your friend? Li'l G-I-D to the E-O-N! Wink!" Gideon sang on the commercial, cursive writing spelling out his name above him.

"Ugh, Gideon!" Dipper said bitterly. Elaine nodded, sitting beside the twins on the floor.

"Remember when I wouldn't date him and he tried to destroy us?" Mabel asked, looking at her and Dipper.

"If it makes you feel any better, I threatened the kid when we went to the pool," Elaine smirked. "I've never seen the boy so nervous." Stan chuckled, and leaned forward to ruffle her hair.

"Ha ha! That's my girl!" Stan grinned, before becoming serious. "He's always trying to trick me into losing the Mystery Shack." __My girl? He…__ Elaine smiled at him curiously. __He thinks of me as family.__ _He only ever said that to Mabel, and yet h-he used it to address her._ Considering that her arms had long since healed, Stan still had every right to boot her out of the Shack. She wasn't an injured wreck. _Mentally, that's a different matter._ She could recall, that more than a month ago Stan said she could stay due to her condition. But why was she still there? Was it because she could handle the twins and provided free labor? __Or… is it because Stan really sees me as a real member of the Pines family?__

"One time I caught him stealing my moisturizer," Wendy said as she propped her arm against the back of Stan's chair.

"And yet, our mutual hatred for him bonds us together." Soos brought his hands together, smiling. They looked back at the TV, watching a flock of doves fly out from behind Gideon. The child psycho laughed, arms open wide.

"Come on down to Li'l Gideon's Tent of Telepathy," Bud said as the title image appeared. "Opening soon at this location." An image of the Mystery Shack appeared, before being crushed by the Tent of Telepathy.

 _ _Uh…__ Elaine blinked, and turned to face Stan. That… didn't seem good. "Should we be worried about this?"

"Please," Stan waved her off. "The only way Gideon's taking over this shack is by breaking in and stealing my deed." As if to insult him, a loud smash echoed through the room from down the hall.

The group turned to Stan in surprise, and Wendy shifted her eyes anxiously. "You mean like, right now?" Stan quickly got to his feet, and marched off down the hall, the rest of them right behind. Stan came to a halt in front of the door to his office, and opened it. Elaine poked her head around his arm, and frowned.

A smashed window, and a crazed ten year old wearing a stupid hat. "Gideon!" _He came through the window!?_ Elaine thought in surprise, looking at the class on the floor. The boy was soaking wet from being outside, not wearing a raincoat the green hat.

Gideon turned around, drawing his hands behind his back. "Well, well, Stanford, my arch-nemesis. We seem to have entered a dangerous game of cat and mouse." He began to drum his fingers together. "But the question remains, who is the cat, and who is the-?"

"Soos, broom," Stan deadpanned, holding out his hand. Soos picked up the broom in the corner, handing it over. Giggling, Elaine and Mabel moved in closer to watch instead of hiding out in the hallway.

"Oh no, not the broom!" Gideon shrieked, and the girls laughed as Stan chased him around with the broom. He paused to hiss at Stan like a cat, only for Stan to hit him in the face with the broom twice. Gideon ran past them followed by Stan, heading towards the exit of the Mystery Shack.

Elaine wiped a tear from her face, laughing, and turned to the twins and Wendy. "Come on guys, let's head back to the living room."

(Time Skip)

"He put the old in 'old west', they call him: Grandpa the Kid!" Elaine groaned, rubbing the bridge of her nose. Her, Dipper, Mabel, Wendy, and Stan sat in the living room, watching a western film. Dipper and Wendy lazily shot Nyarf pellets at each other by the skull table, not looking away from the screen. "I'm tired during the day.".

"I can relate to this," Stan said, gesturing to the TV at the cowboy's line.

"Grunkle Stan, why can't we watch a movie that we'll all enjoy?" Mabel asked, holding up a VHS from her spot on the floor. "Dream Boy High! 'Where love is on your permanent record'." __Uh, how about no?__ _The older teen thought, rolling her eyes._ "Boo!" Everyone jeered, Elaine sticking out her tongue in distaste. "You'll learn to like it."

The sound of pots and pans falling over came from the kitchen, and Elaine prepared to stand up. "Honestly, if Gideon is trying again. It's only been a few hours."

A pot tumbled into the entryway, coming to a rest upside-down, and Soos ran over to the doorway. "Aaah! Dudes, there's a bat in the kitchen! It tried to touch me with its 'weird little bat fingers'!" He wiggled his fingers, sweat pouring down his face.

"Don't worry, I got this under control!" Stan pointed at him, and then reclined his part of the couch as I was sitting next to him. Tucking his arms behind his head, he continued looking at the movie screen. "Dipper, take care of it."

Dipper gasped, gaping at Stan while Mabel laughed in victory. "Yes!" Why was he the one to get it? Wouldn't it make more sense for Stan, or Soos too? Heck, why not the others? Why was it him? _Why is it always me?_

"What?" Dipper looked at Elaine in confusion, and she only shrugged in response. _Trust me, Dipper. I don't really know why either._ She never did understand what went on in Stan's head, even after seeing the episode back home. With how different everything was now, it still didn't help her. "Why can't Mabel or Elaine do it?"

"'cause life ain't fair," Stan replied. "Now go fight a bat so we can watch TV."

"No way, Grunkle Stan!" Dipper got up, and stood in front of the set. "You always make me do dumb chores. I'm putting my foot down this time!" He stamped his foot down on the shag carpet, frowning.

"I said do it kid. Now!" Stan barked. __Cue western__ _ _music!__ Elaine glanced back from Dipper and Stan's stare off. Stan finally won though, giving off an angry glare and growl to throw off Dipper's intimidation.

"Okay, I'll do it!" Dipper said quickly, and sighed in defeat. Elaine watched him walk off into the kitchen, followed by Mabel and Soos. Wendy sat down her Nyarf gun, and headed for the door herself.

"I best be heading home. See you around, Elaine." Elaine nodded, giving the younger teen a quick smile before putting her focus back on Stan. Seeing how the twin wasn't there in the room, she didn't see any harm in asking about what had happened there.

"You know Stan," she began. "You were being a little harsh on Dipper. Why is that?"

"Kid, that's something for me to know, and for you to never find out." Stan leaned back into his seat once again, but didn't put his hands behind his head. "Besides, it's not your problem to worry about."

"Huh." Elaine looked down at her hands, and traced a finger over where her burn was under the glove. "Interesting." It was interesting. How vague that answer was, and how familiar it was to hear. _After all, it's not the first time I've_ _been told_ _something like that._

"What?" Stan asked, not understanding.

"It's just that, well, Mabel said the exact same thing to me when we were down in the mines a few days ago. How that I shouldn't have to worry over you guys when I have my own problems to deal with." Tightening her elastic in her hair, Elaine stood up from her seat. "Everyone tells me that I shouldn't have to worry about them, that I should focus on my own situation. But it's… it's hard to do that when I care for you guys." A small creaking came from beside her, and Stan put an arm on her shoulder. "Stan?" _Why'd he_ _put away the footrest_ _?_

"Come here, kid." Stan pulled her towards him, and put both hands on her shoulders. Without the footrest, she could stand directly in front of him without being knocked over. "Now listen, Elaine. We're just sayin' this because we know that you've already got a lot on your plate. The kids don't want to stress you out further. Dipper and Mabel love ya, Elaine. I speak for all of us when I say that, we don't want you to hurt yourself trying to keep us out of trouble."

 _ _But isn't that what I was trying do this entire summer?__ Elaine raised a hand to wipe the water dripping from her face, and stared miserably at Stan. "S-Stan. I… I…" Stan shook his head, and brought the emotional girl into a hug. Freezing, Elaine gave a small gasp. "Oh…" she looked at Stan's head, smiling, and brought her arms around him. "Thank you, Grunkle Stan."

"No problem, kiddo." Stan laughed awkwardly, patting her on the back. "Well, uh," he let her go, and coughed. "Why don't you, uh, go check on Mabel for me? Think she headed outside while we were chatting." Smirking, the teen brought two fingers to her head, saluting him.

"Sir, yes, sir!" Elaine shouted, and grabbed her bag off the ground. "Bye!" She ran towards the door, before pausing. "Oh! And Grunkle Stan?" She looked back at him. "Really. Thank you." Stan smiled at her, and gave a salute in return. Grinning, she opened the door off the deck. __How far I've come, Elaine. How far I've come.__

Elaine's POV

I knew for a fact Mabel and Soos would be heading towards Gideon soon, so why not go check him out now? Sneaking a glance at the two in front of the totem poll, I made my way through the woods, listening to the sound of crazy. _Dipper should still be in the Shack then. Hope nothing too bad happens while he's left alone._ "Where is he?" I swatted a branch out of the way, managing to avoid having it come back and hit me in the face. "Ha ha! Bingo!" Knelling down behind a shrub, I found Gideon in the same clearing that Kat, Asger, Bill, and I had our conversation not that long ago. 9 candles surrounded a picture Stan with his eyes crossed out with a red marker, and Gideon held journal two in his hand, reading off the pages.

"Triangulum, entangulum. Vene foris dominus mentium. Vene foris videntis omnium!" Gideon chanted, voice raising as he reached the end. I had remembered back in my own dimension, I had researched several Latin bits from the show, trying to figure out what they meant. Sadly, translators could give different results depending on what you used. With the show's wikia page, I found it roughly translated to " ** **triangle. I invoke you. I come to the defensive barrier of the mind. I will see the barrier destroyed**** **.** " That one was probably pretty close, actually.

I won't lie, Bill did see all. Plus he was able to shatter one's mind if he cared to. McGucket was enough proof of that. And there was Ford's behavioral change right before he got sucked into the port-

"Elaine?" I looked to see Mabel and Soos sneak up beside me. _Man, if I wasn't so tense already, I'd probably scream._ But that would be a terrible idea, since I was trying to hide. "What's going on?" I opened my mouth, only for Gideon to groan. We turned to the child, who had fallen on his knees in pain. Gideon clutched his stomach, before his arms were opened wide. We couldn't see from this angle, but I knew that his eyes were now glowing a bright blue. The same blue that came to mind whenever Bill was involved. "Egassem sdrawkcab. Egassem sdrawkcab. Egassem sdrawkcab. Egassem sdrawkcab! Egassem sdrawkcab! Egassem sdrawkcab!" A bright flash blinded me for a second, and I watched as the landscape switched to black and white.

I felt a hand in mine, and I looked over to see Mabel's nervous face. __She's scared.__ I squeezed her hand, and looked at the black triangular hole in the sky. When I first entered the Mindscape, I was terrified because I knew who was coming; what dangers were about to appear. For Mabel, she was in the dark. She was confused, and scared. Small yellow flames lined the window, and it sparkled like the time punch back in the Nightmare Realm. __Bill?__ My heart twisted as a large slit eye appeared in the middle, looking up towards the sky. "Ah ha ha ha ha ha! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" __Thank goodness Bill didn't make an entrance like that when I met him.__ _I was already stressed enough back then. Him doing that would make m_ _y panic skyrocket._

Mabel quickly threw herself into my arms, hiding her face in my shirt. Soos shielded his eyes, and Gideon backed away from the triangle in horror. Laughter dying down, the infinite void vanished, revealing a black and white Bill Cipher. White lines showed his tie and pyramid lines, and he looked around happily.

"Oh, oh, Gravity Falls!" Bill said, and stared down at Gideon. The white haired boy watched Bill in confused fear. __Not a surprise. Anyone who had never met him before would be confused.__ "It is good to be back." The yellow and black lines returned, and Bill circled around Gideon, eye never straying from him. "Name's Bill Cipher, and I take it you're some kind of living ventriloquist dummy?" Bill paused to laugh, and I snickered into my shoulder, still holding Mabel. Well, he did look pretty close to one. "I'm just kidding. I know who you are, Gideon!"

"W-what are you?" Gideon looked away in distress, before looking back up at Bill. "H-how do you know my name!?"

"Oh, I know lots of things!" Bill's eye widened, and a series of images flashed across his body. I could make out a few; Gideon's robot smashed at the bottom of the railway bridge, the prison, pyramids. " ** **LOTS OF THINGS****!" __How is it I never realized I acted exactly as Gideon when I made my deal?__ Bill said the exact same thing to me as he did to Gideon, and I had freaked out just as he did when the triangular demon knew my na-wait a minute…

How ****did**** Bill know my name? He had no idea how I had gotten into this dimension, and had no idea of my presence when he made the deal with Asger. He only did that because he wanted a pair of eyes on the inside. Plus, coming from a family like the Northwest's gave him a small amount of power in the town. Bill never showed up until I was asleep, so then… he was watching me the entire day when I woke up.

 _ _Seriously Bill!?__ I glared at the demon, despite knowing he wasn't watching me at the moment. The demon perked up faintly, and his slit pupil discreetly darted in my direction. I blinked, shivering under his gaze. __Ignore me! Focus on the creepy child!__ Bill's eye crinkled in a knowing look, and he centered back on Gideon.

"Hey, look what I can do!" Bill looked over a deer by the edge of the woods, having been caught in the Mindscape's effects, and brought his arm up. He curled his fingers in, and I stifled a scream as the animal's teeth were ripped out of its mouth with ease. Mabel probably would've passed out if he wasn't being so gentle, with loud shrieks and blood everywhere. "Deer teeth!" Bill dropped them into Gideon's hands. "For you, kid!"

The monster cackled as Gideon dropped them in shock as if they had burned him, shuffling backwards in alarm. "You're insane!"

"Sure I am, what's your point?" Bill asked casually. He raised his hand again, and did a circular motion with his index finger. The teeth swirled around in the air before flying back into the deer's mouth. It scampered off into the woods, probably to hide from Bill and any more disturbing tricks. Gideon panted, trying to regain himself. Bill's personality's enough to rattle anyone, even a child psychopath like himself.

"Listen to me, demon!" Gideon finally shouted. "I have a job for you. I need to enter the mind of Stanford Pines and steal the code to his safe." Mabel let go of me, gasping. She and Soos exchanged nervous looks, as I shook my head and brought a finger to my lips. __Keep quiet and keep watching.__ The two seemed to catch my message, and we looked back at Bill. He laughed a little, before registering what Gideon said.

"Wait… Stan Pines?" He turned around in thought, his yellow body changing images on the other side. __What is he thinking about?__ _I had a guess. Gideon said Stanford, and Bill seemed to have caught that as well. He_ spun back around to face Gideon, the images having vanished so we couldn't see them. "You know what, kid? You've convinced me! I'm sold!" He flew down to Gideon's level, the pale boy grinning happily. "I'll help you with this and in return you can help me with something I've been working on! We'll work out the details later."

"Deal!" Bill held out his hand, and I felt myself shudder at the cyan flames surrounding the black appendage. While we had gotten on good terms, the effects of what he had done when I made my first deal messed with my mind. It also didn't help now that the image of my charred flesh and the blood pouring out of it had now made me immune to the sight of any horrific wounds.

Bill and Gideon released hands, and the demon flew back up into the air. "Well, time to invade Stan's mind!" He declared, letting the flames die out. "This should be fun! Remember: reality is an illusion, the universe is a hologram, buy gold, BYEEEEEEE!" A bright spinning ray of blue light appeared behind him, and in a flash, he disappeared.

I reopened my eyes, and found Mabel and Soos looking around in confusion. "Did we just… wake up?" Mabel asked me.

"Dream demon, kid. Can't exist in our plane, so he brings us into his." It's not really spoiling anything. It's just stating facts. "Come on. We gotta go warn Stan and Dipper," I whispered, and we sprinted back towards the Mystery Shack. Gideon's cackles faded behind us the farther we got, and I hoped he didn't get wise and knew we were watching him and Bill.

"Uh, dudes?" Soos asked as we ran, dodging roots and rocks on the trail. "Is it too much to ask for a snack stop on the way?"

"Yes, it's too much to ask!" I shouted at him over my shoulder. "This is way more important than your Burrito Bites! You can get your snack later! Right now, we need to hurry!" It took a few minutes, but I made it to the door first, flinging it open and making a small dent in the wall. __Whoops…__ _ _we'll, uh, deal with that later.__ I ran to the door to the living room, Soos and Mabel right behind me. "Dipper! We gotta save Stan!"

"Wait, what?" Dipper asked, glancing at the sleeping Grunkle in confusion. He held a broom in his hands, probably having been sweeping up the glass from the office where Gideon came in.

"This evil triangle guy said he's gonna break into Stan's mind and steal the combination to his safe!" Soos added. "Also we almost stopped for snacks on the way here."

"Because this is much more important than snacks, Soos!" I retorted.

"Triangle guy?" Dipper slid the journal out from his vest, and flipped through the pages. "I feel like I've seen something like this before in the journal…" he stopped, and motioned for me to have a look. Now, I hadn't seen that far into the book yet, but… curiosity got the better of me. I moved around Dipper, and looked over his shoulder. __Oh my…__

B-blood. There was so much ****blood**** scattered across the aged papers. Mad scratching covered certain words and a large paragraph underneath the blackened image of Bill. The labels of certain types of ciphers were written in the upper right corner of the left page, each with a long line crossing through them. I squinted, leaning closer to read the crossed out paragraph. " ** **Bill has proven himself to be one of the friendliest and most trustworthy individuals that I've ever encountered in my life. What a guy! I honestly couldn't trust him more. Not even in any way. Bill is a true gentleman****."

" ** **BILL CAN'T BE TRUSTED**** " was in bold under the section in red in-I-I hoped it was red ink. I went to step back, before allowing myself to read one last time on the other side of the open pages. " ** **My right eye is so sore it bleeds on the page-the cost of letting him possess me****." __This is… this is Ford's__ ** _ ** _eye_**_** _ _blood!?__ I-I'd been warming up to a monster, I knew that fully well, but… Bill was capable of this much destruction to one's physicality and mentality!?

" ** **Beware Bill, the most powerful and dangerous creature I've ever encountered****." I looked at Dipper, trying to hide my worry. " ** **Whatever you do, never let him enter your mind****." Stan grunted behind us, kicking his legs out as if he was in a bad dream. "Grunkle Stan!" Mabel cried, reaching towards the man.

"Look!" I pointed above his head, and in a mixture of shock and horror we saw Bill's shadow faze into Stan's head. Stan's eyes opened, showing an ominous glowing blue. Stan's neck twisted in an odd fashion, and he began grunting loudly. His body moved in random motions, as if some part inside of him was trying to fight over the invader. Mabel grabbed the journal from Dipper, and read it. " ** **It is possible to follow the demon into a person's mind and prevent his chaos**** **.** " She flipped a page. " ** **One must simply recite this incantation****."

"Ugh, this is just great," Dipper complained. "I spend all day cleaning sinks and fighting bats for Stan and now I have to save him from some crazy brain demon?"

"But if we don't do anything Gideon might steal the Shack!" Mabel closed the journal. "Or worse!" Stan screamed on the other side of the room from the couch, adding to her reasoning.

"Fine," Dipper sighed. He was beat, and he knew that not doing anything wouldn't end well for anyone. "Get ready, guys. We're about to journey into the most horrifying, disturbing place any of us have ever been: our uncle's mind." Lightning flashed from outside, lighting up the dark room. _Thank goodness the rain let up when we went outside._ "Elaine, go get the candles in the kitchen. I'll go over the incantation."

"Sure thing, Dipper." I dropped my bag to the side of the door, and headed straight to the kitchen. I understood why he didn't want me using Stan's scented candles. The combination of mint and jasmine wasn't needed at this point in time. It'd be a little too distracting. Fishing out 9 small candles, I sat them on the table to look through the drawers for the matches.

 _ _It's time, Elaine. It's finally here. The day you've been dreading for since the beginning.__ I sighed, and pulled the match box out of the cupboard, and closed it. __I… I can do this. I can. I… I… I'm doomed.__ I could feel my heart start to speed up, and I immediately took deep breathes to try and slow it down. _N-no. Not now. Panicking like you did back in the washroom won't help anyone._ The priority was Stan, and the twins didn't need to see me almost pass out. I marched back to the living room, and set up the candles as the three watched. Grunkle Stan slept soundly in his seat, eyes closed and snoring softly as if the possession never happened. Blowing out the match, I nodded at the circle of lit candles around Stan and the couch. "Ready."

"Okay guys, in order to save our uncle, we're gonna have to follow that… dream demon into his mind," Dipper said.

"I wonder what Stan's thinking about right now," Soos wondered. He took Stan's mouth, and began moving it up and down. "I love Soos like a son!" He said in a high pitched voice. "Soos! This is serious!" Dipper criticized. "Sorry!" Soos said in the high voice. He let go of Stan, laughing next to Mabel. "Yeah!" They high fived, and I shook my head.

"Let's do this." Dipper put his hand on Stan's head, and I followed after him. Soos put his hand on the top of the fez, Mabel on the side opposite from me and Dipper. " ** **Videntis omnium. Magister mentium. Magnesium ad hominem. Magnum opus. Habeus Corpus! Inceptus Nolanus overratus! Magister mentium! Magister mentium! MAGISTER MENTIUM**** **!** " I felt something like a cold soft cloth cover my eyes, and I knew that my eyes were now glowing a bright blue. The sound of air whooshing past my ears increased, and I felt all my senses bow out for a second before I felt the blindfold vanish. How weird was it, to have your eyes wide open and not being able to see, and then have that sensation disappear. I looked around, and found myself in a Mindscape. Stan's mind. __It worked. I can't believe it worked.__

"What the…?" Soos said beside me, equally amazed. We got up off the ground, and walked in a daze towards the… Mystery Shack?

The building was falling apart in the back, hanging off a cliff. An 8-ball moon shone behind the roof, with the antenna and sign upside down in different places. A small creaking came from beside me, and I took notice of the broken swing set on the side. One swing was in fine condition, but the other was hanging off one of its chains. _So_ _ _… which one is Stan, and which one is Ford?__ Shaking myself from my thoughts, I tuned back into Mabel and Soos' conversation. "Remember everyone, we've got to look out for the triangle guy." We backed up, looking behind us at the scenery.

"Yeah, look out for the triangle guy!" Whipping around, we watched Bill float down to the deck of the building, spinning his cane in his hand.

"It's him! It's the guy!" Soos shouted, pointing at Bill.

"You leave our uncle's brain alone, you isosceles monster!" Mabel shouted, and charged at Bill. Letting out a battle cry, she threw herself at Bill… and vanished inside of him.

"Mabel!" I cried. _What the-how the heck did that work!?_ Bill took out an oversized pocket watch, watching a few seconds tick by. He tucked it away in subspace, and threw Mabel out of him, sending her tumbling until she resting on her knees. "Gotcha!" Mabel declared, holding her arms together. "Wait, what?" Seeing that she wasn't actually holding the demon, she looked back at him in astonishment.

"Ah, Stan's family, we meet at last!" Bill pointed a finger in the air. "Question Mark, Shooting Star, Pine Tree… Angel." He 'grinned' at me, and I fiddled with my necklace which earned me the nickname. "I had a hunch I might bump into you!" A humming sound came from Bill's hand, and the triangle fired a red laser at Dipper. The beam pierced through his body, creating a large gaping hole. __Holy!__ The boy screamed in terror, holding his head in horror. Breathing deeply, he looked down at his body, and found Mabel sticking an arm through him. "Boop!"

Soos and her laughed, and Dipper pushed him out of her. I felt my heart under my shirt, trying to will it to slow back down again. _At least… a-at least the laser went through without letting us seeing any organs._ If it wasn't in the mind, and it wasn't Bill, he would definitely be lying in front of us in a bleeding mess, intestines sprawled everywhere. "Mabel! What do you want with our uncle's mind anyway?" Dipper asked, regaining his composure.

"Oh, just the code to the old man's safe!" Bill replied, leaning back and kicking his feet up. "Inside the Shack is a maze of a thousand doors representing your uncle's memories. Behind one of them is a memory of him inputting the code! I just need to find it and Gideon will pay me handsomely."

"Not if we stop you!" Mabel shouted.

"Ha, fat chance!" Bill rebuked her. "I'm the master of the mind." He let his cane float beside him, holding up his arms as blue flames surrounded him. "I even know what you're thinking right now!"

"That's impossible, no one can guess what I'm thinking!" Mabel said. Bill snapped his fingers, the flames vanishing as a bright purple and pink glow flooded our eyes before returning to normal. Now, standing right behind the young girl were two teens a year or two older than myself.

Xyler and Craz looked around in confusion, trying to make sense of where they came from. Xyler looked more as if he was ready for the beach or working out, while Craz was dressed more casually. Either way, both of them were… oddly bright. Like a strange filter was applied to them. _That doesn't… but they're real, right?_ "Whoa, where are we, bro?" Xyler asked.

"We must be in heaven, 'cause I just saw an angel!" They knelt down, and Craz pointed at Mabel.

The girl squealed, latching onto his leg with a huge smile. "I'm never letting of of your leg!"

"You're out of your league, kids," Bill warned. I internally tensed, as his roaming eye suddenly focused on me. __Please Bill, please don't say anything.__ "You would know fully well what I'm capable of, don't you, Angel?" Bill asked, putting a hand on his side. He… he said something. _He-gah!_ _Bill!_

"Elaine?" My heart started to pound inside my chest, and I saw Dipper stare at me. "What's he talking about?" __Is… is he really doing this just to get a rise out of me!?__ I looked from him to Bill, and back again. "Elaine?" Dipper pressured. "What is he talking about?"

"Oho! Didn't Angel tell you yet, Pine Tree?" Bill vanished, and suddenly reappeared beside us. Mabel yelled in alarm at how close the demon was, shuffling away from him and into Soos' arms. Bill wrapped an arm around me, holding me close to his body. "She's my special puppet, ever since the beginning of the summer when she first arrived. Isn't that right, kid?"

I struggled against the demon, and cried out as his claws dug into my arm. "N-no! Dipper, d-don't listen to him!" Dipper watched the exchange, from Bill's words and how much I was struggling to free myself, and I could see the conflict in his eyes. H-he didn't know who to believe. He… he didn't trust me. __No… no… Dipper, please. I'm your friend. Please, trust me!__

"You're… you're lying. I don't believe you." Frowning, he reached forward, and grabbed my hand. "Let her go!" Dipper yanked, trying to free me from the demon's hold. "Why would she work with you!? She's our friend!"

"You sure about that, kid?" Bill mocked. His grip was like iron, even if it didn't feel like it right now. He wasn't letting me slip away, and back to the twin. "Angel's been feeding you lies ever since she stumbled across that Shack of yours at the start of the summer. The only bit of truth she ever told you was about how she wound up there. Amazing how much she cares for you though. I'd be touched if I had a heart!"

"Ignore him, Dipper!" I shouted, trying to help him in wrenching myself away. "N-nothing he's saying is real!' Finally, either Dipper got lucky, or… Bill decided the fun was ready to **really** begin… and let me go. Dipper and I stumbled away from him with the momentum of him pulling me away and freeing me from his grip… and my grip on my glove. "NO!"

I had mentally planned for every possible way this could've gone. Every outcome, and how it could go. Th-this… this was the worst possible situation. __No, no,__ _ _No…!__ Dipper froze, and turned my hand over in his own, looking at the burned mark the sadistic demon had left in disbelief. "Elaine? What… is this?" I tried to pull my hand back, but Dipper tightened his hold on my wrist.

"Dipper, let go!" I tugged again to no avail. His grip was starting to hurt, and I wanted him to let me go.

"What is this!?" He repeated, looking at me angrily. "Elaine!"

"Dipper, I… I…" my eyes stung as tears started welling up in the corners. "I'm so sorry…" Dipper let go of me in shock, dropping my wrist as if it had burned him. His arms trembled with anger, and he clenched his hands into fists.

"You… you lied to me. You… you were working for him all this time!" Dipper shouted, making me step back. Bill floated away from me, watching us like it was amusing. Li-like my biggest secret was just a joke to him. I would've turned on him at right then, and screamed for his exposing our deal. But… I couldn't look away from the betrayal staining Dipper's face. "You were working for a demon! All this time, all this time I thought we were friends! I had looked past all of those times that you seemed to let on more than you know; the journal, and the wax figures, everything! I looked past all of it because I cared for you, and then you turn away our trust for some deal from this monster!?"

Mabel looked at Dipper in surprise, not expecting her brother to blow up at me so much. She seemed hurt, and I could see the disappointed look when she caught sight of my hand, but I knew she would have been the more forgiving one. She usually was. "Dipper, calm down. Maybe Elaine had a reason to-?"

"That's no excuse!" He dismissed her, not looking away from me with narrowed eyes. "If she knew what was happening, then she should have told us!" Dipper crossed his arms, his muscles flexing as he tried to keep from lashing out. "If she was our friend, she wouldn't have kept this a secret! She wouldn't have kept everything a secret! If she was our friend, she would have told us this when we first met!" My body trembled, heart racing in vexation. __Dipper, please! Stop this!__ "But she didn't!" Before I could react, I felt myself get knocked backwards a few steps. Dipper panted, shoulders slowly moving up and down. __He… he shoved__ _ _me.__ "Friends don't lie to each other about stuff. Is this what you were hiding from us this entire summer? Did you trick Stan into staying at the Shack? Were those injuries even due to ending up here in Gravity Falls!? Were… were we ever even your friends?" Dipper finally asked, looking at his feet as his rage finally began to fizzle out.

"Of course we're friends!" I protested. We were! We had gone through so much together! D-did he think none of that mattered to me!? "Dipper, I was never lying to you!" __Yes, I was! You were lying this entire time!__ "I just… I just… look, I had no choice!"

"Yes, you did!" Dipper rebuked. "You always had a choice! Was making a deal with a demonic monster really worth it!?" __No! Yes? I-I don't know…!__ "I can't believe you Elaine!"

"Dipper, please!" I reached towards him, only for the preteen to slap my hand away. I held the hand to my chest; my other arm, the one with the glove ripped away, cradling it as if he wounded it. "I-I'm sorry!"

"No you're not," Dipper muttered darkly. "You're not sorry." He turned away from me, and glared at the monochrome ground. "I can't believe we were friends to begin with." __Dipper… no. This… this wasn't what I had planned to happen! Dipper, he… he…!__ I shook violently, stepping away from the boy and the others. He-he was just mad. He-he didn't mean any of this. Dipper was still my friend! He was! He… he…!

He ****hated**** me.

I sprinted towards the Mindscape's Mystery Shack, ignoring Mabel's shouts behind me to come back. Opening the door, I slammed it shut and kept running. My sneakers pelted against the wood as I carried myself shakily deeper through the house. Water partially blinded my eyes as I passed dozens of Stan's memories; a birthday party held on June 15th, his wedding and divorce a few hours later, and boxing with a young Soos. I came to a halt in an empty room after running up a set of stairs, and turned around to look back down the hallway. My back bumped against the wall, and my legs gave out underneath me with all strength leaving me. Sliding to the floor, I pulled my legs against my chest, and buried my face in my hands. Sobbing quietly, I heard the almost inaudible sound of my tears hitting my glasses. __H-__ _ _h__ _ _e was right.__ My mind kept repeating the sentence over, and over again. __H-__ _ _h__ _ _e was right. Dipper was right. This was__ _ _all__ _ _my fault. I made the deal with Bill. I knew what he could do. I knew what I was getting into. I saw the episode The Last Mabelcorn. I know how to protect myself. So then… what went wrong?__

I fell in love with this dimension when I should've been focusing on getting home. I had barely given any thought to my parents, and only thought of Gail a few times. I'd warmed up too much to everyone… but I didn't regret anything, yet at the same time I was regretting everything. "D-Dipper… p-please," I whispered. "I-I didn't m-mean it. I-I'm sorry. I-I'm sorry!" I continued crying, and pulled my elastic out, letting the long hair fall over my back. I pulled the brown mop over my face, and whimpered. "I just want… someone to care."

My breathing hitched, feeling something brush against my side. Exhaling softly, I blew a thick strand of hair out of my face, and saw the last person I expected to come looking for me. _You?_ Bill trailed a hand across my head, looking down at the floor. "B-Bill…?" The demon glanced up at me. "Wh-what are you-?"

"Quiet kid," Bill cut me off. "Just… keep quiet." I flinched at the harshness he first answered me with, and felt Bill lift my head away from the wall, and allowed me to fall into against his smooth pyramid form. Thin black arms wrapped around my body, hugging me against him. Bill ran his fingers through the loose hair, and stroked my head. __B-Bill?__ I thought, only to have the triangle gently dig his nails into my head. _Ouch!_ "I said, ****quiet**** Angel," he growled, before sighing. "How you feelin', kid?" __Wh-why… do you care? You… never cared…__ the only time he did was when… when I suffered that panic attack. "I…" Bill went to answer, but seemed… annoyed. "I don't. But…" __but…?__ "I will not allow Pine Tree to infuriate me by screaming you and striking you." He adjusted my head, until I was propped up right underneath his watchful eye. I could hear the malice in that line, as he thought back to what Dipper had done in front of him. "I'm the one who gets to make you feel, kid. You're not his Angel, get it? You're mine, and I won't allow him to hurt you again."

I made my glossy pupils go back as far as I could, trying to glimpse at Bill's eye. That was… feel? His Angel? How close did he feel to me to make him say that? The only way to usually get an idea of what he was feeling, beside the color of his body, was seeing what his eye was shaped like. Unfortunately, I couldn't go back far enough to get a glimpse. However, I could feel the sleek triangle's body heat, which, for some odd reason, was slowly increasing. What did that mean? __Are you alright, Bill?__ _ _You feel… warm?__ "I'm fine, kid," Bill chuckled. He used a hand to wipe the tears from my cheeks, and hugged me closer. "I'm fine."

* * *

 ** **Dreamscaperers. Hehehe, wow. What a chapter. I actually typed this in less than three days, I was too hyped. Also, happy birthday Gravity Falls! 5 years ago Thursday it first aired. How time flies, huh?****

 ** **So, I will bid you all adieu. Until the next chapter! But first…****

 ** **Z nzhgvi zmw srh kfkkvg,  
sld fmfhfzo z kzri.  
Ylgs tlg gll xolhv,  
mvrgsvi lmv dzh jfrgv kivkzivw.****

 ** **Wvhkrgv vzxs lgsvi'h wruuvivmxvh,****  
 ** **zmw gsv uvvormth gszg dlm'g vmw,****  
 ** **gsv Zmtvo zmw gsv wvnlm,****  
 ** **ziv yvxlnrmt nliv gszm uirvmwh.****

 ** **Have fun decoding!****

 ** **Angel****


	33. Dreamscaperers Part 2

****Disclaimer: Wow! This is the most reviews I've ever gotten on a single chapter! Congrats for getting us over 150 everyone! Dreamscaperers Part 1, hehe. That had been one of two tipping points in season 1. The second will be in Gideon Rises.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: It's gonna get interesting from here on out. Elaine is furious with herself for making the deal, yet she doesn't regret it at the same time.****

 ** **WarrioirNinjaRed22: Yay possessive Bill!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Here you go!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Figured I'd try out putting some ciphers in the story. Good thing for online translators, huh.****

 ** **SnowyFalls: You'll ship it one day. Bill's a confused sadistic jerk, and Dipper is an emotional wreck of a jerk.****

 ** **Guardian of Sarcasm: Yep! That's what it said. Great job!****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: He'll calm down, but it's gonna take some explaining on Elaine's part. Bill is so confused with his feelings it's adorable.****

 ** **AshuriIncarnate: If you chose to use a caesar cipher, put the number in there. I can't figure it out without it, but luckily a friend was happy to decode for me. Patching things up will take a while, but it hurt Dipper to say those things to Elaine.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Oh, we're running out of time, aren't we? Poor Dipper. He feels so betrayed. So many secrets to yet discover, and feelings just as well.****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: Why thank you! It's not Gravity Falls without some deciphering.****

 ** **Apocalypsebutterfly: It's Gravity Falls! How could I not toss in a good cipher?****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: You and me both, pal.****

 ** **the Stargazer: Season 2 will begin once I return from camp. Of course, with university starting up, everyone should know that chapters will begin to follow a spaced out schedule. As for the memory thing… you just gave me a good idea.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Glad you enjoyed it!****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks!****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: All aboard the hype train!****

 ** **I own Elaine!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 10/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Uh… B-Bill?" I struggled to sit upright, finding that this hug had gone on just a little too long. Bill didn't really seem to want to let go, intent on keeping me in that hold for as long as he could. "Can you, um, l-let me go now?" The triangle grumbled under his breath, if he even had any, and begrudgingly let go. _What, did he think I was gonna go somewhere?_ _I'd get lost in no time._ "Thanks." I grinned shyly at him, before giving a deep sigh. My panic had calmed down, and while I still felt like crying, my emotions had all but dried out. "Bill, don't you have something to be doing right now?"

Bill chuckled, patting me on the head. "Wow, Angel. Have a break down one minute, and worry about someone else the next. Can't make up your mind, can you?"

I shuffled away from the demon, giving a small shrug. "Well, Bill, it is important to… you." Not to me. I didn't want Gideon to win the Shack, and I wanted to try and stop Bill. But with my deal, my hands were tied. All I could do was watch and hope that Mabel and Dip… the girl twin stopped him in time. "Plus, you did want something from Gideon in return."

"Okay then, kid." Bill moved towards the exit of the room, and cast one last look at me. "Don't leave this spot, Angel."

"Not like I'll be going anywhere else, Cipher." Nodding, he moved deeper into the house, finally leaving me alone. Exhaling, I leaned back against the wall, finding it not as warm as it was leaning against him. At least I wasn't an emotional mess anymore. _But… what was that?_

Bill. He… he helped me. It was just like before, but with a little more… possessiveness? N-no. Maybe not possessiveness, but more like… like… what? I was so… confused. He's had so many puppets before, but did he ever show this much interest in them? __Why is he so possessive of me?__ I thew my hands in the air in frustration. __I don't get it. Why does Bill freaking Cipher like me so mu-wait a minute.__

Did… did I just say ****like****!?

I choked on the saliva in my mouth, and quickly started hitting my chest. _Breathe, idiot! Breathe!_ Hacking, I inhaled deeply before looking around nervously in case Bill was nearby. I… I just thought of Bill liking me. Wh-what the-? Why!? WHY!? I mean, I'd certainly become accustomed to the horrifying monster, and I could only guess he felt the same too. He didn't seem to deny whatever strange friendship we had, and he seemed to care about me. Why else would he comfort me at my weakest moments?

But yet, he even addressed that I was… his. His. He called me his Angel, and that he wouldn't allow Dipper to hurt me again. Was this normal demon behavior? I mean, I knew a fair bit about the show, something I appreciated in my predicament, but I didn't recall Cipher being that… well, that, ever. Not once did he seem to show the slightest bit of compassion. _Even if there was still that stupid controlling trait there._ Shuddering at the word, I played with my hair elastic on my wrist and began to pull my hair back into a ponytail.

I didn't know why I was so freaked out over this. If my faint knowledge of demons proved anything, was that supernatural creatures like Bill and the Henchmaniacs formed… an attachment of some sort, with the victims in their deals. Demons were extremely territorial. Perhaps, because I was a special case, Bill got closer to me than his old puppets. Ford had a deal with him far longer than I had, and seemed to have lasted over a year. _According to the journal, if it's accurate._ But maybe it's because I already knew what he was like. So then… was this because of how we've had our deal for a long time, and it's typical demon conduct? Or was it… because Bill actually liked me… more than a partner?

"Freaking demonic possessiveness kink," I muttered crossly. "What had my life become to get to the point where I'm trying to figure out a triangle's obsession with me?" Several loud slams echoed down the hall, and I watched Bill fly back in. "That was quick." I stood up, walking over to him as he landed on the floor. "Don't waste any time, do you?"

"You know me well, kid," he replied, holding the door under his arm. A phone began ringing, and I watched as Bill's tie disappeared to reveal a small window with Gideon's face. I quickly crept behind the demon, not wanting the boy to see me with Bill. "Y'ello?"

"Bill! Did you find the memory with the combination yet?" Gideon asked impatiently.

"Relax, Short Stack," Bill 'grinned'. "I got it right here." _Short Stack. When he says it, it's fine. When Robbie says it, I want to punch him in the face._

Gideon's face lit up, and he grinned evilly. "Ha ha ha! Perfect. Now give it to me and I'll fulfill my end of the bargain."

Bill threw his hand up in the air. "Finally! It's-you got a pen there?" Gideon pulled out a notepad and pen. "It's 13, 44…" Bill squinted to read the final number. I tensed up as the demon was about to pronounce the number, praying that someone would get there in time, only for a well-aimed Nyarf pellet to knock it out of his hand. __Yes!__ _ _Hopeful thinking works!__ "Ah! No, no, no! Wait, no!" Bill ran over to an open door that revealed the Bottomless Pit and Stan, looking down at it.

"… and none more bottomless than the Bottomless Pit! Which you can see here is bottomless." Grunkle Stan paused to watch the door fall in, vanishing into the pitch black abyss. "Whooh! Whatever that was, it's gone forever!" The door slammed shut, and Bill and Gideon stared wide eyed at it. Disbelief was written on both of their faces, while I smothered my own happy cackles behind my hand.

"Ha ha! Boom!" We turned to see Mabel, Soos, and the anime dream boys; the girl blew on the end of a Nyarf gun, smirking victoriously. As she lowered it, she eyes made contact with mine, and her pleased look dropped a little to one of the hurt and sadness. _Mabel…_

"Mabel did it!" Xyler and Craz cheered.

"The Shack is safe!" Soos added, fist bumping the air.

"The deal's off!" Gideon cried, the shock swapping for anger at the girl's swift move.

Bill froze, and started waving his arms in protest. "Wa-wait! No! Wait!"

"I'm switchin' to plan B!" The screen cut to static as Gideon cut off the connection. I slowly backed up against the wall, widening the gap between me and Bill, as the other four stayed on the opposite side of the room. __Oh, this isn't gonna end well.__ Long sharp cracks appeared along Bill's body, before he shattered into pieces, sounding as if someone threw a hammer through a window. His limbs, hat, and eye were the only things left. Bill's eye closed tightly, and when it reopened… I could feel the rage radiating off the newly built red body.

"YOU!" He spun around to glare at the four, with me right behind him. "You can't even imagine what you just cost me!" Bill held his hands out beside him, and balls of bright flames appeared. "Do you have any idea what I'm like… ****WHEN I'M MAD****!?" Several cryptic symbols began to flash across his eye, illuminating the group's faces.

"Holy!" I jumped away from the wall as a fiery circle trapped me in with everybody else. I swatted at the small embers on my shirt sleeves, and suddenly felt the ground begin to move upwards. The Mindscape gray-scale vanished, being replaced by the empty cosmos. I stumbled to my knees behind the furious dream demon as the ground came to a rest, and gasped as I looked high above my head. Bill's size increased, until he stopped at the height he usually was in the Nightmare Realm. Mabel gasped in horror, as Soos pointed out, "so I guess he gets really mad when he gets mad." __No kidding, Sherlock.__

" ** **EAT NIGHTMARES**** **!** " Bill bellowed, lightning crackling behind him from his fingertips. Mabel screamed, clinging to Soos in terror. "Ah ha ha ha ha! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" His red pupil locked onto Soos. "One nightmare, coming up!"

"Nightmare?" Soos repeated. "Hope it's not that British dog man I'm always dreaming about…" Bill raised his hand, and fired a laser at him, and said dog man appeared. __Wait.__ I glanced quickly over the nightmare creature, and paled. __That's-that's not like the show-__ _ _gah-my dimension!__ The British dog man was on all floors, foam dripping from its large fanged mouth. The bottom canines were curled upwards, giving it a clearly deadly bite if it could get a hold of you.. It shook its head wildly, spraying froth onto the stone ground, where sharpened claws were leaving marks at least an inch thick. Its suit was torn in several places, and the one visible eye that wasn't covered by a monocle was a dark red. No pupils at all. It was just pure red, like when I felt my eyes begin to glow before entering Stan's mind.

"Wh-what's going on!?" I shrieked, scrambling backwards. _This wasn't what was supposed to happen! What the heck_ _i_ _s Bill doing!?_ The monster growled at Soos, and the handyman backed way slowly. "Soos!" The dog man gave a loud barked, and launched himself at him. Soos screamed, hands flying to his head and ran way from the monster. The dog man bit at his heels, missing by mere inches.

"You!" Bill directed his rage at Mabel, the young girl freezing in panic. Xyler and Craz looked at each other, and stepped in front of the girl as human shields. _No, no, no!_ Soos, I was somewhat okay with, but if Bill messed around with the original plan for his nightmare… who knew what he was about to do with Mabel.

"Bill!" I screamed, temporarily drawing his attention from the three. "Leave her alone, please!" I begged, my hands quivering in fright as I began to push myself off the cold stone. "She doesn't deserve this!"

"But she does, kid," Bill 'smirked' at me, making my heart drop. "It's her own fault she's in this fight, and it's Pine Tree's fault you're here right now." Bill's hand tensed, and I felt the air around me tighten, lifting me into the air. I choked, feeling the sensation of the demon's clawed fingers wrap around my neck and dig into my skin. "I don't like my puppets getting hurt, Angel. And since Pine Tree's not here to get my vengeance, Question Mark and Shooting Star'll have to do." _What… what have I done?_

3rd POV

"Ugh! How do I get out of this place?" Dipper grumbled, walking down a random hallway. He paused to open several doors. "Exit? Hello?" He groaned, and continued walking. How could this happen? First Elaine, and now Stan? Okay, Stan wasn't that much of a surprise. The grouchy old man seemed like it would take a lot to try and get on his good side. But Elaine…

Heck, even Mabel had tried to defend her alongside Stan! Why? She lied to them, she lied all summer! "Forget her, Dipper." He slapped himself on the cheek in an attempt to regain focus, and winced at how hard he actually did. "It's her fault she made that deal. She chose to work with Bill." He stopped in front of another door. "Maybe this one?" He grabbed the knob, and opened it. "What?" _T_ _his… this_ _is…_ _what?_

A memory of Stan kneeling in the living room, with an unconscious Elaine tucked under a blanket on the couch. Stan mumbled a song under his breath as he wrapped fresh gauze around… around… "E-Elaine?" He knew, that her injuries weren't pretty. He'd seen the remains of her scars, and how horrific they were when she had chased down to help with the gremloblin, having forgotten her flannel. This though, was so much worse. Dried blood splattered her pale skin, giving her gruesome red freckles. Her hair was undone from her ponytail, splayed about on the armrest. Her glasses were folded by her head on the table, and just by looking at her face, Dipper knew she was in a great deal of pain. One arm was fully wrapped, resting across her chest. The other was in Stan's grasp, and even though he was behind him, Dipper could see the long jagged gouges in her skin, some going as deep to almost reveal important tissues.

Paling, he quickly closed the door, and looked around him. Holding back the bile in his mouth, he finally looked around the hallway he walked into. "Oh my gosh." The corridor was small, smaller than most he'd been through, but every single memory in here was about her. About Elaine. Dazed, he walked down the corridor, glancing side to side. Memories of the fishing trip where she stayed behind to keep Stan company, figuring out Stan's crush on Lazy Susan with Mabel at the diner, solving the brainwashing CD. "He… he really cares, doesn't he?" He stopped in front of one of the most recent memories; the argument he and Stan had before going off to capture the bat. "He cares about Elaine a lot." __But… why? She-she lied to us all summer.__ He watched his dream version walk out of the room, leaving Elaine and Stan behind.

"You know Stan," Elaine said. "You were being a little harsh on Dipper. Why is that?" __That's what I'd like to know__ _._

Stan reclined in his seat, not showing the slightest bit of concern. "Kid, that's something for me to know, and for you to never find out," he answered. "Besides, it's not your problem to worry about."

"Huh." Elaine traced her gloved hand, and Dipper realized it was the same hand that had that burn on it.

The burn. Ignoring the anger he felt at being lied to, Dipper couldn't deny that the scar, the ****branding**** , looked like it had hurt when it was made. No wonder she kept bandages on for so long, it must have bled for ages until drying up and scabbing over. "Interesting," Elaine muttered.

"What?" Stan asked curiously, voicing the same confusion Dipper had at the remark.

"It's just that, well, Mabel said the exact same thing to me when we were in the mines a few days ago," Elaine admitted. __She did? But I don't remember-oh.__ She did. He and Soos and Stan were arguing when the girls talked. "How that I shouldn't have to worry over you guys when I have my own problems to deal with." Elaine stood up, tightening her ponytail. "Everyone tells me that I shouldn't have to worry about them, that I should focus on my own situation. But it's… it's hard to do that when I care for you guys."

 _ _She admitted it,__ Dipper quietly watched. __Did she not think we were able to handle this?__

 _ _But you weren't,__ another part of him spoke up. __You yelled at her and shoved her away.__ He… he slapped her. _I hit Elaine._ "Oh… what have I done?" What he had done… was possibly sever the slowly growing friendship between them. The two people she saw everyday… broken. Shattered. Mabel might forgive her, but… I don't know.

"Come here, kid." Stan leaned forward, and put his hands on her shoulders after lowering the footrest of the couch. "Now listen, Elaine. We're just sayin' this because we know you've already got a lot on your plate. The kids don't want to stress you out further. Dipper and Mabel love ya, Elaine. I speak for all of us when I say that, we don't want you to hurt yourself trying to keep us out of trouble."

Dipper froze, and leaned back in surprise. He couldn't believe it. Stan, albeit indirectly, said he cared for him. He… he didn't want him to be worried about Elaine. No wonder she was always so tense at the oddest of times. Whatever it was, that made her make a deal with that triangle demon, was because of something really important. She didn't want to tell them because she didn't want to worry them. "Th-that's it. No wonder she was so upset about receiving pity. She didn't want us to feel sorry for her because of her deal."

"Thank you, Grunkle Stan," Elaine mumbled, and he realized he had missed part of what the response was from the older girl. He returned to the door, seeing Stan had enveloped Elaine in a large hug.

"No problem, kiddo." Stan gave an awkward laugh, patting her on the back. "Well, uh," he coughed. "Why don't you go, uh, go check on Mabel for me? Think she headed outside while we were chatting."

Elaine smirked, and gave a small salute to his uncle. "Sir, yes, sir!" She shouted, and grabbed her bag off the ground. "Bye!" She ran towards the exit, before looking back. "Oh! And Grunkle Stan? Really. Thank you." Stan smiled, and gave a salute in return. Grinning, the girl ran out the door, leaving Stan alone.

 _ _I… I've been a bad friend,__ Dipper felt his smile falter. "What have I done?" He leaned a hand against the memory, looking down with a gloomy sigh, and found himself stumbling through the thin barrier keeping him out. "Whoa!"

Stan looked at him in confusion, eyes darting from the kitchen to him. "Whoa, kid, what are you doin' here? Nice hole in your chest, by the way. Let's fix that up." He pointed a finger at Dipper's chest, and lifted it upwards. Looking down in shock, the boy watched the hole repair itself as if he was never injured. He was… fine. _Mentally, that's another matter._

"Wh-what the-how did you do that?" He asked mystified, looking from his torso to Stan.

"Word to the wise, kid. We're in the mind! You can do whatever you can imagine in here!" With a wave of his wrist, Stan summoned a can of Pitt Cola, the tab opening on command.

As he took an appreciative sip, Dipper chuckled at the newly learned information. "Well how about that?" He mumbled, before a loud bang shook the memory. Dust fell from the ceiling as the door he walked through began flashing with a bright red light. __Mabel!__ The twin's screams echoed into the memory, along with Soos' cries for help, and Elaine's horrified pleading. "Oh my gosh, what am I doing?" He slapped his forehead. "I gotta stop Bill!" He ran out of the memory, and down the hall the way he came, not even thinking once about the consequences of running in on a rampaging monster. Stan watched him leave, before looking ahead with a grin.

"Huh, fighting back."

Elaine's POV

Bill twirled his fingers, and I fell back to the ground. The painfully familiar red glowing arms from our first meeting in the Nightmare Realm snaked around my weakened body, pinning me in a kneeling position on the rock head. "Ahh!" I screamed in pain, the unholy chains squeezing the air out of my lungs. Panting, I lowered my head. __This… this isn't how this was supposed to go.__ _I-I didn't think he meant to try and hurt me like this. I-I didn't have a reason to defend Mabel and Soos, as… I was part of that reason, and myself was because Bill had that… image to protect._

He whirled around and glared at Mabel, the child's brown eyes watching me in horror and… pity? E-even after all that earlier with Dipper, her brother, she… she still cared for me? __Mabel…__ "You! You're next!" Before she could react, Bill fired a laser at Xyler and Craz, and the two fell to their knees. Crying out in anguish, their heads slumped forward as if all of the energy and life was sucked right out of them. Suddenly, their breathing seemed to sharpen, and I paled at the boys' color schemes turned a dark gray. Standing back up, they turned around to face Mabel. Their eyes… they were the same as the dog man's; a dark blood red, void of any emotion other than hatred.

"AAHHH!" Mabel shrieked, and took off running. The possessed men chased after her, snarling. Their nails on their hands seemed to have sharpened to a point, as had their teeth. The girl soon joined Soos, and the two ran away from the nightmares, trying desperately not to be torn to shreds.

While they were at it, I struggled against the chains, but was still stuck to the ground. "Gah! Come ON!" The arms tightened, and my lungs were drained once again before the binds relaxed. "Let go!" I panted. I just needed some slack, then I could get over there and help… oh no. "MABEL!" The nightmare Xyler and Craz, and the rabid dog man had cornered Soos and Mabel against the edge of the floating head. Soos was close to stumbling over the side, pebbles spilling off into the inky darkness before shuffling forward. He held Mabel to him closely, doing his best to protect her.

"And now to finish you off once and for all!" Bill shouted. Soos held Mabel tighter, and my heart stopped. Bill held out his finger, charging up another laser. I tucked my head into my shoulder, looking away. __Please, Bill! Don't do this! I-it's not right!__

"Hey, Bill!" __What!?__ I snapped my head up, and found a grin going from ear to ear on my face. Dipper, with a light blue glow around him and a healed chest, flew high over our heads. __He's back!__

"WHAT!?" Bill cried, not expecting the intrusion.

"Nice bow tie!" Red lasers flew out of Dipper's eyes, and made a hole clear through the demon. Cipher screamed, and I smirked in satisfaction at the alarmed look in his own eye. _Not fun when it's you getting zapped, is it Bill?_

"Dipper!" Mabel cheered, running over to her brother. He still floated above them, smiling down.

"Dude!" Soos greeted, panting heavily from being chased.

"Guys! I just learned that you can conjure whatever you can conceive in Grunkle Stan's Mindscape!" Mabel and Soos exchanged confused looks, looking back at him. "Just think of cool fighting stuff and it will happen. Like this!" Dipper turned around, and fired his lasers at the nightmares. In a red flash, the British dog man, Xyler, and Craz disintegrated, leaving nothing but small piles of ashes. The dog's bowler hat remained, sitting innocently on the ground by his dusty remains.

"Ha ha, he's dead now," Soos laughed, pointing at the spot where the monster stood.

"What?" We looked up at Bill, the triangle waving his arms in protest. "Who told you that!? Don't listen to him!" Mabel and Soos grinned, and I laughed as the girl began firing pink kitten heads at him from her sleeves. __That's my girl!__ I grinned, watching the choice of attack sink their fangs into his body before hearing footsteps rush over to me.

"Dipper?" The boy dropped to his knees, and with his laser eyes, cut through my chains. "What are you-?"

"Elaine, I'm so, so sorry," Dipper rushed, the words almost spilling out of him. He swung my arm around his shoulders, and hoisted me to my feet. "I-I shouldn't have behaved like that. I-I-" I raised a hand to cover his mouth, and he looked at me in confusion.

"Dipper, we'll talk later. Now's really not the best time." I lowered my hand, and it looked like he was about to protest some more. I glared softly, and he relented with a sigh.

"Alright, we'll talk later." Using himself as a crutch, we ran back over to Mabel and Soos. We laughed as Mabel had summoned a hamster ball around her and Soos, causing a large laser to reflect back into Bill's eye, who had healed himself of the hole Dipper had left.

"AH!" Bill screamed, and dropped to his knees. The demon held his eye, smoke drifting from the pupil. "Oh my eye! AAH!"

"Rise, Xyler! Rise, Craz!" Mabel commanded, raising her hands. Xyler and Craz rose up behind her, each holding an instrument and bathed in bright neon lights. On command, the two began playing synthesized music, and I winced at the sound. Techno; not my cup of tea.

"No! Synthesized music!" Bill switched from holding his eye to the upper parts of his sides, where his ears might have been. "It hurts!"

"And now to imagine your worst nightmare!" Dipper shouted. We stood in front of the group, staring defiantly at the triangle. "A portal out of Stan's mind!"

"Out of Stan's mi-ind!" Mabel sang behind us.

"Mabel!" Dipper glared at her for a moment, seeing she had a microphone in her hand, before focusing back on Bill. "Everyone, together!" I closed my eyes tightly, and felt a tugging in the back of my head. It was like when I was being pulled out of the Mindscape, except I was still in one place. No change of temperature, or odd movements of the senses. I was still there, but I knew we were doing something right when Bill's screaming got worse.

"No, no, NO! "ENOUGH!" __Whoa!__ The ground dropped out from underneath me, and I opened my eyes in alarm. The entirety of Stan's mind had turned white, the rock head and space vanishing. I bobbed beside Dipper and the rest of the crew in front of Bill, trying to make sense of what Bill had just done. They looked up at him in shock, and I could only assume it's because they weren't used to the power he handled. I'd known Bill the longest, and even I didn't understand all he could do.

Bill took off his top hat, rubbing it with his arm. As he did, the red color faded back to his normal yellow. "You know, I'm impressed with you guys," Bill admitted. "You're a lot more clever than you look. Especially the fat one."

"He's talking about you," Soos whispered, nudging Mabel.

"So I'm gonna let you kids off the hook. You might come in handy later," he continued, crossing his arms. " ** **BUT KNOW THIS****.A darkness approaches. A day will come in the future where everything you care about will change!" He held his arms above him, summoning a 6-fingered hand out of blue flames, before letting it fade away. Bill looked back down at me, and I could tell he knew I was ticked at him. His eye crinkled for a second, before chuckling. "Until next time, Angel. See you in your nightmares."

 _ _You seriously expect me to be okay with you terrorizing my friends like that?__ I deadpanned internally. Bill's brow rose for a small moment, as if he was surprised by my reaction, but the small gesture was more than enough. Why on earth was I criticizing him for? He was Bill Cipher. How could I expect any less than a sadistic monster bent on universal domination, trying to make sure he didn't come off as less in front of his favorite human's friends…? _I really need to think this out._ _He won't be getting off the hook so easily._

What really surprised me though… he acted more harshly on Soos and Mabel… because Dipper hurt my feelings. He did that… because he c… he cared about me. Bill, he… he liked me. Whether it was platonic or… ehhh… he liked me just the same. "I'll be waiting, Bill," I smiled slightly. "I always am."

"Until then I'll be watching you!" He tipped his hat to us, and drifted away. Immediately, the zodiac circle appeared around him, and the white background switched to black. The zodiac glowed a neon blue, with a brightened light running around the symbols. Bill's body turned to a pure glowing yellow, and he gave one final warning. "I'LL BE WATCHING YOU!" The white returned as he flickered away, and I grinned to myself. __I… I did. I… I survived Dreamscaperers.__

"He's gone! We did it!" Dipper cheered. The gang excluding me whooped in victory, and Dipper turned in my direction. "Elaine…"

"Dipper, let me go first, please." I held up a hand. "I… I was an idiot. I thought that I could handle things on my own, that… that I could figure out my problem by myself, and Bill… he-he was my only option. He's the reason why I have that journal, why I sometimes end up sleeping late." Wait a minute. "Well, later than normal. The point is, Dipper…" I sighed, and knew that Mabel, Soos, Xyler and Craz were watching us. "I'm sorry." I hung my head guiltily. "I understand if you want me to leave the Mystery Shack. I'm sure Kat, or maybe Wendy would be willing to take me in."

"Elaine." I felt a pair of arms wrap around me, and realized Dipper was hugging me. His hand gently patted my back, keeping me from breaking down in tears again. "I… I'm not mad. Not anymore. While in the Mindscape Shack, I saw memories; of you, and Stan. Memories of how he found you, allowing you to stay here with us… and the memory of what happened after we left to deal with the bat." _He saw that?_ N-no, it wasn't the last memory that had my attention. He… saw me when I first arrived in this dimension? "I saw how much he cared for you, and I knew that you would never lie about being our friends." He smiled up at me, more sad than happy. "I'm sorry too, Elaine. But it's... gonna take some time to fully forgive you for this. You're still hiding stuff, aren't you?"

I brought my arms around him, resting my chin on his head. "Yeah… guess we're both screw ups, huh. I understand, Dipper. It was unfair to keep it from you and Mabel for so long. But I promise Dippin' Dots, I'll explain everything. No more secrets, I promise. Just… wait until the right moment. Stan should hear this too." We let go of each other, and suddenly gasped. Our bodies had begun to fade away, our limbs almost gone completely.

"Stan must be waking up," Dipper noted. We smiled, hearing Mabel saying goodbye to Xyler and Craz behind us. I closed my eyes as the old sensation of being wakened flowed through me. __Time to wake up, Elaine.__

 _ _A new day is finally dawning.__

* * *

"Ahh!" I bolted upright, hearing the three shout in surprise. __We're back, and on the floor…? How did that happen?__ Shrugging it off, I pushed myself off the ground, the aftereffects of Bill's chains still could be felt on my body. Not like there were any marks, but my breathing was a little harsh. "We did it!" Mabel shouted beside me, throwing her arms in the air.

"What? Did what?" __Stan!__ The man sat up in his chair, rubbing the back of his head. "What are you all doing here? And why was I dreaming of two brightly colored and radical young men?"

"Because you secretly want to watch Dream Boy High with Mabel?" I teased, walking over to him.

"Grunkle Stan! You're okay!" Dipper ran up to him, and threw his arms around his neck. He closed his eyes happily, and I could tell he was glad Stan was safe.

"What is this, a hug?" He asked in confusion, wondering where the change in the boy's behavior came from.

"Nope! It's a choke hold." Dipper quickly moved around Stan, sitting on the backrest and began choking him, holding a fist to his throat while using the other to push inwards. Soos, Mabel, and me laughed, watching Dipper try to take on Stan. After a few seconds, Stan pried Dipper off him, putting him on the dinosaur table.

"Not bad, kid," Grunkle Stan said chuckling, rubbing his neck. "Not bad."

"Oh, I wish I had a camera," I whispered to Mabel, earning a giggle.

"I'm just glad Gideon didn't get into the safe," she added. "I really love this old shack."

"Group hug!" Soos shouted, throwing his arms in the air. We looked at him oddly, and he put his arms down. "No? I never know the right time!"

"I feel like we're forgetting something here," I mumbled. __What was it… oh no.__ "Mabel, didn't Gideon say he had a plan B?" The Mystery Shack shook slightly, and the group turned to face me as soon as the words left my mouth. "Oh no. Brace yourse-!" An explosion blew us away from the sofa, knocking us across the room. The rock wall was broken into large chunks in front of us, the rubble spilling all over the floor. Lifting my head up, I noticed a thin crack running down my left lens. Behind that… "Gideon!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Pines family," he walked through the hole in the wall. The sunset lighting the boy up from behind. "Did I wake you?" He taunted, thumping the deed against his hand.

"But… we defeated Bill!" Dipper protested, crawling over to me.

"Bill failed me!" Gideon shouted. "So I switched to plan B: dynamite!" Where the heck does a child get dynamite!?

"What? Bill? Who?" Stan looked at me in confusion before turning to Gideon. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Spoiler alert, Stanford! I've got the deed!" He held up the parchment, letting it unroll in his hand. "The Mystery Shack belongs to me! So get off my property!" He shouted. Gideon pulled out a walkie talkie from his jacket, and walked out of the Shack. "Daddy? Bring it around the front."

"Don't worry, guys! It's just part of the dream!" Dipper tried to reassure us as we stared in horror at the hole in the wall. "We're gonna wake up any second now? Right? Right!?"

The ground began to rumble under our feet, and I could make out the crane off in the distance coming at full speed. "Crud! We gotta go! Now!" I grabbed Mabel, throwing the girl onto my back and pinning my bag to me as I led us through the Shack.

"But-but what about Waddles!?" Mabel shouted behind me.

"Kid, trust me when I say that we want to be as far away from here when Gideon comes!" I kicked open the broken entry door, and we ran outside to a safe distance in the parking lot. As soon as we stopped, we turned around to see Bud and Gideon drive the wrecking ball through the Mystery Shack's sign. "Aahhh!"

"Someone pinch me, dude…" Soos whispered in disbelief, as part of the sign fell onto the ground in front of us, embedding itself in the dirt.

 _ _Dreamscaperers,__ I bitterly thought as Gideon's psychotic laugh echoed in the air. __One of my favorite episodes in the series… yeah, it's__ _ _now become the worst experience of my life.__

* * *

 ** **Season 1 finale time! Whoop whoop!****

 ** **On another note, I GOT IT! My limited edition journal 3 has come in! Now, unlike my old journal I've been using, this one has black light secrets I can use. Plus the removable pictures, real leather and parchment, tassel, and monocle are really cool too. Out of 10 000 copies made, I got one! It's even signed by Alex Hirsch himself!****

 ** **New information to discover everyone. This is gonna be even more fun to write now!****

 ** **Be ready, next week is gonna. Be. EPIC!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	34. Gideon Rises Part 1

****Disclaimer: Part 1 of the season finale. I can't believe how far we've come with this story. We began in December, and now it's July and we're halfway through the series. On another note…****

 ** **Happy 150th birthday Canada! Woo hoo! Time to break out the sparklers and fireworks; this is gonna be a memorable day, I can tell you that.****

 ** **Margo: Heheheheh.****

 ** **Haruka Akatsuki: Re-read to your heart's content! Dreamscaperers was a blast to write, one of my favorites of season 1. You'll like what's coming up too. ;)****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed22: Here. (Hands them a tissue) That'll help. I thought that this needed to be an emotionally stressed chapter, and I think I achieved that.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Oh, it'll be an interesting visit.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: NYEH HEH HEH!****

 ** **SnowyFalls: It's okay. The journal was really expensive, and luckily it was a birthday/grad gift. It'll be fun though, since now I not only have the codes in normal form, but also the ones in black light.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: That's a little morbid, buddy. But I'm not gonna argue with you on that.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: (Angry screeching) HERE YOU GO!****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: I'll go over all the black light, and make a list of what I should include from the black light. That's what I've been doing with the normal journal. After all, not everything in there is worthy of being put in here. Why would I include the hawk and octopus hybrid? It's a ripoff of Sharktopus.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: How on earth are you fluent in Atbash?****

 ** **RillFipher: I take it you liked it? ;)****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Yep. I'm staffing at**** ** **camp,**** ** **so no access to the Internet, and my laptop. So… no writing for me. But this story isn't going to be abandoned. I'm gonna work on it this summer so I'll have ideas when I return. Good thing too. Once university starts up, updating will be harder to do.****

 ** **PippyTheBest: That's a lot to binge read. Anyway, here's the next chapter!****

 ** **I only own Elaine. the core of justice owns Asger and Axel.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 10/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

A cool breeze blew through the air, drifting loose hair from my ponytail into my face. I knew that it should have been a good idea to stay down in the living room with Dipper and Mabel and everyone else, but I needed some alone time. Soos was more than willing to let us stay at his grandmother's house for the time being. It was really kind of her to do so, and she had pulled out several blankets, sleeping bags, and the fold-out couch bed for us to use.

There wasn't much we had managed to get out of the Mystery Shack before Gideon took it over. The journal was still tucked in Dipper's vest, and I still had my book bag. I was relieved, that I still had my own journal with me. Not sure why though, but I could've sworn I had left it in the attic. My guess? A certain demon hid it in there while I was asleep.

"AAHHH!" I looked down at the window I had climbed through to get to the rooftop. __Why is Dipper screaming…? Oh. Right. Bad dream.__ I didn't blame him. Last night certainly was… eventful. I had half a mind to go back and steal the deed for myself, and punch Gideon in the face. But, it's illegal and against my moral code, so…

It was early morning when I had woken up, and I couldn't fall asleep easily. Bill left me alone for the night, allowing me to go over yesterday's… discovery. Borrowing Ford's journal, I had scanned through the pages, searching for more information to help understand Bill a little better. A couple pages talked about McGucket and his journey to get pieces for the portal from the spaceship under the town. It was interesting, especially since McGucket was almost kidnapped by the gremloblin and they ended up crashing through a barn.

"Guess that's one reason why he went insane," I muttered. Giant lake heads, living geodes, Hide Behind, what was ne-carnival?

Apparently, Ford took McGucket to a fair to try and snap him out of the memories of the gremloblin attack. What was surprising was the hand witch from the random Halloween episode in season 2 was there, and that she predicted Ford's downfall. Blind Ivan from the Blind Eye was there too, as a carny. By the looks of Ivan's and McGucket's conversation, I could make a pretty good guess that it had to do with the memory erasing gun.

I could have continued, but when I saw that the next several pages revolved around the bunker and the shapeshifter, I forced myself to close the book. I wanted to know more about Bill, and after Dreamscaperers, I knew that the few pages revolving around him would affect my friendship with him. Though I hated it, I had to wait until a better time to go further.

I glanced down at my journal beside me, specifically at the passage I had written earlier. " ** **Dipper and Mabel, my two**** ** **greates**** ** **t friends in this dimension, now know about my deal with Bill. I was so distressed, when Dipper found out. He flat out told me off to my face, shoved me, and… said we weren't ever friends.****

 ** **It hurt, but… I had deserved it.**** ** **After hiding for so long, and never revealing more than what I deemed necessary, I had it coming.****

 ** **Yet, when he saved us on top of the stone head during the battle against Bill, he… he forgave me. He said he saw memories of how I had acted towards his family**** ** **over the past few weeks, how I had would have never lied about our friendship. I know that even though Dipper said he forgave me, it would take a while for our friendship to fully return to normal.****

 ** **Still, it's easy to see the few changes. Even though we're all shoved together under such a small roof, Dipper's more reserved around me. He's not ignoring me, thank goodness, but it's… it's not the same.****

 ** **Bu**** ** **t I can't focus on that at the moment.**** ** **For now, at least.**** ** **Now, it's time to focus on getting the Mystery Shack back****."

"Elaine?" I leaned forward to look at the window again, seeing Dipper stick his head out. "Come on, we gotta get going. Gideon's reveal at the Shack is staring soon, and we need to be there before the crowd gets too big." _He talks to me, yeah, but his mind's all over the place. Either on trying to forgive me, or on how to get the house back._

"Okay, Dipper." I dropped my journal into my bag, throwing it onto my back. "Move over, please." I slid down the shingles as Dipper ducked back inside. As I reached the bottom of the siding, I grabbed the edge of the window and spun myself around to step in. "Boosh!"

Dipper chuckled, and I internally sighed at the sight of the small blush on his cheeks. __No matter what had happened between us, kid's still my__ _ _friend. And still might have a crush on me.__ At this point, it actually made sense why he was more upset about the deal than I thought he'd be. Dipper felt betrayed, that some girl he only knew for a little while got involved with some demon. Was I flattered? Yes. A little shocked, but yes. Did I return his feelings?

Frankly, it was sort of confusing. I liked Dipper, a lot. But not in a romantic kind of way. More of a… best friend and little brother kind of way. I'd figure it out later. _Right now, let's go stalk a creepy child._

(Time Skip)

"We're in," Dipper said quietly. We walked through the entrance to the grounds, and stood in the back of the crowd. To Dipper's insistence, we had to wear disguises to get in so we wouldn't alert Gideon. We all wore black trench coats, the Pines and I wore black fedoras, and Soos had a fake beard. Mabel had also thrown on the pair of fake glasses from her time as the Mystery Shack boss, and a fake mustache.

"Just gonna say it, I don't know what we're doing here, but I'm loving these fake mustaches." Mabel lightly curled the end of the accessory, grinning.

"If anyone asks, I'm not Soos," Soos added. He pointed up to his hat, and I could see he had stuck a note to his normal brown hat. " ** **Not Soos**** ," was written it in black marker.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Gideon began. He stood on top of a box behind a bright blue podium, the Tent of Telepathy sign on the front. Bud walked up beside him, rolling something on a cart underneath a blanket. "Today I am delighted to announce my plans for the former Mystery Shack. I give you… Gideonland!" He yanked the cover off, revealing a miniature model of a theme park dedicated to himself. Mechanical Gideons were scattered across it, with the Tent of Telepathy's symbol also being a main icon. _Egotistic, much!?_

"What!?" The Pines, Soos, and I shouted, our voices drowning out in the loud cheering.

"We're gonna turn this dirty ol' shack into three square miles of Gideon-tertainment," Gideon exclaimed. He hopped off the box, and walked over to Bud. Once again, he held something in a cloak, the object this time sitting in his hand. "And introducin' our new mascot, Li'l Gideon Jr.!" Bud pulled off the cloak, revealing Waddles in a Gideon costume complete with wig and pin. "Boom, he's a pig!

"Waddles!" Mabel cried in horror. She held her hands out in front of her, almost as if she was trying to strange Gideon. "You monster!"

"Alright, that's it!" Stan threw his hat down at his feet, and we rushed towards the stage, tossing our disguises as we approached. Soos wisely stayed in the back, watching us attempt to gain the crowd back over to our side. We climbed onto the platform, and Mabel kicked down a Gideon cutout that was standing beside the podium. "Listen up, people," Stan said into the microphone. "Gideon's a fraud! This kid broke in and stole my property!"

"Arrest him, officers!" Mabel shouted.

"Yeah!" Dipper and me agreed.

"Such accusations!" Gideon walked over to us. "Mr. Pines, I recall you gave the property to me. Look, here's the deed right here!" He pulled it from his coat, waving it in the air.

"Liar!" I growled, and felt Dipper grab my hand before I could react and punch him. _Please, I know I'm older than him, but let me do it! Let me!_ "We could just check the camera footage around the Mystery Shack and it'll prove we're in the right!"

Gideon's eyes narrowed at me, and he snapped his fingers. "Hey!" Mabel shouted, as a set of large hands grabbed her off the ground. Several more grabbed at us, and we found ourselves being help up by three bodyguards. One held Stan, one carried both kids, and I was swinging my legs around trying to kick my captor in the stomach.

"Now get off my property, old man!" He slapped a pin on Stan's coat at the end of his tirade.

"I'll show you who's the old man!" Stan snarled before grabbing his ear. "Ow, my hearing aid! Ow!" The guards carried us off the stage, as Gideon mockingly waved goodbye.

"Thanks for visiting Gideonland, friends! Don't come back, I don't care for y'all." _Well, I don't care for all that much either!_

The guards dropped us outside the fence, locking us out. Sighing, we leaned against the metal gate, watching the ceremony continue as if nothing happened. Dipper frowned, kicking a rock beside him in frustration. "Don't worry, guys. We'll get the Shack back somehow."

"We better." Looking over, we saw Wendy and Asger walk over to us, Axel right behind them as usual. __Whoa! H-how long has it been since I've seen Axel!?__ The once small hatchling from the beginning of the summer, now was almost half of Toothless' height, coming up to a little over Asger's waist. And seeing that Asger was the taller one in my teen squad, that's saying something.

"Wendy!" Dipper said, seeing her unexpected arrival.

The redhead leaned against the fence, looking down at him in worry. "If I can't work at the Shack, my dad's gonna force me to move upstate to work at my cousin's logging camp." Asger nodded, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"We've been trying to come up with ways for her to stay in town," he remarked. "But it hasn't been going well."

"What? You're leaving town?" Dipper asked in shock. "But we need you here!"

"Yeah," Soos added. "Especially Dipper because of his giant crush on-" Dipper glared up at him. "… you… calyptus trees! Ha! The kid loves eucalyptus trees!" He laughed nervously, before pumping his fist in the air. "Saved it!" _Yeah… sure you did, Soos._

Giggling, I turned back to Wendy. I might as well try to keep the mood pleasant, as nothing could make this any worse. "So, did that note I give you help at all?"

"Yeah," Wendy admitted. "It, uh, actually helped a lot." __Is that… oh my gosh, ha ha! She's blushing!__ A faint pink dusted her pale freckled cheeks, and she grinned at Asger. The darker skinned teen was smiling shyly at her, but I could tell that my little matchmaking idea was starting to pay off. "Asger has been a huge help getting over…" she stopped, and looked behind her. _What is she looking at?_ "Oh man, guys. Don't look now."

Robbie stepped out of the bushes, holding a large boombox above his head. "Take me back, Wendy!" He begged, arms visibly shaking. "My arms are too skinny to keep holding this boombox forever!" Asger and Wendy looked blankly at each other, and gave a nod in understanding.

"I was never here," she muttered, and mounted her bike that was sitting behind her. Asger threw a leg over Axel's body, wrapping his arms around her neck and chased the teen down the road, leaving Robbie in the dust.

"Have you been getting my texts?" Robbie chased after them, still holding the music player even though he looked close to falling over. "Do I need to send you more texts? Wendy!"

(Time Skip)

Soos, Dipper, Mabel and I sat on the couch back at Soos' grandmother's. The elderly woman looked at us in concern. "This is not good. I cannot feed such a big family."

"Where are we gonna stay, Dipper?" Mabel asked pitifully. "Where am I gonna put all my sweaters?" I blinked at the large suitcase beside her, sweaters bursting at the seems. __How'd she even get those out of-you know what? I'm not even gonna ask.__

"What's Stan gonna tell mom and dad?" Dipper asked, looking at his lap.

"Mr. Pines will figure something out," Soos said, patting Dipper's back. "He always does."

"Not always," I mumbled. Sighing, I looked down at my hands. Ever since yesterday, when we were forced to leave the Shack, I'd hesitantly decided to stop wearing my gloves. Since the burn was still noticeable, I had started to unroll the ends of my sleeves to cover my hands. Mabel had also loaned me some foundation to cover up the branding. It was slightly irritating, but I could finally use my hands freely once again. "Dipper? Mabel?" The twins turned to look at me, and I wrapped an arm around them. "What's… what's gonna happen to me?"

"What do you mean Elaine?" Dipper asked. "If-if this is about what happened in Stan's mind…?"

"No, it's not. Dipper, I'm a guest at the Mystery Shack. I've been staying there originally due to my health, and now it's because of how much you Pines love having me around." I looked ahead, my mind off in the distance. "Yeah, I still have to find a way home, but… I think it's more than that now. I love having you two around. Going on adventures, learning stuff. Even though a lot of it was insanely dangerous, we still had a good time. But now, with the Shack gone… I-I don't know where to go." Tears prickled in the corners of my eyes, and I gave a forced laugh. _No crying, Elaine. Now's not the time._ "It-it's funny. When I first woke up here, I promised to myself I wasn't gonna get close to anyone."

"Why's that, Ellie?" Mabel asked, snuggling her head into my shoulder. I think they knew that already, but I never really did go into detail about it.

"Hehe," I chuckled bitterly at the nickname. "Because kid, I knew I'd have to leave one day. From what circumstances, I don't know. Whether it'd be getting kicked out of the Mystery Shack, or… finally finding a way to my parents and sister, this… wasn't the one I had planned for. I don't want to leave guys. I… I want to stay here with you. With you, and Stan, and Soos, and all of our friends, and… and Bill." __I don't want to leave anyone.__

Dipper's head fell against my other shoulder, and the two kids squeezed my hands. The demon's name was almost whispered, but he probably could hear it. He didn't say anything though, about Bill. "You're not going anywhere, Elaine. I'm not sure what will happen to you, but whatever happens, we'll be with you every step of the way." __Oh, how I wish that's the truth__ _ _for later this summer.__ "Don't be afraid, Elaine. We're here for you… now, at least." He looked off to the side awkwardly. "I should have been a better friend."

"That's in the past, Dipper." I took his chin, and made him look up at me. His brown eyes widened, and I would've laughed at the flushed face if I wasn't being so serious. "Yeah, we've both screwed up. I dealt with Bill, and you told me off. I… even though I'm still in this deal, that isn't going to stop me from doing anything in my power to help you. But moping about like this isn't gonna help. Believe me, I would know." I released the twins, and stood up. "I'm, uh, gonna go get some air." I headed towards the window, and opened it.

"Elaine, wai-" Mabel started to speak and went to move over towards me, but Dipper put his hand on her shoulder. He shook his head, silently, and I gave a thankful nod. With a strong pull, I hoisted myself back up onto the roof by grabbing at the drainage pipe. Crawling up the shingles, I sat back down in the same spot I was in in the morning, and watched the moon begin to rise over the treetops. _Oh…_

"What's bothering you, Angel?" I glanced glumly at Bill, and put my head in my hands, drawing my knees to my chest. "Pine Tree causing you trouble again?"

"No, Bill," I murmured. "And it's not because I'm still mad at you for yesterday either. There's no use holding that over your head, since you clearly aren't bothered by it. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all. I somewhat made up with Dipper about… the thing. But now, now I'm not so sure of what's gonna happen." Bill floated closer to me, and the demon sat down on the roof. I continued watching the gray starry sky, the midnight blue having faded away with his arrival, and sighed. "I know that Stan is gonna try to send Dipper and Mabel back to Piedmont, but I… I don't know what's gonna happen to me. Bill, where am I supposed to go if the Shack is gone?" It was a thought I had for a while. In an emergency, where would I go?

"Well..." Bill paused to think for a moment, and shrugged. "You could try and stay with Kitten, Red, or Drake. They seem to like you enough. Though, I doubt that those Northwests would let you in. If that doesn't work, you'll come to stay with me."

"You'll…" I looked at him in surprise. "You'd let me stay… with you? Why?" Bill shrugged his thin shoulders, and put an arm around me. I glanced at the limb, then back to him. If he noticed my confusion, he didn't show it.

"Honestly Angel, I don't know why." He… what? What did he mean by not knowing why? "You're my puppet, kid. I need to keep an eye on you no matter what. What better way to do that then have you in the Nightmare Realm 24/7?" I nodded in understanding. That made sense… sort of.

"That's really… sweet of you, Cipher," I smiled. "Thanks. Though, having my passed out body laying somewhere wouldn't be considered a good thing. Might want to think that one through a little more."

Bill give a small chuckle at the comment, and we turned to watch the night sky. The calm silence was relaxing, and I could almost compare this to our first outing; when we went to the dimension with the shimmering colorful forest. Both times there had been a lot to say to each other, and each time we had grown closer. If I looked back at the beginning of the summer, I would never believe how far our deal had come. We had gone from barely being able to stand each other, to feeling… what ****was**** I feeling?

"Angel?"

"Yeah, Bill?"

"You know about feelings, right?" __Wh-what!?__ My mind seemed to give out for a moment, and I looked at him in confused disbelief. "Well?" Bill glared impatiently. "Do you?"

"Uh, y-yeah? Kind of. Wh-why are you asking?" Bill roughly released me from the hug, as if it was burning him. __What the-?__

"Because I'm trying to figure out what the Axolotl I'm feeling towards you!" He angrily shouted. I jumped at his tone, and almost started to slide down the roof. __Wait. Did he say-?__ "Yes, I said feel!" Bill snapped, cutting into my thoughts and looking ahead. "I'm an omniscient, omnipotent creature of pure energy with no weakness! I should not be able to ****feel****! I don't feel!" He whipped around to glare at me, his eye a dark red despite his still yellow body. "Why is it that you don't hate me!? I have done so much to you, yet you still smile! Why is that!?"

He didn't feel!? Then what the heck did he call all of those almost sweet moments with the chats, and the comforting, and the piano!? "I-I don't know!" I held my hands up in defense. "I-I just… I just…" I just, what…? "I guess I just realized that it is worthless to be your enemy. That I should try and play in your favor. Well… I guess that's what I thought of doing at the beginning. At first, I tried to keep myself as far away from getting close as possible. I-I don't know what happened, after that. I guess we established some sort of weird, creepy understanding."

"That's one way to put it, kid," Bill muttered, glowering. "You didn't answer my main question."

"Oh, uh, that." How was I supposed to answer!? Wh-what on earth was I supposed to answer with!? Bill Cipher was trying to figure out his feelingsfor me! Me!What the heck!? I mean, wh-what was I supposed to do? How was I supposed to respond?

Almost one month ago, I wanted to tear him apart. One week ago, I had begun to question my relationship with him. One day ago, he had called me his Angel, and that no one would hurt me again, and I had realized that Bill quite possibly… liked me. Did Bill not have any friends that aren't just minions? _Or… d_ _id_ _he-no. No, don't be silly, Elaine. It's Bill. He can't feel… that._ "Well Bill, what sort of… feelings, are you talking about?" I asked cautiously.

"I don't know, kid. Do I look like the kind of person who understands that sort of useless junk?" Bill 'frowned'.

"Right, right." Okay then, how to do this? "Well, Bill. It all depends, I guess. Honestly, I find it hard to believe you're having this problem. You really aren't one to feel. You made that very clear. But, let me try to figure this out." I rested my chin on a fist, deep in thought. "Hmmm… well… how about we start at the beginning?" Bill nodded, and I put my hand down. "When exactly did… this, start? When did you start thinking of me of more than a puppet?"

"When you decided to throw yourself through time almost a dozen times," Bill replied. __That long?__ _ _Wait…__ _is-is this why he acted so unusual when he popped in during the sleepover with Kat and Asger? It's because of… this?_ "You're… weird, Angel," he confessed. "You're… different, than most fleshbags."

Making progress, that's good. "How am I different, Bill? I'm certain they're more interesting and unique humans than me. I'm just… short and sarcastic," I shrugged at the end. I wasn't special, I was just… me. But in his view, being just me was... special.

"Kid, be honest," Bill glared at me. It didn't seem angry though. It seemed more like he was trying to make a point. "How many humans would be able to handle what you're going through? You've been playing these people for fools for almost a month, you've been attacked by me and a variety of different monsters, and you have no clue how you even got here. Kid, when even ****I**** don't have an answer, there's something different going on here with you. You're a mystery, Angel." Bill rested a hand on my shoulder, and I shivered at the claws on top of my skin. They weren't digging into me, however. They were just lying there, with no sign of being used any time tonight. "A mystery I want to try and figure out."

"You and me both, Cipher. One month and some has gone by, and I still have no idea why I'm here." I still have the rest of the summer though, so there's still some hope there… maybe. It all depended on if we get the Mystery Shack back or not. "Bill, why do you think emotions are useless?"

"Why?" Bill repeated, and broke into laughter, removing his hand from its resting place. "Ah ha ha ha ha! Angel, why ****don't**** I think emotions are useless? They're futile representations of how you humans express your behavior towards each other. I don't need them because they get in the way of my plans."

"Yet you have… feelings… for me," I said carefully. _Easy, Elaine. He doesn't know what he's feeling. It could just be him having a real friend for once._ Bill huffed, crossing his arms and appearing a little annoyed with that thought. "Bill, may I ask my question? Of the day?"

"Seeing that all those questions were to try and figure out my answer, sure kid." Bill shrugged, and unfolded his arms, placing his hands down on the rooftop.

He enjoyed my company. He called me his Angel, not Dipper's, and that he would keep me safe. He's extremely possessive of me, to the point of nearly murdering my friends in Stan's mind. Yet, he knew that his sadistic behavior didn't freak me out as much as it should. Bill comforted me when he saw I needed a shoulder to cry on. I-I knew what I had to ask. I… finally had my question. "Bill, do you know what… what love is?"

Bill blinked, and groaned in annoyance. "We just went over this, Angel. Love is just another one of your petty emotions you fleshbags experience that you feel when you decide to reproduce. Why are you asking about that?"

 _ _Reproduce?__ He'd… he'd missed the point. "Bill, no. Not that. I mean what LOVE is," I stressed the word. The triangle gave me a blank look, not seeing any difference. __Oh boy.__ "I meant the feelings behind it, not the actions caused and influenced by the emotion." If he actually thought love was just an instinctive drive for humans to reproduce… ew. Just-just ew.

"Elaborate, Angel," he waved his hand, gesturing for me to continue.

"O-okay, well… people can, uh… reproduce, without love. That is usually due to a multitude of things. Wanting satisfaction, human interaction…" _I'm gonna stop before I creep myself out further._ "Love is… love is…"

"Well?" Bill asked impatiently. "What is it then?" I could sense the anxiousness coming off him, and I couldn't tell if it was because of his curiosity for an answer, or… or what?

"Love is… the longing to be with someone they want, almost to the point of needing them. They enjoy to be around them, as it gives them a euphoric sensation. They appeal to the other person in a way they can't understand, because of similar behaviors and interests." I knew very little about love, honestly. I had a boyfriend, but it didn't feel… right. I never felt that same happiness he had, and… it just died out. I knew what love is, but I was unfamiliar with how it felt. He had asked me out, he took my first kiss, he gave me gifts. Yet… I didn't want that. I wanted a deeper, emotional connection, not just superficial romance. I wanted someone I could tease, and have a little fun with. I wanted someone who wouldn't judge me for my weirdness, and my odd hobbies, and my love of the supernatural and fantasy.

Bill remained silent, so I took this as a cue to continue. I looked ahead, watching the black and white sky slowly change, stars ever so slightly shifting position in the night. "It's the feeling of wanting them to be safe, the feeling of wanting to protect them, and to make them feel better when they're sad. You feel empty when you're not around them, and even the mere image or thought of them makes you happy." I sighed, and shook my head. "I'm not an expert on it, but I think that's a good way to describe what it is. What do you think Bill?"

Bill was staring at the sky just as I was, but seemed… focused on something. "Um, Bill? Bill, are you alright?" Bill turned to face me, his eye centered on my face. __What's wrong with him? And… why am I so nervous?__ "Bill? What's wrong-mmmf!"

You know, I'd done quite a lot this summer. I'd fought an army of gnomes with the Pines twins, gone fishing with Stan and got in trouble with the police… twice. I'd fought evil wax statues, a child psycho, and a lovely pair of elderly ghosts. I'd made my own squad who have helped me overcome my insecurity about my scars, solved a government conspiracy, and time traveled from prehistoric times to the intense Time Baby era.

I'd been shrunken, almost run over by a car on Summerween with Pacifica, watched Stan do a hilarious dance in sparkly spandex, found out one of my squad members was involved with the demon and was my guardian along with his pet dragon, and might have unintentionally ended Wendip. I met the Henchmaniacs and bonded with Pyronica, fought a dinosaur on Stan's back while he held Waddles in a baby carrier, and had the twins find out about my deal with the demon.

But never, and I mean NEVER, would I have guessed my adventure would've have led to this.

Bill Cipher firmly grasped my shoulders, and directed my face to look at his. In a fluid motion, his eye closed and the eyelids altered into a pair of lips, and without any hesitation, he kissed me on the mouth. __Wh-what!? What!?__ ** _ ** _WHAT_**_** _ _!?__

I had expected many, many things to happen during my time in this dimension. This… this was never something I had planned to happen.

What.

The.

 ** **HECK****!

* * *

 ** **OOOHH BOOOIIIIII!****

 ** **What a way to leave you all, huh! Perfect cliffhanger, right here!****

 ** **Anyways, this is the last chapter until I return in August. When I come back, I'll post as soon as possible. I'd have left you all waiting in suspense enough. So until that wonderful day comes…****

 ** **Thanks everyone for reading, following, favoriting, reviewing, and general showing interest in this story. I had never meant for it to grow so popular, but I'm glad it did. You guys are awesome.****

 ** **I also managed to get data on my phone, and I have written a little short that will be posted in the middle of my hiatus. So keep your eye open for it, especially if you're into drunk demons. ;)****

 ** **Until next time readers. Have a great summer, and try not to get arrested!****

 ** **Stan: Angel, what do I keep telling you?****

 ** **That when the cops aren't around, anything's legal. But Stan-****

 ** **Stan: No buts! Now go get to work!****

 ** **Yes sir! Seriously though, keep it legal.****


	35. You'll Be Back

****Disclaimer: Remember that short I said I'd post back at the beginning of July? Well, here it is! This little one shot takes place after Boyz Crazy, and before Land Before Swine. I had this random idea ever since I found Hamilton, and this question popped up.****

 ** **What happens when you mix Hamilton, Bill and the Henchmaniacs, and alcohol?****

… ****this is what happens when you write on little sleep due to prom and graduation right before you board a bus. It's silly, but I find this pure gold. Now, let's answer the reviews from the first part of Gideon Rises, shall we?****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: You'll have to wait for the second part, but here's something to hold you over!****

 ** **SnowyFalls: Hey, I don't have the time to keep writing! And no, he doesn't have lips. Remember Weirdmageddon? He can turn his eye into a mouth. Oh, and the battle with Gideon? You're gonna like how that plays out.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: Thanks!****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: I will! Well, as much as I can running around a sweltering camp in 30 plus temperatures.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: You assume correctly. The law in the town is seriously flawed.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: AAHHH! You're triggering Rock of Ages flashbacks! IT BUURRRNS!****

 ** **WarriorNinjaRed: I'm okay with that. Hope this thing helps hold you over. Demon kissing with an eye… I loved writing it, and cringed at the same time. It's a guilty thing.****

 ** **PippyTheBest: Really? I thought for some people it'd be obvious. Things are seriously gonna get crazy.****

 ** **the stargazer: I wouldn't say cute exactly... being forced into a kiss with Bill isn't very pleasant.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thank you! Hope you can wait until August for the next post.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: So you're using that weird sound machine that the gems found? Bill saying 'I love you'... not yet, pal. Wait a little longer.****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: Yes, yes it is. ;)****

 ** **MLGbilcipher: Most random review ever! And Bill doesn't give deer teeth to just anyone, only his favorite fleshbags.****

 ** **CracksInTheConcrete: Thank you. I haven't seen many stories that use the info found in the journal yet, or anything from the deleted scenes, so I love it when I hear that others love it too.****

 ** **Not gonna lie, it's hard to plan all of this out. I've been writing and fixing it up on my phone all summer. So pardon any errors if you see any.****

 ** **This short is dedicated to my friend Zack,**** ** **who's love of Gravity Falls helped lead me to writing this story.**** ** **I didn't know you for very long, but I'd like to thank you for being one of the inspirations for me getting into writing and embracing my inner geek.****

 ** **I own Elaine. You'll Be Back belongs to Hamilton.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 11/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Hey, Pyronica?" I looked up at the hot pink succubus curiously. "How long exactly have you guys been stuck in here for? The Nightmare Realm I mean." She paused to think, sitting her tenth glass of time punch down on the counter. I wasn't entirely sure if demons could get drunk, but Pyronica seemed to be somewhat able to handle it. Occasional slurred speech, but otherwise showed no signs of being intoxicated. The other guys…

I tried not to laugh as the demons stumbled in their drunken dazes, laughing stupidly about some joke Teeth had said. This was mostly because Cipher decided to throw a little party for everyone. What for, I wasn't sure. When I asked Pyronica earlier, she had said that this happened whenever they get bored; throwing a party to pass the time. Not shocking. I'd do anything to keep my mind off a long, never ending wait for world domination.

 _And speaking of Bill._ The triangle was hovering by Teeth and Keyhole with a wine glass in one hand, and the other wrapped around Keyhole's neck. His high pitched laugh was drowning in his alcoholic state, and a dark yellow glow was under his eye. _Maybe the demon's representation of being red in the face?_ It was pretty interesting seeing him like that. His intoxicated state slowed down his normally intense behavior, and made him more approachable. How approachable though... that was another matter entirely.

"A long time, shorty" Pyronica finally answered. She followed my gaze to the yellow monster, and I almost missed the smirk on her face. _What was that for?_ She had shown an interest in Bill's and my partnership ever since we first met, and it didn't seem to slow down since. "Boss has been keeping his eye on that dimension for many millennia. Can't blame him for waitin'. That world has a lot more to offer than our old ones."

"You all came from different worlds?" I asked. I knew Bill came from a different world, and that he didn't originate from the Nightmare Realm, but I didn't think that applied to everyone. "Bill did mention that, in the past during one of our chats. He said that you were all exiled here."

"Ha ha! You're right there, kid. Everyone here is as mad and as twisted as they come, and we're all here for a reason." Pyronica laughed, finding the truth hilarious. She wasn't denying what Bill had told me. I was told they were the multiverse's most insane criminals, and looking at them all… I didn't see it. Scary, yes, but they didn't seem as bad as Bill made them out to be. _Though, it might be best if I never see them do something that earned them that description._ "We all had homes before we ended up here, though, if you were wondering. Me, 8-Ball, Kryptos, Teeth; all of us had lives before we came here, before we, heh, did our own things. Heck, even boss himself had something before he became… y'know."

"I… what?" Did-did anything she was saying make sense at this point? Was this drunken rabble, or… was she telling the truth? Did… did Bill have a life before he became the Bill I knew? __That's… that's crazy talk. Bill couldn't have had a life before this. He's spent trillions of years planning this thing. When would he have had time to do anything else?__

But… that might have explained a few things. How else would Bill have known how to handle a panic attack? Was it because he'd observed humanity enough to understand their behavior at least a little, or was it because he'd seen them first-hand? Plus, he did mention before that someone taught him how to play the piano. __That... might be something I should ask in the future. If he's not ready to talk yet, I won't pressure him.__ There was a dimension he lived in prior to this, and I knew that, but was his personality really different back then?

Shaking it off, I sipped again from my own glass. I now had the smarts to not drink any more time punch, but that didn't I wasn't going to have anything to drink while I was there. The lava lamp demon gladly gave me a glass of tomato juice, with three large ice cubes bobbing on the surface. Basically, I had the dry version of a Bloody Mary. Not that I was complaining. I liked tomato juice.

"H-hey! How's it, g-goin' Angel?" Bill suddenly came over, and brought his arm around me. "Having f-fun?"

"Bill, you're drunk." The smell of wine radiated from his face, and I could only wonder how he was even drinking. _Bill, h-_ _h_ _e d_ _oesn't even_ _have a mouth._ How was he even drunk? "But yeah, I'm having fun."

"That'sss goood." I grinned, and peeled his arm off of me. "Hey, hey Angel. Wanna d-do something fun?"

 _Bill's idea of fun, mixed with alcohol… not good._ "Um, it depends. What do you have in mind?" Bill gave another giggle, and sat his glass down on the table. "Bill?" Silently, he took my glass out of my hands and put it down too. Taking both of my hands, Bill dragged me off my seat, and off to the side of the large crater and away from everyone else.

"You re-remember that song you had me play a few days ago, right?" He asked. I nodded hesitantly. Yeah, I remembered. My love of anime films leaked into my love of piano, and he played without questioning it. "You also ment-mentioned that you weren't very fond of lyrical songs too."

"Well, I-I like some songs with lyrics. But there are other songs I like. Fan made songs I enjoy due to the lack of inappropriate context you see in today's music business; musicals, classics from before I was born I like too." I chuckled for a moment. "I blame my parents for my love of country music." I had tried getting Mabel into country music a few days ago... it failed. She hated it with a passion now.

"We-well, since we haven't done our daily questions today, how about we do this inst-instead?" Bill suggested. All of a sudden, that intoxicated look on his face seemed more sly than anything else. An uncomfortable feeling washed over me, and I stepped back. Which couldn't really do much, sense he was still holding onto me.

"What do you suggest we do, Bill?" I leaned back nervously. Bill turned away from me, raising a hand, and I winced as he snapped his fingers. __Please don't be painful. Please don't be painful.__ A cord. Not like, an actual cord, but a piano cord, played in the air around us. A few more notes played, and I raised an eyebrow. "What the…?"

"You say, the price of my love's not a price that you're willing to pay." __Is he… he's-he's actually drunk right now. He can't be doing this on his own accord. He's-he's clearly not thinking straight. And… he's singing Hamilton?__ You'll Be Back. Actually, that's the perfect song for him. The lyrics fitted him perfectly. "You cry… in your tea, which you hurl in the sea, when you see me go by." He turned and looked at me dead on, the sly 'smirk' still on his face. "Why so sad? Remember we made an arrangement when you went away. Now you're making me mad." Bill flew closer, cupping my chin. I frowned at the claws, but the triangle thankfully wasn't digging them into my skin. "Remember, despite our estrangement, I'm your man…"

The music dropped, and Bill released my face. "You'll be back. Soon you'll see, you'll remember you belong to me." _Uh, no. No, I d_ _id_ _n't belong to you. Elaine Milton here is her own person._ Bill was, surprisingly, not doing half bad. His voice wasn't exactly made for singing, but it had a certain quality that kept you there. Guess that's due to his smooth personality he used in his deals. "You'll be back. Time will tell, you'll remember that I served you well." With the hand he still held, he spun me around, lifting my arm over my head.

"Wh-whoa!" I came to a halt as Bill stopped moving, and he held a hand to his chest fondly as he looked away. I glared angrily, blowing a strand of loose hair out of my face. Not my fault. My ponytail whacked me in the face.

"Oceans rise, empires fall! We have seen each other through it all. And when push comes to shove, I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love." Yanking me towards him as he turned towards me again, the demon rested a hand on my… _oh, why_ _wa_ _s he holding my hip!?_ He then intertwined his black fingers with my scarred gloved hand, and I was forced to put my left hand on his shoulder to prevent myself from falling over. The song picked up again, and Bill began to float around in a large loop, forcing me to take long steps to keep up with him. __Are we… are we dancing?__

"Da da da da da, da da da da daye, da da da da daye da da! Da da da da da, da da da da daye, da da da da daye da da," he continued to sing. Bill paused to chuckle, and I let out a giggle of my own. This was… certainly one of the weirdest things I'd done with the demon. But… I wasn't complaining. This was sort of… fun. A really weird fun, but fun all the same. "You say our love is draining and you can't go on…"

He dipped me down, and as I was brought upright again, my face was a bright red. "You'll be the one complaining when I am gone…" _I wouldn't be so sure of that._ "And no, don't change the subject!" Bill cried, letting go of my hand to hold to his forehead dramatically. "'cause you're my favorite subject. My sweet, submissive subject." My already red face deepened at that, and it didn't help that Bill ruffled my hair. __Jerk.__ "My loyal, royal subject. For ever. And ever. And ever, and ever, and ever…"

"You'll be back, like before." Bill's eye widened, and I realized why. __Curse my love for Broadway!__ _Now I'm singing along. Great!_ "I will fight the fight, and win the war. For your love, for your praise." I began to bounce as the tune increased, and I grinned. "And I'll love ya 'till my dyin' days!"

"When you're gone, I'll go mad," Bill picked up where I ended. "So don't throw away this thing we had. 'cause when push comes to shove, I will kill your friends and family." I froze, hoping that he just meant the lyrics and didn't actually plan on what I was think-oh who was I fooling. He'd gladly try and kill the Pines if he could. "To remind you of my love. Da da da da da, da da da da daye, da da da da daye da da! Da da da da da, da da da da daye, da da da-!"

The music sped up at the climax, and I found myself grinning at the triangle. He was probably going to remember this when he sobered up, so why not finish humoring him? "Everybody!" I cheered. I heard the demons chuckle from the other side of the crater, and Pyronica was laughing hysterically on her seat.

"Da da da da da, da da da da daye, da da da da daye da da," everyone sang, the final lyrics being belted out. "Da da da da da, da da da da daye, da da da da daye da da…" Bill was the one to end the song, stretching out the final word and giving me one last final dip. I laughed, despite how embarrassed I should've been. _This was… memorable. And… I wouldn't mind him doing it again._ Bill brought me back upright, and patted me on the head. "Hehe… good job, kid," Bill praised. "Hehehe. Goo-good job."

(Time Skip)

"Err… my head." I closed my journal, looking up at Bill from my spot in the attic's storage room. The demon's eye had small bags under it, showing how exhausted he was. Bill didn't need sleep, I knew that, but apparently he still could get tired. "What happened?" He asked, holding the upper part of one of his sides.

"Well, how much do you remember?" I asked, trying not to laugh at how drained he was.

"Kid, do you really want me to answer that?" He deadpanned, before giving a sigh. "I may be an omnipotent and omniscient being, but that's not to say I'm not capable of getting affected by alcohol." _Wow, he likes using those words to describe himself._ He drifted closer, and I could tell he wasn't entirely comfortable. "So, what happened last night…"

"What happens in the Nightmare Realm," I interrupted. "Stays in the Nightmare Realm." I stood up from my window seat, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He blinked in surprise, and I knew he had a reason why. I never willingly touched him; usually, it's him giving the awkward pats on the head and side hugs. "You and practically everyone else was wasted, except for me, the lava lamp guy, and… maybe Pyronica. I don't blame you for… that, seeing that you were more out of your mind than usual." I shrugged, and brought my hand back down to my side.

"You're… okay with that?" Bill raised his brow suspiciously.

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be?" I sat back down on the seat, crossing my legs. I put my hands on my hips, the smirk still present on my face. Before Bill could react, I leaned forward and plucked the top hat from its floating spot over his topmost angle. I plopped it on my own head, before realizing it wasn't sitting where I went to put it. Not sure how, but the hat was floating an inch above my hair. __And… it's made of flesh?__ When I grabbed it, I could've sworn it was beating in my fingertips like a… heart… not gonna ask. Nope _ _.__ "Besides," I tilted the hat towards him with a giggle, "now I know you can dance."

Bill didn't answer for a moment, but eventually broke into laughter. "Ha ha ha ha ha!" He moved closer to the seat, and I moved over to allow him to sit. "Fair enough, Angel." He looked me over, pausing as he fully took in seeing his hat on my head, and a more relaxed look filled his pupil. "Fair enough."

* * *

 ** **Here you go! I had wanted to write a Hamilton/Gravity Falls thing for as long as I could remember. Plus, you have to admit, this song suits Bill perfectly. Even if it is short, this helped fill the writing void in my heart while I'm away.****

 ** **Well, time to go back to work! Until next time!****

 ** **Hvzhlm lmv szh xlnv zmw tlmv****  
 ** **drgs zm Zmtvo hgroo jfrgv zhgizb.****  
 ** **Z nlmhgvi szh yvtfm gl zdzpvm****  
 ** **zmw zoo yvgh szev mld yvvm nzwv.****

 ** **Angel****


	36. Gideon Rises Part 2

****Disclaimer: I'm BACK! Seven weeks have come and gone, but it's time to get this show on the road! I've had plenty of time to plan this thing out, so I hope you like it. But first…****

 ** **Bad news: once university hits, the weekly updating schedule will take a toll. I will still post as fast as possible, but not as soon as I'd like.****

 ** **Good news: I have officially planned out every chapter straight to the end of this story! Trust me when I say, you don't want to leave this thing yet. Also, Gravity Falls graphic novel next year anyone? ;)****

 ** **Guardian of Sarcasm: Why, thank you!****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Let's just hope it was enough to change how she felt towards him. Things are going to change a lot this season, so you'd best be ready.****

 ** **Lex: I KNOW!****

 ** **Jayla Fire Gal: It was in my head for months. Glad you can picture it out too.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Yes, yes it was a reference. Blood Moon Ball was one of my fave episodes in season one. References make everything better, don't they?****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Drinking isn't good for your soul… Bill doesn't even have one, I believe. Nice dose of fluff in between madness is nice, isn't it?****

 ** **tokyoghoul234: That, my friend, will be answered when the time comes. No spoilers yet. Unless, I don't know… I make a short chapter as a teaser for the future chapters.****

 ** **the Stargazer: Now I do! Hope it comes out soon before this story's up. New information is always a blessing to work with.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Then sleep. Codes can wait for later.****

 ** **Demiphoenix1125: I am the reference!****

 ** **EMObillcipher89: You can ship Elaine and Bill, Elaine and Dipper, or Elaine and sarcasm! There's plenty of ships to set sail here!****

 ** **WolfQueen123: I will!****

 ** **MtVS17: Right here!****

 **I only own Elaine. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher. Now, we return to our previously scheduled panicking.**

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 12/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

What?

What!?

 ** **WHAT****!?

 _Bill, he-he just-but he… wha-huh!? Huh!? This, this wasn't happening! This was NOT happening! Bill freakin' Cipher did NOT just-just ** **kiss**** me!_ Snapping out of my internal panic, I felt Bill's hands ease up from their place on my shoulders, allowing me to push myself out of his grip. His mouth-eye opened up, and the lips turned back into the giant eye I was familiar with. I-I didn't know what he was thinking. I-I didn't know what ****I**** was thinking. But whatever it was, I wanted OUT!

"B-Bill!" I stuttered. The triangle's eye was partially closed, before it fully opened. He stared at me, silently watching my mini heart attack. "Y-you… you just… w-what!? "

"Hmmm…" Bill hummed in thought, holding his hand to his eye. "So **that** was what that feeling was," he finally said. "So Angel, did you enjoy it?" __W-what?__ I stammered mentally. Everything that had just been said in my head was a confused and jumbled mess, and I really didn't trust my own words at the moment. "Answer the question. Angel," Bill glared in annoyance. "Did you enjoy it?"

"N-no!" I finally answered, shouting it out. Forget the stuttering! This was as crazy-no, it's even more crazy-than our first meeting! It didn't matter if my words made sense, I had to say something! "Bill, you can't just do that to someone!"

"Why not, kid?" Bill asked in confusion, and… oh, he was enjoying this, wasn't he? H-he thought this was funny. "That's what you're supposed to do, right? For humans."

"W-what? Bill, what do you-?"

"For humans," he interrupted. "I don't know what exactly your human emotions are like, but I assume that action was how one displayed love."

"Bill, just-" I tried to say something, but the demon once again cut me off.

"Well, looks like our time is up, Angel." He pulled the giant watch out from subspace like he did when Mabel tried to tackle him, checked it, and then tucked it away. "We'll pick this up tomorrow where we left off."

"But you just can't-" Bill quickly snapped his fingers, plunging everything into darkness. "Bill!" I cried out in frustration, looking around helplessly in the pitch black. What the heck was going on!? One minute we're discussing feelings, the next this!? "Bill Cipher! Answer me!"

"Don't forget your place, Angel," the demon's voice echoed around me. I spun around in the void, trying to pinpoint where he was coming from. But it sounded like he was right by me, and far away all at once. Thankfully, the strong tugging in the back of my mind proved beneficial, letting me know I was just about to return to the real world. That didn't mean I wasn't still a panicking mess. "I'll be watching you."

"AAHHH!" I bolted upright, screaming. The dark midnight blue sky and bright moon was slowly fading, the sun starting to rise over the trees. _I was up here all night?_ I looked around nervously, hoping that I was indeed alone. _No Bill._ _N-no sign on him anywhere._ _O-okay, th-that's good. Now… I can do this._ "AAAHHHHH!"

"Elaine!" I jumped, and looked over the edge of the roof. Mabel and Dipper carefully climbed out of the window and up to meet me on my spot, watching me worriedly. "Are you alright?" Dipper asked. "We heard you screaming."

"I, uh, I…" how was I supposed to react? Tell them that the demon I had made a deal with and who tried to off them just kissed me!? "I-I'm fine. Just… dozed off for the night up here, and had a bit of a nightmare." I couldn't tell them. It's one thing to tell them the truth about my deal and that I was from a different dimension, it's another thing to tell them I was kissed by Cipher. Seeing the troubled expressions, I quickly reassured them. "I'm fine, guys. It's alright."

"Well, if you say so." Dipper sat down beside me where Bill was only a few minutes ago. Mabel sat on my other side, and leaned against my arm. "We're gonna go stake out the Mystery Shack soon, after we get something for breakfast. You coming with us?"

"Yeah, I'll come along." I grinned forcefully, but inside, my stomach was doing somersaults. "You two head back down to the living room. I'll be along in a moment." Dipper opened his mouth, but sighed in defeat. I didn't say anything wrong, but he must have known I had something on my mind, judging from my earlier reaction.

"Alright, Elaine," he admitted. Mabel hugged me, and quickly slid down the roof to the open window. Dipper cautiously followed, but he stopped to look back. "This doesn't have anything to do with Bill, does it?" __Oh, you have no idea.__

"No, Dipper," I lied fluidly. "It doesn't have anything to do with him." I could tell he wasn't believing me, even if there was no hesitation in my voice, but Dipper dropped the matter. He slid down the rest of the roof, and I followed after him. After crawling through the window, Mabel tossed me my bag from the couch. I pulled it onto my shoulders, and opened the door. "Let's go, dorks." Dipper and Mabel jogged over to me, and Mabel handed me a granola bar. _Right. We don't have much food for all of us._ The twins walked out before me, and as I was closing the door, I saw Stan poke his head out from the kitchen. He and I locked eyes, and he gave me a sad smile. _He knows that I understand the severity of our situation._ Returning the pity look, I nodded my head, and slipped out of the house to join the twins. "Alright, guys. Let's roll."

Sneaking back to the Mystery Shack was easier said than done, minus the chain link fence preventing us from getting even closer. We hid behind a shrub by the fence, and watched the three guards from yesterday keep an eye out while Gideon remained inside. "Alright, the bus to take us out of Gravity Falls comes at sundown." We, meaning Mabel and I, nodded at Dipper. "If we wanna stay in town we've got to get past those guards, make it through the fence, and get Gideon to hand over that deed."

"Leave that to Mabel!" Mabel cried. "Wa-chaw!" She fired her grappling hook, and I watched as it ricocheted off a tree limb overhead and whacked Dipper in the face. He fell onto his back, and the heavy metal object came back down on his groin. "Oops."

"Well, there goes his chance at children," I muttered. "Here we go." I pulled him up to his feet, and he gave a pain-filled glare at his sister.

"Now will you admit the grappling hook is useless!?" He shouted, keeping his voice low enough to not alert the guards.

"Nope!" Mabel grinned, and I sighed. This was getting us nowhere fast. If we want to fix this, we needed to get our heads in the game.

"Okay." Dipper pulled out the journal, and Mabel and I looked over his shoulders. "What can we use to defeat Gideon?" He began flipping back and forth through the book. "Let's see… ****barf fairy****?"

"Yeah!" Mabel agreed, and I shook my head in disgust. Vomiting pixies won't help unless it gives him horrible burns or something.

"Nope," Dipper concluded. He paused on a new chapter. " ** **Squash with Human Face and Emotions****?"

"Yeah!" Mabel repeated, and I shook my head once again __Seriously, kid?__ _ _Why is that even a chapter?__

"Nope." Dipper flipped through several more passages, before my eyes caught sight of a peculiar part. I quickly slid my hand out to prevent him from moving forward, and traced a finger over one of the schematics.

"What's this?" I asked in wonder, even though I already was certain I knew the answer.

"I stared at this page for hours, Elaine." Dipper and I looked at the portal's blueprints in amazement. _He did all of that by hand? His other entries are cool, yeah, but this is really impressive._ "It seems like a blueprint to build some kind of strange futuristic super-weapon-"

"BORING!" Mabel interrupted. She put her hands on her hips, huffing in frustration. I had to agree on that one. We had no time for distractions. The portal I could think about later. "To defeat those guards we need some kind of army."

"Wait a minute!' Dipper flipped back to the beginning of the book, and I frowned at the chapter he landed on. __Couldn't we have a second option?__ "An army! Mabel, that's it! The gnomes!" Mabel tugged at her sweater's collar, and she and I exchanged nervous looks. The encounter at the start of the summer wasn't a great one. True, it did lead to me bonding with the twins, but having a huge gnome trying to squash you… yeah, no.

(Time Skip)

 _ _Dang it.__ We trudged through the forest, with Dipper taking the lead. Kicking a rock in annoyance, I looked at the young boy's determined face. I wasn't sure what would come out of this mission of ours. Right now, all I had stuck in my head on repeat was the reminder of the portal being started, Stan finally seeing the journal if we succeeded, and… a dream demon kissing me full on the mouth.

It was… unexpected; I won't sugarcoat that part. But… why? Why did he do that? Why would Bill Cipher, one of the most dangerous creatures in the multiverse, kiss me? Was this that weird possessiveness kink I thought about a few days ago; him just having an attachment to me? _Or… d_ _id_ _he really like me… more than_ _a partner to work with_ _?_ I lifted my hand up, and smudged some of the foundation off the burn, studying the faint black skin of the branding. __Why don't you ever make sense?__ I thought, biting my lip in annoyance. __What do you have to gain from this?__

"I think this is their hiding spot," Dipper said. I jogged to catch back up with them, having fallen behind while lost in thought.

"I wonder what gnomes do out here all alone in the forest?" Mabel asked. We stopped, hearing something in the bushes beside us. Reaching for the branches, Mabel shoved them aside. "Aaah!" Oh, my eyes! My poor, virgin eyes! Shrieking, I threw my hands over Mabel's face to protect her innocence. __Why, why did I forget about Jeff bathing in squirrels!?__

"Do do do…" Jeff hummed, before realizing the company. "Aah! This… this is normal for gnomes. Scrub scrub." He rubbed a squirrel under his armpit, and I pulled Mabel closer to me. Mabel managed to pull my hands away, and gave the creature a disgusted look alongside me and Dipper. "Well, well, well. Look who came crawlin' back. Take five, Chris." A squirrel jumped out of the tub, running off into the woods. "You guys keep doin' what you're doin'." The rest of the rodents began to scurry in the basin, and Jeff reclined back, giving Mabel a sly smirk. "So, changed your mind about marryin' me, did ya Mabel?" A squirrel poked its head out of his hat, squeaking. __Ew.__

"Ew, hardly," Mabel protested. "We need your help. And seriously, ew!" She grimaced, and I shivered at the bizarre sight.

"You want our help?" He repeated incredulously. "After you left me at the alter? No dice!" Technically, there was no alter. This happened in a clearing until we were chased to the Mystery Shack. "Unless…" Jeff turned to look at me, glancing up and down. __Uh… what's he doing?__ "I'd be willing to make an exchange." Jeff hummed in thought, putting a hand to his chin. "Height's perfect, hair looks soft… have to lose the glasses though." _What's wrong with my glasses?_

"W-we can get you a different queen!" I stammered. No way in heck was I signing myself up for gnome matrimony. "One that wouldn't put up a fight like Mabel, a-and actually has perfect eye sight." _I feel so offended with that comment._ The twins glanced at me curiously, wondering where I was going with this. "Her name's Gideon, and she has lovely white hair." Dipper blinked, and started snickering behind his hand as Mabel grinned at my idea.

"Whoa. Mature woman, huh?" Jeff grinned, and I sighed in relief at the gears turning in his head. He leaned over the edge of the tub, and called out into the forest. "Hey, Shmebulock, get my cologne!" Said gnome bounded into the clearing, a bottle in his hand.

"Shmebulock!" He exclaimed, hopping from one foot to the other.

"Is Shmebulock all you can say?" Shmebulock paused, before nodding sadly.

"Shmebulock…"

"It's a deal!" Jeff shrugged at the answer, and reached forward to shake my hand. Next step: devising the plan of attack.

(Time Skip)

This… this was actually really stupid. Dipper, Mabel, and I gripped the fence, the male twin shouting at the guards to bring Gideon over. This was somewhat of a do-or-die moment. If it worked, then we could skip the Gideon-bot battle. If it didn't… I honestly wasn't sure what I'd do. Would I stay here with Stan, with Kat, or Wendy or Asger? Would I head back to Piedmont with the twins? Or… would I end up taking permanent residence in the Nightmare Realm? _Keep your mind on the moment, Elaine. Don't think about the bad route._

"What?" Gideon shouted in frustration, marching over to us. Dipper angrily shook the barrier once he was close enough; the guards behind the boy glared down threateningly.

"Give us the deed to the Shack, Gideon," Dipper threatened. "Or else!"

Gideon rolled his eyes, clearly not taking us seriously. "Am I supposed to say, 'or else what'?"

"Yes, you are supposed to say that!" Mabel exclaimed. She looked behind her at the woods to our secret weapon and cried, "now!"

On command, the guards' eyes widened, and collapsed on either side of Gideon, a gnome piercing the middle of their backs. The fence burst open as the gnomes charged forward, riding several woodland animals. Gideon looked around in alarm, seeing the small creatures glaring down from the pine trees around us, to the rooftop where some were being used as arrows by other gnomes. The surprisingly sharp hats circled Gideon into a tight circle, keeping him from moving. I marched up to the little brat, hands on my hips as Dipper and Mabel followed behind me. True, it was Dipper who was supposed to take the lead, but I had had it with Gideon threatening me. "Give it up, you little creep. You're surrounded by an extremely formidable gnome army. Now, I'm only gonna ask this once." I snatched his light blue jacket, pulling him up to my eye level. The gnomes still kept their hats pointed at him, but I could tell they knew better to mess right now. "Give us back our deed, get off our property," I whispered, voice dripping with venom. Dropping him roughly to the dirt, I went on to crack my knuckles. "Or I swear, I will drop-kick you into next week."

"And let the marriage ceremony begin!" Jeff cheered from atop of a buck's head, holding its antlers to guide it along. I heard a small chuckle, and glanced down at Dipper.

"Elaine, you're the coolest and scariest person I've ever met," he said in a mixture of admiration and disbelief.

"I know, kid." I turned back to Gideon, smirking. "Tell me about it later."

Gideon sighed, rubbing his lower back as he stood up. "Very well. I suppose this deed belongs to-" he gripped the whistle around his neck, and gave a loud piercing blow. The high pitched shriek didn't affect us, but the gnomes… I couldn't help but feel a little bad for them. The ones that were off the ground fell from their perches, crying out in pain as they grabbed their ears to try and desperately muffle the sound. __Guess they're more animal-like than I thought.__ "Ha! What do you know? Works on gnomes too!" He blew the whistle again, and Jeff fell off the buck, crawling towards him.

"Stop! We'll do anything! How can we serve you, your majesty?" He quickly began bowing. "The most beautiful girl we've ever seen!" _If this wasn't turning south for us, I'd laugh at that._

"I am not a girl!" Gideon shouted harshly.

"Really? But your skin is so soft?" Jeff rubbed Gideon's hand in amazement. That's because, according to Wendy in a previous conversation I had with her, the kid stole her moisturizer. "You moisturize, or…"

Gideon ripped his arm free, and pointed at us. "Subdue them!" Immediately, the short men charged at us, switching sides automatically. They may have been small, but there were too many to fight, and I was forced into an awkward kneeling position. Dipper and Mabel weren't better off, still being held upright. "I have to admit, kids, Elaine, I am impressed by your creativity! How did you ever…?"

Dipper tried prying the gnomes off him, but I could tell it was a lost battle. "Let go!" He grunted, before the journal stumbled out from under his vest; the vest had opened wide enough to free it from its hold. As Ford's work hit the ground, Dipper knew it was already too late. "Oh no!"

"No! Could it be? Is it?" Gideon rushed forward, and scooped up the journal. He flipped through the pages, laughing in sick glee. "Of course! It all makes sense! The one place I'd never think to look! You had it the whole time! And to think I actually considered you a threat!" He flicked Dipper's nose, earning an enraged snarl.

"No! Give it back!" Dipper shouted, still fighting against the gnomes.

"Every victory you had was because of your precious book!" Gideon tucked said journal under his arm, patting the binding.

"Give it back or I'll-" Dipper threatened, before Gideon cut him off, getting up in his face.

"Or you'll what, boy? You'll what? Huh? Huh? No muscles. No brains. Face it! You're nothin' without this!" He gave a mocking wave, grinning maliciously. "Bye bye forever, y'all!" With one last whistle blow, the gnomes rushed off through the hole in the fence down the road, taking us with them.

"NOOOOO!" Dipper cried in distress as Mabel and me screamed in horror. Once we were far enough away from the Mystery Shack, the gnomes dispersed, dropping us on the dirt road. It made sense, since the plan had completely fallen through. Dipper drew his knees to his chest, sitting on the ground as I stood with Mabel. Jeff ran past us, glaring.

"Next time, do your own dirty work!" He said crossly before leaving. "Come on boys!" Three squirrels scurried up to him, and he held open his pants for them to jump in. Shivering once again in disgust, I watched him run off into the woods too.

Hearing a forlorn sigh, I turned to look down at Dipper. "Well, that's it," he muttered. He traced his finger in the dirt. "Guess the bus should be here soon."

"What?"Mabel asked in shock. She knelt down beside Dipper, resting a hand on his shoulder. "Dipper, don't give up! You always have a plan!"

"Yeah!" I bent down on his other side, frowning. "We've done so much this summer, Dipper! Don't tell me you can't figure out a solution now!"

Dipper pulled himself from our hold, and looked at us in frustration. "No! The journal always has the plan! Think about it, you two, Gideon was right. The only courageous or cool things I've ever done have been because of that journal." He turned to look down at the ground, dejected. "Without it, I can't help you two, or Stan, or anyone."

"Please, Dipper." I felt my heart break, seeing how defeated he was. That journal had been our saving grace all summer so far, he wasn't wrong about that. But… he couldn't stay like this forever. _Right…?_ "There's got to be something we can do."

Dipper looked at me in pity, and sighed. "What can we do?" He shuffled closer to me, and put a hand on my knee. "Elaine, I'm sorry, but I'm out of ideas." I inhaled shakily, and pulled him closer. I rested his head on my shoulder, and felt tears begin to form in the corners of my eyes.

"I know, kid," I muttered into his vest. Mabel crawled over to us, and wrapped her arms around the two of us. "I know."

(Time Skip)

Hands down, this was probably the second most painful thing I'd gone through. Bill in Stan's mind obviously coming in at number one. Stan had given the two Pines kids their tickets, and their suitcases sat beside them. Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica were there, watching the brunette getting ready to board the bus. Wendy, Asger, Axel, and Kat had also come out. The teens and dragon stood beside me, and I could tell it was more to comfort me than say goodbye to the twins. Asger's arm was wrapped around Wendy's shoulders, while Kat's was around me. I had assumed correctly in the blue haired girl taking me in; she didn't even give me time to argue. Her mom was more than welcoming, already having my lone bag moved in.

While it was a relief not to be leaving Gravity Falls like Dipper and Mabel, and still being able to keep in contact with Bill to uphold the deal, it was… bittersweet. I knew it would turn out alright, but… it hurt to see them almost leave us. _I… I really hope I'm right about Gideon going after them. This can't be the end already._ Sniffing back tears, I felt Kat stroke the top of my head, and tighten her hug. "I'm gonna miss them," I said quietly. Kat looked at me, nodding silently in agreement. We watched them pick up their bags, and began to board. Before he did, however, Dipper cast one final look at me. Hazel eyes meeting brown. He smiled sadly at me, and gave a small wave. Blinking, I grinned forcefully, and waved back. __Thanks, Dippin' Dots. For everything.__

"Sorry kids," Stan said. The twins sat in the back seat of the bus, peering down at him through the window. "It's for the best." The vehicle's engine rumbled to life, and we watched it drive off. The three young girls hugged each other, while the teens and I waved gave the bus one final look, before he began to walk away. As he passed me, he sighed deeply, and patted my head. "Sorry, Elaine. I really am."

"I know, Grunkle Stan." Kat's arm slid off of me, and I quickly hugged him. The man tensed for a moment, but I let go before he could hug back. "I know. But that doesn't mean we're out of luck yet."

"What're you talking about?" Pacifica asked. Grenda and Candy had already begun to walk home, leaving her with her cousin. "It's over."

"Is it?" I questioned. _I really hope I'm right about this. Otherwise, this is going to be a really silly move._ "There's lots of freaky stuff in this town, but I refuse to believe the little psychic brat." I paused, spotting Wendy's bike against one of the buildings. _That'll work._ "And I'm not letting the twins leave so easily either." I sprinted to the red bike, grabbing the handlebars. Jogging alongside it to build momentum, I threw myself onto the seat and sped off down the road.

"Wha-hey!" Wendy exclaimed. "Elaine!"

"Kid, what are you doing?" Stan called out behind me. "Kid!"

"Getting my friends back!" I shouted, and flew past the sign that indicated the approaching border of the town. _As if I'm letting them take on Gideon by themselves!_ This was silly, I knew that. However, there was no way I was allowing this fight, if it was going to happen, to play out like this. I shrieked a little as I zoomed downhill, legs stretched out from the peddles and wind whipping my ponytail around. I knew this town. I knew the trails like the back of my hand. The normal one, not the scarred one. Cranking the handlebar to the left, I shot off onto a dirt path using the momentum from the incline. __This should drop me off on the other side of the cliff, if I recall.__ Flinching at the branches whacking at my legs, I shifted gears and began going uphill.

This was crazy. This really, really was. I could've just stayed back at Soos' grandmother's house with Stan, waiting for him to figure out the fact Gideon was secretly watching everyone. But… I was done. I was done playing by the rules; of trying to keep the order of this dimension. Ever since I had shown up, I'd been messing around the rules. Kat, Asger, and Axel existed when they never did before; Dipper had a crush on me rather than Wendy; I'd introduced Bill to the main characters in a horrible fashion… I'd made mistakes. But one I refused to continue to make was letting my twins get in trouble, when I had the ability to alter the course. _I may no longer consider this any relation to the cartoon, but even if things are different, I will continue to use that knowledge to help them. No matter what._

Pumping the brakes, I skid to a stop in front of the tunnel that led to the bridge crossing the valley. Propping up the bike against the dirt wall, I ran into the dark cave; the only light coming from the entrance behind me and the boarded up exit ahead. "Wh-whoa!" The ground shook under my feet, and I stumbled onto my knees. I looked through the cracks of the wood several feet in front of me, and saw Dipper and Mabel sprint towards me. _Guess that means he did go after them._ "Guys!" Springing to my feet, I scrambled to the beams, and started ripping them away. The dirt was loose enough to break them free, and I reached through to grab Dipper's arm.

"Aah!" Dipper cried in alarm, before he gasped in relief and shock. "Elaine!"

"Hurry!" I shouted. "Let's go!" The two quickly started pulling at the rest of the boards on their side, only for a series of huge boulders to fall from above due to the Gideon-bot ramming its fist into the side of the cliff. "Ah!" I stumbled back, and Dipper yanked Mabel away from being crushed by a large rock. The chunk broke into smaller pieces, missing the girl by inches.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Dipper shouted at Gideon. "You took the only journal I ever had! What do you want with these journals anyway!?" Giving a frustrated groan, I squeezed through a small gap at the bottom of the boards, and quickly moved to the front. I held my arms out wide, pathetically blocking Gideon.

"Leave them alone, Gleeful!" I shouted, voice firm. "We don't have the other journal! We don't know where it is!" Technically, I did. But I wasn't gonna tell him that the first journal was right underneath the Mystery Shack the whole time. Gideon-bot growled, and reached forward towards us. "No!" The painted side of the huge robot picked me up alongside Dipper, the mechanical chubby fingers squishing the air from my lungs. Dipper banged his fists against our captor in protest, his hits increasing at Mabel's cries on the unpainted side.

"Let go of her!" He declared. Gideon laughed. The glowing yellow eyes narrowing at us.

"Ha ha ha, you still think you're some kind of hero?" He mocked Dipper, and tossed us behind him as he turned around. Screaming as we soared through the air when there was a good chance we could've missed landing on the top of the cliff, we ended up careening across the dirt before colliding with a rock sticking halfway out of the ground. Gideon walked back across the bridge, and we quickly pulled ourselves up and raced to the edge. "Once I find the final journal I'll rule this town! With you as my queen!"

Mabel looked up at us in terrified desperation, still struggling in the robot's tight grip. "Dipper! Ellie! Help me! HELP!"

Dipper backed away from the cliff, eyes darting around anxiously. The words Gideon had said earlier no doubt playing through his mind. I frowned at the trickle of blood dripping from his nose, and hardened my expression. _Don't worry, Mabel. We're coming for you._ "Dipper." He looked up, and I gripped his shoulders. "I know that this seems impossible. That you are unable to change anything, and that things are out of your control. But I've been running on the impossible all summer. I've seen some pretty incredible stuff, all because of you and Mabel." And Bill, but they didn't need to know that either. "Are you seriously saying you can't do anything?" I released him, and a surge of determination flowed through me. "Or are you too afraid to try?"

Dipper froze, and slowly, the same determined look that was on my face appeared on his. Peering around me, he nodded to himself as an idea popped into his head, before dashing past me as fast as his legs could carry him. Who needed a plan? I certainly never had one. My plans had always been made on a whim, starting when I first met Bill. It was usually one of desperation, or fear, or emotional conflict being the backbone. They could easily get me killed or get my friendships broken… but so could this.

Pushing past the excruciating pain in my legs from being thrown by Gideon-bot, I ran towards the edge once more, only a few feet behind Dipper. I couldn't care what happened to me now. My safety was the furthest thing from my mind; right now, it was Mabel's.

Because ****no one**** hurt my friends.

The adrenaline and momentum carried me to the edge, and I jumped as hard and as far as I possibly could. The two of us shouted determinedly, surprising Gideon. Turning around to see us coming flying towards him, the robot had little time to react as we crashed through one of the eyes. Ignoring the small stings from the glass scratching at my skin, I got up and rammed the ten year old off the stand and onto the ground. The floor tilted sideways, and the robot fell over on impact. "Let go of his sister!" I demanded, pinning Gideon down and slamming my fist into the side of his face repeatedly. _Stan would be so proud of me right now for this!_

"Never!" Gideon shouted back, and pushed me off of him. His eyes caught sight of Dipper, and jumped on him instead, landing punch after punch on his face. This continued, with each of us trying to take down the other. For a short kid who tired himself out easily, Gideon's much stronger than he looks. Mabel shouted from outside the robot, and I noticed Gideon still held his fist tight. __At least he's smart enough not to let her fall.__ Gideon launched himself at Dipper once again, and landed a fast and hard hit on his cheek. I winced at the purple swollen bruise left behind, seeing a bit of spit fly from Dipper's mouth. Scrambling upwards, the older boy braced himself. and as Gideon's fist flew towards his face again, he was ready for it.

"What!?" Gideon watched in shock as the older boy caught his fist, holding it an inch from hitting him square in the nose. Dipper grunted as he struggled to hold him back and reached his other hand around Gideon's raised arm. Seeing the now clear advantage, Dipper rammed Gideon's fist into his own face. With several strikes, the banging on the outside of the head increased.

"Aaah!" Dipper yelled, and sent one last hit to the white haired boy. "Whoa!" The room suddenly began spinning, and I could only watch in horror as the boys were glued to the wall beside me. The gyro force had spent the head spinning, and I hoped my whatever good I ate wouldn't follow. _I hate this! I am really hating this!_ "Elaine!"

"Dipper!" I cried, and felt the gravity around us all of a sudden vanish. __We're… we're falling.__ Gideon-bot fell off the bridge, and Dipper and I felt the wind and force of the drop yank us out of the shattered window, leaving a terrified Gideon behind.

"Guys!" Mabel's grip fell from the robot's hand, and the three of us watched the machine plummet to the ground. "AAHHH!" Screaming, we felt the loud shock wave of the explosion hit us, and I felt my eyes burn at the vibrant blue light. __Where's Mabel and Dipper!?__ I flipped myself around, and caught a glimpse of the twins slowly descending above me. Mabel had her grappling hook in one hand, and the other around her brother. __Why didn't I see it sooner? They couldn't get me too; I'm too heavy for Mabel to hold on too.__

"Elaine!" They shouted, trying to spot me through the thick plume of smoke. _Well… this is going to hurt._ I closed my eyes, readying for the horrific crash my body would make with the ground below to shatter my spine. Only… I didn't?

"What?" A large black object zoomed past me; like a parachute, and opened up to fly back to my level. As it whipped by me again, two clawed paws grabbed my shoulders. The whiplash yanked me upwards, and I realized that I was being carried to the ground. A loud screech came from the creature, and I looked up. "A-Axel!" The dragon gave me a gummed smile and a pleased croon, and swooped to the ground; not before pulling up enough and somewhat gracefully dropping me on the dirt. "B-but how?" The dragon flipped herself around, and flew back into the woods as if she never appeared. _Had she been following me this whole ti-Asger._ He must have sent her after me when I went and took Wendy's bike.

"Elaine!" Dipper and Mabel hit the dirt, and ran towards me. The grappling hook dragged behind them, until the girl finally retracted it. Laughing shakily, I opened my arms, welcoming the hug. Mabel buried her face into my shoulder, while Dipper looked at me in intense relief. "You're okay!"

"I-I am!" I grinned. Picking myself back up, I spun the two around. "We-we did it! We beat him!"

"We're amazing!" Mabel sang as I put them back down.

"Not as amazing as Elaine taking on Gideon!" Dipper remarked. "I've never seen you so… intense." Shrugging, I kicked a sheet of metal, and smirked. Journal three, while a little torn at the edges, sat in one piece. Plucking it off the dirt, I tossed it at Dipper. "Hey! My journal!"

"Yeah, well, nobody messes with my twins." I chuckled, ruffling Mabel's hair. "Only I can do that. Though, that final blow you delivered was pretty awesome. I'll give you credit for that one." A flash of red and blue interrupted our touching moment, and we watched Blubs and Durland pull up in their car. A crowd followed behind them, staring at the wreckage. Three news vans pulled up too, with reporters rushing over in a hurry.

"Gideon!" Durland cried. He and Blubs rushed over to the robot, helping him out of the broken eye. "Oh, good heavens! What on earth happened here?"

Blubs knelt beside Gideon, the boy giving him a pitiful look. "It was the Pines twins and Elaine! They tried to attack me and blew up my statue with dynamite!" He hugged Blubs, and pointed angrily at us. "Arrest them!"

"What!?" We shouted. "Officers, he's lying!" Dipper yelled, seeing Blubs fish a pair of cuffs out of his jacket.

"You honestly think we did this!?" I argued, gesturing to the robot. "Have you seen where we live? We can't afford dynamite, let alone proper lighting! Besides, how could the statue have ended up all the way out here instead of at the Mystery Shack?"

The crowd mumbled to themselves, and I smirked at the nervousness in Gideon's face. "She's telling the truth!" The people parted, and Wendy, Kat, Asger, and Pacifica ran through. "We saw Gideon trying to attack them from one of the forest's paths," Asger spoke up. "They had nothing to do with this!"

"Yeah!" The girls echoed as they ran over to us. The four stood in front of us, blocking the officers.

"Sorry kids, but we trust Gideon," Blubs said. Gideon smiled darkly at me, making my heart drop. Even with the support of a young Northwest and her equally rich cousin, it still wasn't enough. _They might listen if it were her parents, but there's no way they would ever help her help us._ "And nothing short of a miracle would ever change our-"

"AAHHH!" __Stan?__ Turning around, the crowd scrambled out of the way as the car came barreling down the incline of the hill and knocked Blubs' car on its side… hehehe. "Wait! Wait!" Stan shouted, sticking himself out the window, still in his underwear. "Stop everything! I've got something to say!"

"Not this guy again!" Blubs muttered.

"Just wait! Look!" Stan pushed through several people, and over to the Gideon-bot. "You guys all think Gideon is so perfect and honest. Oh! I could never tell a lie!" I snorted at Stan's impression, as he tried to mimic the folksy accent with his rough voice. "I'm Gideon!"

"He's more honest than you!" Blubs shot back.

"Yeah!" Durland agreed. "And he's psychic too!"

"How's this for psychic? Bam!" With a hard kick, he rammed his foot into the robot, knocking down a large panel. "Take a good look!" Take a good look indeed. About a dozen TV monitors were set up, several smashed against the ground. The Tent of Telepathy logo was stamped onto a chair meant to observe the screens, where everything was being replayed in a broken loop. The blue light filled the chamber, drawing us to look inside.

"Wait a minute, is that ME?" Lazy Susan asked, lifting her eyelid up to see more clearly.

"And me!" Toby pointed to a screen with his face on it. Pretty soon, most of the crowd had found clips of themselves playing, to their shock.

"That's right, these pins are hidden cameras!" Stan held his pin in the air, showing it to everyone. "And my hearing aid was picking up the feedback! Who's the fraud now?" Tightening his hand into a fist, Stan opened it to reveal the small microchip implant, and a tiny camera where the open eye was. _How did he even make those? McGucket?_ The crowd examined their pins, and threw them on the ground and letting them break upon impact. Shattered, just like Gideon's chances at winning everyone over.

As for the child, the young boy gave a nervous chuckle as they all turned to him, stepping back as they advanced. "Gideon, we gave you our trust…" Durland said in disbelief and sadness.

"You LIED to us!" Manly Dan growled. Gideon stumbled back, tripping and crawling backwards in fear that the large man would snap him in half. Gasping as his back hit the machine's leg and seeing he was cornered, he looked at back them anxiously.

"Please, I… it's not what it looks like." Really? Because it looked exactly what it looked like. "What are you gonna do with me?"

"Tyler?" Durland asked. We all turned to the young man, who had tears welling up in his eyes.

"Get 'im…" Tyler admitted. He sniffed, wiping his face as he looked away. "Get 'im!"

Gideon gasped in horror, and turned to Blubs. "Li'l Gideon, you are under arrest for conspiracy, fraud," he paused to wipe his glasses and put them back on, "and breaking our hearts. Durland, the tiny handcuffs." Durland automatically pulled them out, and snapped them onto Gideon. Our little group exchanged smug looks as Gideon was forced to walk to the now upright cop car.

"Just one more thing," Stan said. He grabbed Gideon by the coat, and began shaking him roughly.

"Wha-no! Let go of me!" He protested. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" Everyone else didn't seem to notice, but I watched Stan discreetly slip the second journal under a piece of metal at his feet. _Surprised no one else caught that._ He picked up the fallen deed, holding it proudly.

"I believe this belongs to me." The reporters swarmed Stan, as he made his way over to us. "Good work, kids." He looked down at Pacifica, and chuckled. "You too, girl." The blonde smiled wildly, accepting the compliment as Asger hugged her to his chest. Wendy and Kat laughed and exchanged a high five, and Stan picked Mabel up and sat her on his shoulder.

"There you have it." Shandra walked over to us, speaking into a camera. "Local hero Stanford Pines has just exposed Li'l Gideon as a fraud. Anything you have to say to the town, Stanford?"

"The Mystery Shack is back, baby!" He cheered, earning excited laughs from the rest of us.

"Yep!" I giggled, and hugged Dipper with one arm and Stan with the other. "Nothing is getting rid of us that easily!"

Nothing.

(Time Skip)

" ** **I'm back! And man, has it been intense these last**** ** **two**** ** **days. Got kissed by a demon… still need to sort my feelings out with that.**** ** **There will be much more to come on that topic****." Maybe an image too? Though, if Dipper accidentally stumbled across this, I really didn't want him seeing that.

" ** **I stole a bike, fought a robot, punched a child, and told off the police force. All in all, it was a good time.****

 ** **The following morning, Shandra interviewed us on 'Good Morning, Gravity Falls!' Stan spent the entire time stealing shrimp from the craft services table. Dipper and Mabel just laughed, while I wondered how it was he never got caught.**** ** **Though, it wasn't like Mabel was all perfect either. She got swarmed by security when she tried to bring her grappling hook onto the set to give a demonstration.****

 ** **Right now though… there's something I need**** ** **ed**** ** **to do.**** ** **Something that I had been putting off for a while****." I closed my book and leaned against the rebuilt glass window which the wrecking ball had broken in its swing. Right now, the twins were busy unpacking their gear in the room down the hall. I'd almost… died, yesterday. I fell a huge distance, had to go to the hospital with Dipper to get the glass shards removed from our skin, and had several large bruises on my ribs.

I'd almost been killed so many times this summer, and I hadn't gotten any closer to figuring out WHY I was there. WHY was I in this dimension, and how come I was so injured when I woke up? Was I being attacked? Was it the pull of being thrown across the multiverse?

 _Heck if I know!_ What I did know, however, was that compared to the beginning of he summer, I now had the twins aware of my deal with Bill. I had told them, that when I was comfortable enough I would tell them the truth. The reason behind why I risked my life on that triangle. When I first arrived there, I was scared; and nervous; and so antisocial. It took days for me to completely open up to the twins, to talk about my past, and confess my feelings about how the stress of everything's been affecting me. Mabel, Dipper, and Grunkle Stan. They'd been so understanding. They welcomed me in, helped me through my problems, and even though I was now in perfect health… they never let me go.

Which is why, as I stood outside the door to the bedroom, hearing Stan ask the two how they're feeling, that I finally realized it was time to come clean.

It was time to tell them where I came from.

Rapping my knuckles gently on the door, I opened it without waiting for a reply. Stan had sat down in between Dipper and Mabel on the girl's bed, and by the looks of things, I walked in right before Dipper told the truth about the journal. __Timed that well,__ I thought nervously. _Let's see how this goes._ "Hey guys," I said, closing the door behind me. "How's the unpacking?"

"Great!" Mabel grinned, motioning for me to come closer. "All of my favorite moldy spots on the ceiling are still there! Even you, Daryl!" We looked up at where she was pointing, seeing a disgusting chunk of mold on the rafters.

"Charming," I muttered. Rubbing the disguised branding on my hand, I averted my eyes for a moment from the Pines. __I have to tell them__ _._ How much would this even change? And how much would they react if I openly admitted the fact they existed as cartoon characters in my dimension? A show made for pure entertainment, and in reality, it's all real?

I couldn't explain the cartoon part… not yet. It's still way too soon for that. But… I COULD tell them the rest of my problem. I'd waited long enough, and had had this situation cause more than enough problems to keep holding it back. But… would they believe me? _That's the question right there._

"Elaine?" Snapping my head to the front, I noticed the three were looking at me worriedly. "Are you alright?" Dipper asked. "You blacked out for a moment there."

"Yeah, Dippin' Dots," I replied, trying to shake off his worry. "I-I'm fine. Just… stressed, that's all. Honestly, I'm… fine." I trailed off, my eyes closing tightly before opening them again. _Here we go._ "Dipper, Mabel, Stan. I-I have to tell you guys something." I clenched my branded hand in nervousness and dread, and Mabel tilted her head to the side.

"What is it, Elaine?" She asked. "Did one of your friends do something to hurt you?"

"Hehe." Chuckling, I shook my head. Asger and Kat wouldn't hurt me, although the realization of Asger's deal did stun me. "Nah, Mabel. I… I've been the one doing the hurting. I… I've lied to you guys," I forced out. "I-I'm not who I've said I am."

"What are you talkin' about, kid?" Stan asked, crossing his arms. "You don't seem like some super criminal or murderer." __No, but my actions with Bill could be considered one of a murderer's accomplice.__ "What'd you lie about?"

"A-about…" __no turning back.__ "I don't belong here!" I shouted, throwing my arms in the air and startling the trio. I might have been a little blunt with that, and loud, but it was too late for that.

"Elaine, what are you talking about?" Dipper moved to the edge of the bed, reaching out to pull my hands in his. "Of course you do! I thought that was clear when you first began to connect with us at the Shack?"

Ripping my hands out of his, I violently shook my head. "That's not what I meant! Dipper, I meant HERE. Not Gravity Falls, or Canada, or anywhere else." Panting at the end of my little explosion, I sighed painfully. 'Guys… I'm… I'm not from this world."

…

"You're an alien!?"

 _What?_ "What?" I looked at Mabel in confusion. "Alie-no! No, that's not what I meant!"

"Then what DO you mean?" Dipper said calmly. His voice was firm, patient, and I immediately could tell why. I was shaking like a leaf, looking like I was close to passing out on the spot… just like when I realized I could die in this world. "Please, Elaine." Tears stung my eyes, hearing the begging in his voice. "What's wrong?"

"I'm… I'm not from this world, Dipper. I'm… I'm not from this dimension." Stan looked at me in surprise, and I could only imagine what he was thinking right now.

"Kid, what makes you say that?" He asked genuinely. "How did you even come to think that you're not from here? You said you were from Canada, right?"

"Well, yes." I shrugged, and reached up under my glasses to brush the water away. "But… not this world's version of Canada. Gravity Falls doesn't… exist, where I'm from. It's not real."

"That… explains all of those references you kept making," Dipper mumbled to himself. "Why a lot of what you said didn't make any sense."

"Then… how did you end up in our dimension?" Mabel asked. The wheels in her head turned, trying to wrap her head around my big reveal. "And in your… condition, from the start of the summer?" She asked carefully, the sight of my gruesome scars still a touchy subject.

"I dunno, Mabel. All I remember is darkness, and pain, and voices. Everything was all muffled, and once it was clear, I found myself on the couch looking like a teenage mummy," I joked. The humor was lost though, and Stan gave me a disappointed look.

"Elaine, why didn't you just say all of this sooner?" He frowned.

"You seriously think I didn't want to?" I asked. "We already have one crazy person in this town. I didn't need you guys pitying the delusional girl sprouting nonsense about being from a different dimension. I already have been pitied enough this summer. I don't need more." Plus, I was too nervous to say anything. I was more focused on my own problems. Now however, I was completely open to what I'd been hiding… somewhat.

"I… I miss them, guys. I miss my family," my voice cracked. "I miss my mom, my dad… Gail." I hugged myself, trying to keep back the building panic attack. "D-do they think that I just abandoned them? That I just ran away without as much as a goodbye? I… I just… don't know what to do."

Stan, Dipper, and Mabel remained silent, sharing worried and unsure looks. Finally, Grunkle Stan spoke. "Kid." He rested a hand on my shoulder, and I lifted my gaze to meet his. "I know I might not be the right person to say this, but none of this is your fault. You're a great kid, with a good head on your shoulders. It's not your fault you're in this mess, and you shouldn't blame yourself for it." Choking back a sob, I tried to smile at his comforting words, failing. "I don't know how, but one day we'll get you home. I swear. Or my name isn't Stanford Pines!"

"But… but why?" I asked. _Your name isn't even Stanford, so how accurate is that swear?_ "Why would you do this for me?"

"Is it wrong to help out someone in need?" Mabel asked, smiling softly. "We're your family too, Elaine."

And the dam burst. I threw my arms around Stan, burying my face in his jacket. Body shaking in fits of tears, I felt Stan hug me back. It was a gentle, yet firm embrace; which was exactly what I needed. __They… they really care. They actually… don't care where I came from.__ My sobbing slowly quieted down, and the elderly man let me go. "Th-thank you, Grunkle Stan." I turned to the twins on either side of us, and giggled shakily. "You too… you dorks."

Dipper smiled, and then coughed to gain our attention. "So, um, can I speak now?" We turned to him, and I moved to sit next to Mabel as Stan leaned back into his seat. "Grunkle Stan, me and Mabel have been talking before you and Elaine showed up, and I think there's something we should finally tell you." He held up the journal that was sitting beside him, and sighed. "This is a journal me and Elaine found in the woods." He handed it to Stan, who began flipping through the pages. "It talks about all the crazy stuff that goes on in Gravity Falls. Gideon nearly destroyed the whole town trying to find it. I don't know what it means, or who wrote it. But after all we've been through, maybe you should finally know about it."

Stan closed the book solemnly, nodding in understanding. "I'm glad you showed me this, Dipper." Three, two, one. "AH HA HA HA!" He laughed loudly, and looked at us with way too much excitement. "Now I know where you've been getting it all from! Spookums and monsters. This spooky book has been filling your head with crazy conspiracies!" He finished, rubbing Dipper's hat.

"But it's all real!" Dipper shouted, fixing his hat.

"Ha ha. You gotta quit readin' this fantasy nonsense for your own good," Stan teased. "Although some of these would make great attractions!" He showed us the squash page we saw before, grinning. "Can't come up with this stuff! Mind if I borrow this?" Stan got up without letting us answer, making his way to the door.

"Wait, no!" Dipper called out behind him. "Grunkle Stan!"

"Magic book!" Stan laughed, and vanished down the hall. "Ridiculous!"

"Stan, I need it!" Dipper shouted again, holding his hand out in desperation.

"Dipper, you don't need that book!" We turned to face Mabel, as she spoke up. "Don't you see? On your own you and Elaine defeated a giant robot with nothing but your bare hands! You're a hero whether you've got that journal or not!"

"Whoa," Dipper breathed, never really thinking it about it like that. "Thanks, Mabel. I still want it back though."

"I'm sure you'll get it back, Dippin' Dots," I said. "It's not as if he'll have any use for it." Shrugging, he leaned back on the bed, and gave me a curious look.

"Elaine?" I glanced down at him. "You being from a… different dimension. Does this have anything to do with your deal with Bill?"

 _Makes sense he'd figure that part out._ "Yep," I frowned. "I, uh… yeah. Yeah. my problem is the reason why I've been hanging around the demon." I pulled my bag off my back, and took out the dark blue journal. The sunlight catching off the metallic angel wings. "I… I was so scared. I was so terrified, that I'd never see my family again. I was in so much pain, guys. Panicking. Then… he showed up."

"Bill," Dipper growled angrily, knowing exactly who 'he' was now. The 'he' from the last written page of the journal, now was known to him, and us, very well.

"Bill," I nodded in agreement. "He gave me an offer. I'd help him, and in return he'd take me back home. It was so freakin' stupid, but… I accepted." I traced the detailed symbol on the cover, letting fresh tears fall on top. "My stupidity endangered so many people. I sold myself to an insane being for something he might not even do for me. You… you were right, Mason. Back in Stan's mind. I'm a liar. I-I don't deserve-"

"No." Dipper's sudden sentence stopped me, halting my melancholy. "Elaine, you did nothing wrong."

"What?" He ripped the journal out of my hands, tossing it onto my bed so my falling tears didn't damage any of it.

"Elaine, you were scared and hurt. You missed your family. Heck, if I was in your situation… if I lost Mabel…" Dipper looked down at the thought, and turned back to me. "I would have done the same thing you've done." _He would?_ Dipper slammed his fist into the mattress, the hurt in his voice suddenly changing to anger. "So don't go calling yourself stupid! You are smart, brave, and a great person!"

"Dip-Dipper," I stuttered, and yanked him into a hug just as I had with Stan. The truth between both may have been different, but I valued Dipper's opinion far more than I did of Stan's. He knew about Bill. He knew what he could do, and how it had taken its toll on me. "I-I'm so sorry."

"Come on, Elaine," Mabel said. She kicked her legs on the edge of the bed, watching our exchange with a pleased smile. "Don't go beating yourself up over this and insulting yourself, okay?"

"I-I'll try, Mabel." I let go of Dipper, and readjusted myself. _That's… too many tears in such a short amount of time._ "Thanks, you guys. For everything."

"Yeah, well…" Dipper cleared his throat. "What are friends for?"

"Blackmailing and favors," came my instant response.

"Way to ruin the moment, Elaine." Mabel flopped her head onto my lap, laughing at her brother's reply.

 _Well, I wasn't wrong._ "You know you love me, Dipper." Red appeared in his cheeks, earning a giggle from me and more laughter from Mabel.

"Yeah, hehe… I do," he quietly mumbled, but I could pick up the tail end of it. "Come on." He hopped off the bed, and turned to face us. "Let's go get your gear from the living room. You still have to unpack too."

"Right behind ya, Dipper!" Mabel called as he raced down the stairs. She paused at the door, and looked back at me slyly. "You know, he doesn't reveal his real name to just anyone. You must really mean a lot to him." She dashed after her brother, leaving me stunned.

I… meant that much to him? __I promise you; Mason, Mabel… I'll explain the rest of my story to you one day.__ I cast a look at the triangular window as I got up to follow after them, and at the eye centered in the middle. __One day.__

* * *

 ** **I have written many chapters, all over this site. But this... this single chapter is over 10 000 words. Behold, the longest chapter in any story I've written! Hope this fixes the hiatus I put you all through. Stay tuned for the beginning of season 2 next week!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	37. Scary-oke

****Disclaimer: WOW! I can't believe we're over 200 reviews.**** ** **Here's**** ** **the first chapter in season two!****

 ** **TravisUmbra: It is a sweet chapter, isn't it? Season one was certainly intense, but season two? Oh man. That's gonna be a wild ride. And yeah, wrong show. :)****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Well, I had a lot to say this time around. Big important chapter deserves big amount of words.****

 ** **PippyTheBest: AAAAAAHHHHHHH!****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: You're welcome. I'll be waiting.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: I thought it'd be best to end on a high note. Bill… it's Bill. Do I really need to explain any further? It didn't take me any time at all to write this, since I already had this written in pen in my own journal. I write 9000 words by hand… wow. No wonder I kept cramping up. Oh well. I hope you like season two, my friend. Things are certainly going to get interesting.****

 ** **RillFipher: Okay then.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: Glad you like both of my stories! I've seen many tries at a person from the real world entering theirs, but I love it that I'm taking this in a way no one ever thought of. I use so much information, making this as realistic as I can. As for that crackpot theory… hehe. You just keep thinking that.****

 ** **Akira D. Ryusuke: Thank you! And, try not to think about the kiss too much. It's gonna get even weirder as the story progresses.****

 ** **SnowyFalls: All of the above! I'll go over and fix those errors. Thanks for letting me know.****

 ** **Andonexus KotD: She honestly doesn't care what happens at this point. Sure, she wants to get back home, but not if her friends are going to suffer. Regardless if it matters or not, she wants to help them.****

 ** **EmmieSauce: Thanks!****

 ** **It's Hetalia: Why thank you! My updating schedule will take a turn when school starts up soon, but I'll try to post as fast as possible.****

 ** **Elaine is mine, Axel and Asger are the core of justice's, and Kat is RillFipher's. Also, Haven't You Noticed (I'm a Star) belongs to Steven Universe.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 13/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

 _ _The halfway point of the summer__ _ _! Ha ha! FINALLY!__ I bobbed on my heels in front of the bathroom mirror, grinning ear to ear. It's been only a small time since we fixed the Mystery Shack up again and had the interview, but it felt like ages ago. Although, that may have something to do with how much crazy stuff had been going on. I've finally revealed my secret to the twins, and they didn't care. They… didn't care that I wasn't from their world. Dipper, he… he forgave me for my deal with Bill.

Giggling, I picked up the brush on the table, and began fixing my hair for the grand re-opening. He understood what I did, and he didn't hang it over my head. I even woke up in the middle of the night, just to see the portal's bright blue light come up from under the floorboards. How it even reached the attic when the thing was down in the ground… I didn't exactly know. It was cool though, minus the fact it blinded me for a few minutes. _Yeah, that's what I get for being in a dark room and then getting exposed to bright lights._

I went to bed happy that night. With peaceful dreams, and no visits from Cipher…

 _ _Cipher.__ I growled under my breath, and roughly slammed the brush back down. Tugging my hair back into a ponytail with more force than necessary, I glared at my reflection. I was in such a rush yesterday, I never had much time to really think about it. But now that I had time… I was ticked.

Who the heck thinks they could just go ahead and kiss someone like that? No warning, no clues, he j-just did it! He just…! Why did he…!? "Ugh!" Throwing my hands in the air, I yelled in exasperation. "Dang it, Bill! For once, can't you just make some sense!?"

"Elaine?" A quick pounding echoed in the room, and I looked over at the door worriedly. "Hey, are you alright in there?" _Dipper?_

"O-oh! Uh, I-I'm alright!" I yelled back. I opened the door, and smiled nervously at him. Dipper could tell I wasn't being truthful. "I-it's okay, Dipper. Just… a little mad right now. Emotions got carried away for a sec."

"Bill?" I nodded. _Guess he heard that._ "What did he do to wind you up so much?" Dipper stepped into the room, and I moved back to give him space. "Well, more wound up than normal."

 _ _Well, first there's the countless times I've been forced to hang out with him.__ But then again, I had grown use to the visits. __The__ _ _painful method that could heal my__ _ _body.__ Which I was thankful for, as I no longer had to bandage everything. It still left scars though. __And-oh, yeah! He turned his eye__ _ _into a mouth, and kissed me!__ "Nothing, Dipper. It's nothing to worry about."

Dipper sighed, and grabbed my hand. He led me out of the bathroom and towards the staircase. "You know, now that I know what you were hiding, it makes it somewhat easier to tell when you're lying." He looked up at me, frowning. "How many things you're hiding… I'm okay with that. But if it's serious Elaine, you need to tell us." The thing was, if he knew I was lying about a lot of stuff… he must have picked up on those few times I let my knowledge about Gravity Falls slip through. He was clever, so he should've pieced it together.

"I know, kid." I pulled my hand free, letting his fall back to his side. Dipper, surprised by my action turned to look at me, and I held my hands up in defense. "I… there's a lot that I'm still keeping to myself, Dipper. The deal with the triangular demon and the dimension traveling thing are the two main secrets, but there's still others that I have yet to tell you." __Being a cartoon character being the main one.__ I would never admit the spin my relationship with Bill had taken; that's something I was taking to my grave.

"And I'm okay with that, Elaine," he conceded. "Just… don't bottle up this stuff again. You were close to a panic attack when you told us. I don't want you to hurt yourself." Sighing in defeat, I went to ruffle the hat on his head, messing up the hair underneath. He quickly went to move my hand to adjust it, making me laugh harder.

Ha ha. "I won't, Dippin' Dots. But thanks for the worry." We smiled, and finally entered the gift shop. A large crowd of tourists and several reporters had shown up for the big day, making us smile even harder. We did open yesterday, but only for a short while during all the final repairs. Today was the real deal. Today… was the zombie attack. __Oh man.__ I climbed onto the counter next to Stan and Mabel, helping Dipper up beside me. __I really ought to make sure I don't get bit.__

"Welcome, to the grand re-opening of the Mystery Shack!" Grunkle Stan announced, earning a loud cheer and applause. "We're here to celebrate the defeat of that skunk Li'l Gideon!" I lifted up a Gideon doll behind the table that Stan found in the Shack when Gideon took it over, holding it above my head as the crowd began booing. "Please, please… boo harder!" Stan gestured, gaining a bigger reaction. "But I didn't catch that porkchop all alone. These three scamps deserve SOME of the glory." He tossed the doll out of my hands, and wrapped his arms around us. Mabel narrowed her eyes, elbowing him in the stomach. "Okay, okay. Most of the glory," he surrendered. I grinned, high fiving the girl in success.

"Smile for the camera!" Toby said, walking up to us holding… a cinder block with a painted lens.

"Your camera's a cinder block, Toby," Stan deadpanned. _It's the wax figure thing all over again._

"I just wanna be a part of things..." Toby mumbled, lowering the block sadly. Shandra leaned in front of him, drawing our attention to the female reporter.

"Smile for a REAL camera," she suggested, mocking Toby. The cameraman beside her held up the camera, and Stan let go of us.

"Everybody say 'something stupid'!" Mabel told us. Stan hopped off the counter, standing behind us, and proceeded to preform jazz hands. Mabel gave the camera crossed eyes while poking her cheeks and sticking her tongue out, Dipper pretended to choke himself, while I pressed my cheeks together to make a fish face. "Something stupid!"

"And don't any of you guys forget about the after-party tonight at eight," Stan reminded them. He fished out the poster from his coat, holding it up for them to see. I had gone to town designing that thing. Neon didn't come cheap, but highlighters… I went through a dozen packs in several hours. My hands… they were cramping so much.

Mabel reached down in front of the counter, and pulled up the karaoke machine from our first party. __Where exactly had that thing been anyway? I don't remember seeing them put it away.__ "We're doing a karaoke bonanza, people! Light! Music! Enchantment!" She blew a handful of confetti out from her hand that she took out from her sweater pocket, then took out a poster of her own. "And an amazing karaoke performance by our family band, Love Patrol Alpha!"

 _ _Why on earth am I drawn on there?__ Yeah, the Pines called me family now too; I didn't expect that meant I was included in that! Besides, I didn't sing in public! Stan and Dipper mumbled their protests to Mabel, to which she casually dismissed them. Wendy thankfully rescued our awkward moment, barging in through the door and blasting an air horn. "Buy a ticket, people! You know you don't have anything going on in your lives! I'm talking to you, Pizza Guy! Don't lame out on me!" The tourists followed after her, and the door finally closed.

"Aah," Stan sighed. He moved to the front of the counter, as the kids and I hopped off the top. "The town loves us, we finally got that Gideon smell out of the carpet. Everything is finally going my way." _Especially since you got all the information for the portal, huh?_

"Hey, Grunkle Stan," Dipper began. "Now that we have a moment. I've been meaning to ask you for my journal back."

"Wha-? Journal?" Stan faked himself searching for the book on him, before exclaiming as if he remembered something. "Oh!" He laughed, then knelt down and lifted the counter up. Stan slid the book out from under it, and handed it back to Dipper. "You mean this old thing! It was so boring I couldn't even finish it."

"Wait, you're just gonna give it to me?" Dipper asked. "Just like that?"

"What else do you want? A kiss on the cheek?" Stan teased, pointing at his face.

"I… I gotta go!" Dipper shouted. He tucked the journal under his arm, and grabbed me and Mabel. The two of us exclaimed in surprise as we were dragged back up the stairs and into the living room. He threw us over to his bed, before turning around to lock the door behind him. Mabel and me sat down on her bed, as he ran around the room turning Mabel's stuffed toys around and bringing down the screen on the window. __Wha-how long did we have that? Do you have any idea how much of a relief it'd be if I didn't have a window to the Nightmare Realm perched right above my head?__ Dipper turned on his electric lamp on the table below the window, before he began pacing.

"Mabel, Elaine, we've gotta talk. Almost losing my journal made me realize that I'm halfway through the summer, and still no closer to figuring out the big mysteries of Gravity Falls." Huh. Title song reference. "Gideon almost destroyed the town to get his hands on this journal. But why?" I leaned to the side, and studied the bill board he had set up while I was in the washroom earlier. No wonder he was acting this way. All this research is driving him nuts. "Who wrote it?" Your Grunkle Ford. Six fingers, and amazing at Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons. "Where are all the other journals?" Under the house in Ford's lab. You know, I wondered when Stan had the time to pick up the second journal after hiding it back at the robot crash site. Maybe he went back later to retrieve it? "What was Bill talking about when he said 'everything's going to change'?" That… I didn't know. Whatever the plan was, I had never saw those last few episodes. It's as much as a mystery as it was to the rest of them. "There's something HUGE going on right under our noses. And it's time we stop goofing around and get to the bottom of it."

"Bro, you looked at that thing like, a bazillion times," Mabel said. We walked over to him, Mabel gesturing to the book. "There's nothing left to discover! Half the pages are blank, remember?"

Dipper flipped through the book until coming to a halt at the start of the empty section. "I just feel like I'm one puzzle piece away from figuring out everything."

"Don't worry Dipper!" Mabel picked up Waddles, having placed a detective's hat on him. "Lord Mystery Ham is on the case! I play by me own rules!" She said in a British accent, pretending to be the pig. "Wot? Wot?"

"I don't know why I tell you things… do you hear that?" We looked around curiously, before we heard Stan yell from downstairs about using the garden hose on the elderly. "What's going on?" Dipper said before tucking the journal back under his vest, and quickly unlocked the door. Setting down Waddles, Mabel and me chased after him down the stairs and into the gift shop.

"Grunkle Stan, what's happening?" Mabel asked worriedly.

"Yeah, you never shut down the gift shop," Dipper pointed out. Stan wrapped his arms around him nervously, looking around until the doorbell rang. I walked over to Wendy; the two of us watching him doing a pathetic job trying to bribe the agents. Dipper though, was close enough to hear their conversation, and I smirked at how his face lit up at the mention of an investigation.

"Wait! Wait, did you guys say you're investigating the mysteries of this town?" Dipper rushed up to them the moment Powers and Trigger walked into the room.

"That information is classified, but yes," Powers said, knelling down to Dipper's level. "Look. Between you and me I believe there is a conspiracy of paranormal origin all connected to this town. We're just one small lead away from blowing the lid off this entire mystery."

"Are you kidding me?" Dipper exclaimed, beside himself. "I'm investigating the exact same thing! I found this journal in the woods which has almost all the answers. If we work together, we could crack the case!" Or summon a hoard of zombies. But, you know, whatever worked.

Powers glanced back at Trigger, an unsaid message conveyed before he turned back to Dipper. "If you have evidence of these claims, we should talk." He handed him a card from his jacket. Dipper, looked at it, before smiling.

"We could talk right now!" He yelled happily. "Please, please. C-come in! I have so much to show you!" Stan quickly jumped in front of Dipper, knocking him over.

"Hehe, I'm sorry agents," Stan said, trying to hide his nervousness. "The kid has an overactive imagination. And like, a sweating problem." I smothered a small snort, having it come out as a weird cough. Mabel laughed beside Soos, and Dipper gave Stan an annoyed and surprised look. "Paranormal town stuff is just part of gift shop lore. Sells more tickets you know?" Stan snapped his fingers, and Soos rushed up to the agents.

"Popodopopo! Swag!" He stuck a bumper sticker to each of them, and put funny antennae on their heads.

"We have other spots to investigate," Powers finally said. __How is he so serious, while that just happened to him?__ "We'll be on our way."

Trigger quickly scooped up ten bobble heads, gathering them in his arms. "I'm confiscating this for evidence."

"Smart move," Powers replied. The two hopped into the car, driving away.

"Wait!" Dipper cried, and began to run. "No, wait! We got so much to talk about!" Stan held out his arm, preventing him from going any further.

"Hold it, kiddo. Trust me, the last thing you want around a party, is cops." Stan leaned back, closing the vending machine door. __Guess he forgot to close it this morning.__ "I'm confiscating that card." He picked the paper out of Dipper's hands, and dropped it into a box he took of a shelf. "Now how's about you be a normal kid. Flirt with a girl, or steal a pie off a window sill."

 _But he isn't Tom Sawyer. And… this isn't_ _several centuries ago_ _._ "But Grunkle Stan!" Dipper shouted as Stan walked out of the room. "You don't understand!"

"And don't go talking to those agents," Stan called back over his shoulder.

"Ugh!" Dipper turned around as Mabel and me walked over to him. "That could've been my big break!" Wendy and Soos left the Mystery Shack, leaving us alone. Mabel plucked the journal from his hands as he brought it back out again, looking at him shyly.

"Bro, maybe Grunkle Stan is right. We're throwing a party tonight! Can't you go one night without searching for aliens or raising the dead or whatever?"

"I'm not gonna raise the dead," Dipper frowned. "I just need a chance to show those agents my book!"

"Trust me Dipper, the only book you'll need tonight is right here. Boop!" Mabel handed him a book of karaoke songs. "I say kara, you say oke! Kara!" She raised her arms before lowering them. "Kara! Kara!" She put her arms down again, and smirked. "I could do this all day."

"Well… he's not all wrong, you know," I decided to join in. "Dipper, we just dealt with Bill and Gideon, all in one week. While this could be a big break, we need to take it easy right now. Goodness knows I'll have gray hair in my twenties at this rate." Dipper thought over that, giving a small amused smile at the joke I threw in, and nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, alright. But if I can, I will get that card back. I'll try and enjoy myself though." He went on ahead into the Shack, and called out over his shoulder. "But just for tonight!"

Mabel and me shrugged, still satisfied with the result. "Meh. I still call it a win."

(Time Skip)

 _ _Back into the party clothes we go.__ I spun around in the bedroom, my hair done up in pigtails once again. I was back in my outfit from Double Dipper, only this time I wasn't wearing the long sleeves due to shame. I just liked the look of it. The talk Mabel and Dipper had given me at the end of our first visit to the pool had convinced me that I shouldn't be ashamed of how I looked. That still didn't affect my feeling of my hand. "Now, let's spy on the enemy."

Heading down to the empty dark gift shop, I made my way up the ladder and onto the roof. Swinging my legs on the roof at Wendy's spot, I watched Wendy and Dipper sneak into the house. __No doubt heading to get the card from Stan's room,__ I thought. Swimsuit magazines and… fully clothed women. __I swear, I thought this was a kid's show in my world.__

The next part of the summer had a shape shifter that ended up getting attacked with an ax to the chest, Bill possessing Dipper… I really needed to make sure that he didn't kill himself; Dipper, and Bill. There's the ghost in the Northwest mansion, which I seriously hoped Pacifica already knew about. And of course, Ford.

Stanford Pines. The author of the journals. The man who basically doomed the multiverse… alongside me and my own deal. I leaned over the edge again, watching Blubs and Durland talk with Mabel about joining in on the party before the girl gave them party horns and sent them on their way. Mabel seemed to sense that she was being watched, and looked up behind her. Mabel grinned, and waved at me. Giggling, I returned the gesture. __I know that I should focus on the future, but right now…__ I could make out Wendy having returned from inside the Shack, and saw her chatting with Asger and Kat; the three laughed over the image of Thompson on her phone. Pacifica was by Candy and Grenda, mocking Stan by using the pinatas as ugly masks. I had been doing nothing but panicking over the Bill… thing, the future of my stay in Gravity Falls; they were all things I should worry over. But… there was no harm in taking just one night off.

"This is now," I murmured, and laughed. "This is right now." I shouldn't be letting everything get in the way of what's to come. Bill… I couldn't let what happened continue to cloud my mind until I saw him again. I needed to focus on what's in front of me. And what's in front of me right now, were my friends.

"Ellie!" I watched Mabel call up to me, her hands cupped around her mouth. "Get down here! You're missing out on all the fun!" Giving a thumbs up, I climbed back down the roof, and slid down the ladder in the gift shop . Running outside, I tackled Mabel in a hug. "Whoa!" Mabel cried, as I spun her around in a circle. "Ha ha! Elaine!"

"Oh! I love you, dork!" I exclaimed. Who cared if I looked like a goof right now? I was being a goof with people I loved. "Sorry, sorry," I breathed, giggling to myself. "Got a little… carried away."

"It's okay, Elaine. I've just.. never seen you so excited," Mabel looked at me in amused suspicion. "You weren't talking to a cute boy behind my back, were you?" __Ew! Cipher's anything but cute!__ Adorable, in a weird razzle dazzle demonic dorito sort of way; but not cute though. Never, ever cute. "Judging by your face," Mabel mused, rubbing her chin. "I'm gonna say… no."

"Yeah, sorry kid." I sat her down, clasping my hands together behind my back and grinned. "No guy here for me. Most of the boys here aren't exactly… decent." I had nothing against Asger, but he belonged to Wendy. The guys in Wendy's group… were too annoying and rude. __Wait… besides Dipper, was Bill really the only other guy I hung out with constantly?__

"Oh well. Maybe we'll find someone for you before the summer's up," Mabel shrugged. "Hey! Elaine, wanna try out the karaoke machine? I'm sure you'd be amazing at it!"

"What makes you say that, kid?" We started walking towards the stage, and I watched the back of her head curiously.

"You never sing in front of anybody! The only time you did so was to me when I had that nightmare a few weeks ago," Mabel pouted. "I still hear you sometimes when you're alone, singing under your breath. What's wrong with doing it in front of a crowd?"

"I… have a thing with crowds, Mabel." Stage fright. I can handle it when I'm singing in front of a crowd with other people, but when I was alone… yikes. The only time other I sang to someone this summer was… the party in the Nightmare Realm. Bill made me sing, even if he didn't mean to. And yet, I was enjoying myself. I was having fun, regardless of the bizarre way it started.

If I could handle that… then shouldn't I be able to sing in front of the townsfolk? "Would you like me to try though, Mabel?" We locked eyes, and I rested a hand on her shoulder. _Well, there's no harm in doing it._ "I'll try, Mabel. If you'd like me to."

"You would? Aahhh!" She squealed, and grabbed my hands. Shouting in surprise, she dragged me up onto the stage before pushing me up to the machine. "Choose one! Choose one! Choose one!"

"Alright, alright!" Laughing, I nudged her back off stage, and read through the playlist. __No. No. No. Definitely not Disco Girl. Oh. OH!__ That's the one. "Here we go." I pressed play, and watched the song begin to load. The dozen or so people in front of the stage turned to look at me as the instrumental intro started, and I could see my crew watching me too off to the side. _Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. That's… a lot of people._ Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I held the mic up to my face, hoping I didn't psych myself out, and started singing.

"I can't help it if I make a scene, stepping out of my hot pink limousine. I'm turning heads, and I'm stopping traffic. When I pose, they scream, and when I joke, they laugh." I spun on my heels, leaning backwards and batting my eyes. The audience chuckled at my behavior, and I began the next part in a laugh. Might have been acting out the parts, but if Mabel wanted a show, then I'd deliver one. "I've got a pair of eyes that they're getting lost in, I hypnotize by the way I'm walking. I've got them dazzled like a stage magician, when I point, they look, and when I talk, they listen."

"Well. Everybody needs a friend, and I've got you, and you, and you." I pointed at Asger, Kat, and Mabel, earning laughs from the two teens and a grin from the younger girl. She was standing off at the foot of the stage, so seeing her ecstatic face helped pressure me to continue onward. "So many, I can't even name them, can you blame me? I'm too famous."

"Haven't you noticed that I'm a star? I'm coming into view as the world is turning. Haven't you noticed I made it this far? Now everyone can see me burning, now everyone can see me burning." My face fell slightly as I sang the last part. "Now everyone can see me burning…" I lowered the mic, and everyone burst into applause. I grinned, bowing as Mabel rushed up alongside me and took the device from me. __Now everyone can see me burning.__ _ _Heh. How painfully ironic.__

"What do you say guys, is this party legendary? When I say Mabel, you say Pines!" Mabel shouted, just as the ground began shaking under our feet. The female twin didn't seem to notice, but the rest of us did. We looked around worriedly, and the fact a woman began screaming didn't help.

"WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!" A guy shouted by the punch table, holding his head in fear.

"Why does that never work?" Mabel asked me.

Wendy, Asger, and Kat watched the punch table shake; the red liquid in the bowl splashed over the edge, staining the white table cover. "Whoa, WHOA! I think it's an earthquake!" Wendy blasted her air horn. "Hey, everybody, we got to get out of here!" Asger grabbed Kat's hand, and dragged the blue haired girl over to Pacifica. Once he had both girls, he took off running alongside Wendy towards the exit of the property. Wherever Axel was… she must have been in hiding. No doubt with this many people around she'd be watching this closely.

"Mabel, escape while you still can!" Grenda yelled at Mabel as she carried Candy away in a backpack.

"Wait, no! Don't leave!" Mabel cried as the last of the townsfolk left. "We haven't even done our family karaoke song yet!" Mabel slid off the stage, and Soos and us frowned at the empty area. Hearing several loud groans behind us, we turned around to watch Dipper run up to us… followed by a hoard of zombies. Their skin was greenish gray and decomposing, falling off their skeletal forms in chunks. The occasional one even had their eyeball dangling from a socket, swinging back and forth. "Dipper, what's the one thing I asked you not to do tonight?"

"Raise the dead," Dipper admitted, looking ashamed.

"And what did you go ahead and do?" I asked, hands on my hips.

"Raise the dead," he repeated. We turned around, hearing the monsters get closer. Soos backed up over to us, standing in front of us in a sad attempt to protect us. I might have used myself as a human shield occasionally, but this is one time where that was a terrible idea!

"Stay back dudes, this is about to get intense," Soos warned. A zombie knocked over the punch table, and the swarm got even closer. "AAAHHHH!" We screamed, our backs hitting the deck. "Sorry, one second." Soos took out his phone, and snapped a picture. The twins and I stopped screaming, and looked at him incredulously. "You got to admit this is pretty cool."

 _ _Yeah, if this was The Walking Dead!__ Really glad that wasn't the show I ended up in. "ZOMBIES!" Dipper shrieked. As if we didn't already know what was hunting us for food. _Finally, that_ _line_ _from our first adventure makes sense._

"Don't panic," Mabel tried to calm him. "Maybe they're just a really ugly flash mob!?" A zombie swung its arm at us, forcing the twins and I to duck and run even closer up to the stage. Soos quickly got back in front, looking at us determinedly.

"Dudes, stay calm. I've been training for this moment my whole life. With all the horror movies I've seen, I know literally everything there is to know about how to avoid zombies." Except that you should NEVER turn your back on them, even for a second. I gasped as the zombie sank its teeth into Soos' shoulder, leaving behind a blackish purple wound; blood dripped out onto his sleeve, and trickled down his arm. His eyes began glowing the same eerier yellow as the rest of the undead creatures, and Soos turned around to face us. "Second thought, gonna flip the script. Can I, eat your brains? Yea or nay? Seeing some yea faces over here."

Screaming in horror, we took off running around the Mystery Shack. I looked at the twins to make sure they were keeping up, and saw that Waddles had somehow joined in our chase, and that Mabel was lugging the karaoke machine with her. __Where on earth did the pig come from!?__ A zombie reached out for us, only for Dipper to pick up a shovel and slice its spinal cord. The two parts of the creature collapsed, and we ran around it. "Quick! The golf cart!" Dipper cried, and we looked at the vehicle… only for it to get flipped over and have the zombies start biting at the roof. "Aw, come on!"

"Hoo, that's a bummer," Soos said as he made his way around the house. "Good news for me though, ha ha."

"Soos!" Dipper and I shouted.

"Sorry, dude, I just really want those brains!" He and the zombies continued to advance, as Dipper looked around for anything to slow them down.

"Stay back!" He picked up a colorful disco ball off the ground, knocked over from the party. He tossed it in the air, and batted it with a shovel, sending it into a zombie's mouth. _That shovel also makes perfect sense now._ It swallowed, and suddenly colorful rays of light shone out between its ribs. We gasped in fear, as they once again began to advance.

"Give it up, dudes! Your fighting only makes us look more rad!" We backed up slowly, Dipper in front of us holding the shovel.

"What do we do?" Mabel asked desperately. "Where's Grunkle Stan!?"

"How's he supposed to help!?" Dipper shouted back. "He doesn't believe in the supernatural!"

I grabbed their hands, and dragged them back around the house again. "The only thing he's willing to believe are dinosaurs and the crazy fact of where I come from!" I yelled at them. "Now move!" We slid around the corner, only for a zombie to pop up in front of me and Dipper. "AH!"

"Take that, sucka!" Mabel flung the karaoke machine at from behind her, and knocked the zombie's head clean off. As if landed behind us, Dipper and I gazed at Mabel in surprise. Usually, the girl was a pacifist. This side… we never saw before. _I like it._ "This thing's a surprisingly good weapon!"

"Quick! In the house!" I told them. "Board up the entrance!" I jumped onto the deck, holding the door open for them to run in before I closed it behind me as fast as I could. The twins knocked down one of the shelves in front of the door, and I rolled the Mayan stone in front as well.

Backing away from the door, Dipper looked at us nervously. "Okay, maybe that'll hold 'em. AH!" Shrieking, we turned to face the window, seeing Soos poke his head in.

"Hey dudes! By the way, I taught the zombies how to get into the fuse box. Among these dudes I'm like a genius, ha ha!" The lights flickered, before they went out. Ominous red light poured in from outside, as the zombies began climbing in as well. "Get those brains, dawg!"

Mabel screamed, and Dipper ran for the other door only for a zombie to smash its hand through the wood. Mabel and I backed into the wall as Dipper joined us. "Dipper, isn't there something in the journal about defeating zombies!"

Dipper frantically looked through the journal. "NO! THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE ABOUT WEAKNESSES!" He sighed, and I held the twins close to me, The zombies continued to enter through the window, and through the now shattered doors. "This can't be happening. I wanted answers so bad I put everyone in danger. Now we're toast, it's all my fault, and no one can save us!" A zombie finally reached us, and grabbed Dipper by the arm. "Ah, NO!" Dipper struggled as he was brought into the air by the monster. "GUYS, I'M SORRY!"

"DIPPER!" Dipper continued to scream, the zombie opening its mouth, until something rammed into its mouth, breaking the rotting head on impact and knocking the twin to the ground and into my arms.

The zombie dropped to the floor, and a foot crushed its head, leaving splintered bone sticking out from under the shoe. __Oh my… I have never been so impressed with Stan in all of my time this summer. Y'know, except for the dino fight.__ Grunkle Stan stood in front of the vending machine, hat missing, clothes torn, and panting heavily. "YOU THREE! ATTIC! NOW!"

"Grunkle… Grunkle Stan!?" Dipper gasped out.

"I said NOW!" Nodding furiously, I grabbed their hands, and dragged them behind me through the living room. Stan followed behind us, knocking the zombies back with his bat. As we ran up the stairs, I glanced back to watch Stan start to punch the zombies with his brass knuckles.

"MOVE!" I shoved them into the bedroom, and slammed the door behind me. Spinning around, the door began thumping loudly. _Oh, please be Stan!_ Backing away slowly, I stood in front of Dipper and Mabel. __Please be Stan. Please, PLEASE be Stan!__

It's Stan. He opened the door, and quickly closed it behind him. Coughing, he clutched his side in pain. "Oh! Ow. Everything hurts." He slid a chair beside him under the handle, barricading them.

"Grunkle Stan, that was amazing!" Dipper exclaimed. "Are you alright?" He looked around, before facing Stan again. "Heh, hehe, well, at least you can't deny magic exists anymore, right?" That was all he could say right now? Really!?

"… kid, I've always known."

Dipper froze in shock, and looked at him accusingly. He heard those words, but he didn't know what to make of them. Something like that being thrown out there, in the middle of this fight for our lives. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

"I'm not an idiot, Dipper!" Stan snapped. "Of course this town is weird! And the one thing I know about that weirdness is that it's dangerous!" A zombie broke through the door, making us back into the middle of the room. "I've been lying about it to keep you away from it. To try to protect you from it!" A zombie smashed through the window behind us, and Stan spun around to punch it in the face. He stuck his head through the window, looking out below him. "It looks like I didn't lie well enough."

"What do we do, what do we do?" Mabel asked me. Waddles ran under her bed, shaking nervously.

"I dunno, kid. I deal with demons and interdimensional travel. Not zombie fighting. That's some Shaun of the Dead, Walking Dead, Resident Evil business," I frowned to myself. "Why didn't I ever listen to my friends when they said I should watch or play at least one of them?"

"Well, normally the journal would help us," Dipper said, walking around the room. "But there's nothing in there about defeating zombies!" He paused in front of a black light lying discarded on the floor from when I was testing the posters earlier. "It's hopeless!"

"Wait, back up, kid!" I interrupted. "The journal! Dipper, there's invisible ink!" The book glowed under the light, showing the same cursive writing as in the regular passages.

"What?" Dipper sat down, and began flipping through the pages until stopping on the cover. "All this time I thought I knew all the journal's secrets, but they're written in some kind of invisible ink!"

"Invisible ink?" Stan muttered.

"This is it! ****Zombies have a weakness! Previously thought to be invincible, their skulls can be shattered by a perfect three-part harmony****." Dipper ran that over in his head, blinking in confusion. "Three-part harmony, how can we create that? I have a naturally high-pitched scream…?" He suggested. I giggled to myself. __I can't believe he willingly admitted that.__

"I can make noises with my body?" Stan added, looking equally confused. "Sometimes intentionally."

"Boys, boys," Mabel said, grinning slyly. "I think you're both missing the obvious solution." She held up the karaoke machine beside her, and I laughed as their faces fell. "Elaine, anyway to get to the roof without heading back down through the Shack?"

"Uh, doi?" I reached over to the window after crawling over my bed. Sticking my head through the shattered glass, I spun around, and gripped the top of the window. _We're gonna have to fix it anyway._ Pushing the frame, I watched as the glass fell to the ground below, knocking out a zombie while doing so. _Bonus._ I crawled up onto the roof, careful to not scratch myself like I had done when throwing myself into the Gideon-bot. Sticking my head back over the edge to look at the Pines upside-down, I carefully motioned for them to follow. "Come on, guys!"

Stan helped the twins up to the roof; I hooked my arms around them to pull them up, so they didn't slip and plummet to the ground. After he handed me the karaoke machine, Stan crawled out too. Climbing over the edge to the awning, Mabel quickly began setting up the machine. Dipper looked at me nervously, microphone now in hand. I gave one to Stan, and held Mabel's for her as she finished setting up the song. "Okay, that ought to do it." She flicked the switch, and the sound system screeched due to the feedback. "Hello? Hello? Is this thing on?"

"I think so, kid." Judging by the zombies looking up at us, I'd say that's a yes. "All mics hooked up?"

"Yep!" Mabel cheered, and turned to our undead audience. "Zombies and gentlemen! I'm Mabel, they're Dipper, Elaine, and Stan, and together we're Love Patrol Alpha!"

"I never agreed to that name," Dipper muttered.

"Hit it!" Mabel said, just as the music began to pick up. Stan and Dipper looked at the lyrics, and I snickered at their faces.

"Uh, Mabel, our lives may not be worth this," Stan said. _Why's that? Afraid your manhood is at stake?_ We're the only humans around for miles, and it's not like the zombies were gonna remember anything.

"Friday night, and we're gonna party 'til dawn," Dipper depressingly sang, starting us off. He bobbed up and down to the beat, making my laughs come out harder, especially when he sang the next line. "Don't worry, Daddy, I got my favorite dress on!?" He turned to Mabel disturbed, his voice raising at the end. "Mabel, this is stupid!"

"Always knew you liked women's clothing," I mumbled. I would've kept laughing, but judging by his face, Dipper looked close to throwing me off the roof by this point.

"We'll roll into the party, the boys are lookin' are way," Mabel picked up where he left off. "We just keep dancin', we don't care what they say! And all the boys are gettin' up in my face-aah!" A zombie popped up over the edge of the awning, making us back away nervously.

"We didn't mean that literally!" I shrieked. "Guys, we have to sing together or it won't work!"

Stan squinted at the lyrics, and began singing. "Boys are a bore, let's show 'em the door."

"We're takin' over the dance floor!" The twins and I joined in. "Oh-oh! Girls do what we like!" I watched as the zombies right below us, crawling the roof fell off as our voices sang in a very ugly harmony, and causing a few of their heads to explode. "Oh-oh! We're taking over midnight! Oh-oh! Girls do what we like! Oh-oh! We're taking over tonight!"

Mabel and Stan had the roughest singing voices, but I could mainly hear Dipper since I was right up next to him. What I couldn't hear while watching the show. Kid actually had a pretty sweet set of pipes, to my amazement. While he did sing that dorky kid song in the convenience store, he wasn't putting as much effort into it as he was right now. I paused in my own singing, and listened to the preteen. _Hey, there's four of us. It's fine if I stopped for a moment._ Dipper noticed the voice change, and glanced over at me. I gestured for him to keep going, beaming at how confident he looked. Dipper rolled his eyes, and grabbed my hand. Pulling me down to his height, he stuck his mic out for me to join in with him."Takin' over tooniiiight!" We finished as the guitar rift began… and when the zombie popped up over the edge. "AAHHH!"

"DUCK!" Bending down quickly next to Stan, Mabel fired the confetti cannon, knocking the zombie's head off and into the punch bowl on an upright table far below. "Thank you! We'll be here all night!" Mabel yelled, gazing down at the corpses littering the Mystery Shack's grounds as the sun shone down on us from behind the trees.

"Deal with it, zombie idiots!" Stan shouted, erupting into maniacal laughter.

"PINES! PINES! PINES! PINES!"

(Time Skip)

I dropped into the remains of the couch, groaning. "Oh, everything hurts." Chuckling, Stan walked past me to pick up his fez, placing it back on his head. Dipper and Mabel followed into the living room behind us, and Dipper looked at the ravaged area.

"I'm sorry about this, guys. I totally ruined everything," he frowned.

"Dipper, are you kidding me? I got to sing karaoke with my three favorite people in the world!" Mabel cheered. "No party could ever top that." I got up, and hugged the two, smiling.

"Glad to know you see me like that, Mabel," I said. _Three favorite people, huh?_ Stan walked over, and put his own hands around us.

"Kids, listen," he began. "This town is crazy. So you need to be careful. I don't know what I'd do with myself if you got hurt on my watch." Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed deeply. "I'll let you hold onto that spooky journal, as long as you promise me you'll only use it for self-defense, and not go looking for trouble."

"Okay," Dipper agreed, and gave him a hard look. "As long as you promise me that you don't have any other bombshell secrets about this town."

"Promise," Stan said.

"Promise," Dipper finished.

And of course, their fingers were crossed. "Man, we have got a lot of zombie damage to clean up." Stan looked around. "Where's my handyman anyway?"

"Brains!" We turned to the door, watching Soos come into the room. "Braaains!"

"Holy Moses!" Stan yelled. Spinning around, he grabbed a chair from the table and held it over his head, ready to bash Soos' head in with it.

"Wait!" Dipper shouted, holding up his hand. "There's a page in here about curing zombification. It's gonna take a lot of formaldehyde."

"Ooh, and cinnamon!" Mabel added, leaning over his shoulder.

"Come on Soos, let's fix you up. You coming, Elaine?" Dipper asked me. I opened my mouth to answer, only for Stan to set a hand on my shoulder.

"Actually, I'd like to speak to Elaine for a second. You kids go, uh… unzombie Soos," Stan said, rolling his hand and gesturing towards the kitchen. Dipper and Mabel blinked, watching me for reassurance. __I… honestly don't know, to be frank.__ Shrugging, I nodded for them to go help Soos.

"I'll catch up with you guys in a bit." Dipper nodded, and gave me one last look before he followed Mabel out of the room. I caught a glimpse of him pulling out the journal and the black light as he rounded the corner, and soon Stan and me were left behind. "What is it, Grunkle Stan?" I asked.

Stan sighed, and bent down to rest a hand on her shoulder. "Kid, I'm sorry about that. Being ignorant about what was about to happen tonight, yet I already told you I believed you about being from a different reality."

"Oh. I-it's okay, Stan," I smiled softly. Sort of a kick in the teeth, really. Stan had admitted after my emotional outburst that he believed me in being from an alternate world, yet he did a 360 and said that the journal was utter nonsense. If I wasn't from a dimension where I already knew the truth, I'd probably be a lot more upset than I already was. "I don't have any grudge against you. You were only doing what you thought was best for the kids."

"Glad you see it that way, kid. There's just, uh, one last thing I need to tell you," Stan said. __Why is he looking so nervous?__ Stan chuckled uneasily. "Can you come down to the gift shop once the kids go to bed for the night?"

"Uh, sure?" I answered. "But why-?"

"You'll find out tonight, kid." He stood back up, and looked around the demolition. "Well, looks like it's time to call in the construction crew. Try not to get yourself hurt, Elaine."

"I make zero promises!" I shouted, watching him head into the kitchen. "Ha ha! Ha! Hehe… heh." I looked around me, and sighed, slapping a hand to my forehead. "Oh, good lord, what a way to start he rest of the summer."

(Time Skip)

Slowly sitting up in my bed, I checked the twins' beds. Dipper and Mabel were passed out, the weight of the previous night still on their shoulders. I knew that our exploits with the shape shifter wouldn't start until either tomorrow or the following day, once most of the Mystery Shack was rebuilt. Checking the clock on the wall, the moonlight showed it was almost midnight. "I hope he's down there." Creeping out of the room, I made my way down the stairs and into the gift shop. I pushed my glasses up on my nose, and hugged myself. "Grunkle Stan? You down here?"

"Yep." Jumping and giving a small squeal, I whirled around to find Stan leaning against the vending machine. "Dipper and Mabel didn't see anything?"

"No. They're still asleep." Only person who might've seen something would've been Bill. But it's not like this would interest him… I hoped. "So, what do you want to show me?" Stan turned around, and faced the machine. I couldn't see around him, but I heard the distinct sound of him inputting the code into the entrance. A puff of smoke came out from the bottom as it swung open, revealing the staircase leading down to the basement. "Stan…?"

"C'mon, kid. Got something to show you," Stan began heading down the stairs, and I quickly followed after him. __Wait.__ I turned around, and after making sure no one was around, closed the door behind me. Keeping a steady hand on the wall, I followed him down the stairs. The flickering bulb above us the only source of light. Once we reached the bottom, he walked into a cellar-like room, with an elevator at the end. The pipes for the house led directly above us, but the ancient door was what drew me in. Stan kept checking back at me, and input another code into the elevator. Stepping in, I watched the dial above our heads go down to the third floor, and the doors opened again. "This way, Elaine. Now, listen kid." I walked beside Stan, our feet in step. "You got to promise me that what I'm about to show you, stays between you and me. You do ****not**** tell the kids any of this, understand?"

"Please, Grunkle Stan. I've seen a lot of messed up stuff this summer," I shrugged. "Whatever you're gonna show me won't be that bad."

The cracked dials, gauges, and flashing lights illuminated the new room, along with the large red light above the desk at the end in front of a sheet of protective glass. I looked down at the table, and paused as Stan continued ahead of me. Journal two and one were laid out in front of me, with the photocopied sheets of journal three beside them. "Stan?" I called out, my voice still clearly heard over the soft whirring of the systems.

"In here, Elaine." Stan opened the door beside the desk, and walked in without saying anything in regards to my question. __Wow.__ I felt myself gap at the sight far ahead of me, passing the dusty machinery until I came to a rest in the middle of the giant cavern. I looked upwards, taking in the bright blue light. And when I meant up, I meant way up. __The portal's… a lot more impressive than I'd thought it'd be.__ It was… huge, to say the least. Gigantic. The upside-down triangle with a huge glowing center, and the stands supporting it up… just-just wow! No wonder Ford didn't want to stop his research. This thing was incredible! The symbols around the edges of the device flashed on and off in a bright blue, and electricity crackled around it.

"Stan," I breathed. The light from the vortex bathed me in a strange glow, despite my distance from it. I didn't dare move any closer, not wanting to risk anything happening. It was beautiful… and dangerous. "What… is this?"

"Listen, Elaine. I didn't really want to bring you or anyone else down here, but after hearing what you had to say a few days ago about being from a different world, I'd figure you should know about this." He inhaled, trying to compose himself. No doubt, he'd never explained this to anyone before. The last time he was down here with anybody was with… Ford. "Three decades ago, someone close to me built this thing."

"A portal," I said. I kept staring at the machine, mystified. I was listening, but all I could stare at was what was in front of me.

"Yeah, a portal," Stan agreed. "When he showed me it all those years ago, there was an… accident," he frowned. "The machine broke, and he accidentally fell inside. He had hidden those journals all over this town, and only they had the equations and know-how to rebuild it. With journal one, I could only get so far. But now that I have Gideon's journal, and the pages from Dipper's..."

"You can finally get some progress done," I finished. Stan and I looked at each other, the glow of the portal lighting up our faces. He chuckled, and rubbed the top of my head.

"Yeah. It's close too. I just need a few more components. Nuclear waste mostly," Stan said. __Nuclear waste? Where on earth do you even find that?__

"This is a very interesting and weird conversation, Stan," I informed him, stating the obvious. "But why are you showing this to me of all people?" Not that I didn't already know about what he was working on, but what's there to gain from telling me this?

"Well, y'see Elaine." Stan rubbed the back of his neck. "It's a portal. And if I can get this thing up and running, it MIGHT, be able to bring you back home." __WHAT!?__ I stumbled back at the shock of the idea, finally looking at Stan and drawing all of my attention away from the machine. __Could it!?__ How was it that I forgot about the portal in the basement? I knew that led to outside this dimension, so then… could I have just skipped my deal with Bill and have used this instead. __No, you couldn't__ _ _have,__ I reminded myself. __Bill chose to attack you at your weakest moment. You didn't have time to mentally prepare yourself. You weren't thinking rationally.__

"Look Elaine, I understand the feeling of homesickness and missing those you care about." Stan shoved his hands in his suit. "It's not a good feeling; and I don't want you to have to keep going through what I'm going through. Once I finally have it up and running, maybe with that person's help we can send you home."

"Stan…" I whispered. Walking up to him, I hugged him tightly. "Thank you." Stan froze, then chuckled, patting my back awkwardly.

"You're welcome, but, uh… that's enough depressing talk for now." He let me go, and I smiled at how uncomfortable he looked, despite how happy he was. "One last thing. Do me a favor and not tell the kids. They're already too deep into this, I mean, Dipper summoned a hoard of zombies just to prove a dang point. I don't want them any closer to this insanity. Please, Elaine. Keep watching over them for me, would ya?"

"Hehe," I laughed, and reached up to pat him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Stan. If anything, they should keep an eye on me." Seeing how I keep hiding stuff from them, and I had a demon on my back, they had every right to worry about me. Besides, what's one more secret to keep from them? _Which is… really depressing and sad, if I think to long about it._

"Thanks, kid. Why don't we head back to bed, okay? We've had a rough week so far," Stan suggested. Laughing, I followed after him back through the door. __Hmmm…__ I paused, and looked back at the portal. __Is it a good idea? Can Grunkle Stan actually bring me back home?__ "You comin', kid?" Stan asked from the elevator.

"Oh, coming!" I cast one last look at the room, and stepped in beside him. __A lot is changing,__ _ _Elaine.__ _ _But f__ _ _or better… or for worse?__

* * *

 ** **I originally was going to have this as two chapters, but I found out it was really easy to type it as one. Plus, I really didn't want to end this partway through.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	38. Into the Bunker

****Disclaimer: This has got to be one of my favorite chapters in the earlier part of season two before Not What He seems, mostly because of how many adult jokes I can make within a kid's show. Sorry about the slow update people. I did warn you guys that university would throw me off, plus I just came back from a trip to the states.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: I KNOW, RIGHT?****

 ** **Guest: Thanks! I like throwing references in here at random.****

 ** **EmmieSauce: Me too! I wonder what I can get into with him? ;)****

 ** **Haruka Akatsuki: I'm surprised I managed to make so much fluff out of this episode. As for Bill… hehehehe.****

 ** **SnowyFalls: I am, aren't I? Steven in a dress was pretty funny. I'd really like an editor-in-chief, to be honest. Small errors annoy the heck out of me.****

 ** **PeanutGallerySeth: I know, right? I'm so excited!****

 ** **Guest: Oh, Canadadadada!****

 ** **RillFipher: No one did, I reckon. Bet most people forgot about the portal.****

 ** **TravisUmbra: Yes, she is. She isn't gonna die, I'll tell you that. But that doesn't mean she isn't gonna suffer first.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: First, I referenced Adventure Time in an earlier episode (virtual cookie if you know where that is), now I reference Steven Universe. I enjoy doing this, I do. After all, if I learned anything from this show, is that the multiverse spans many MANY shows. Bill could follow her, but he only focuses on dimensions that catch his interest. Speaking of the multiverse…****

 ** **Here's a bit of trivia. Star vs the Forces of Evil and Gravity Falls exist in the same universe; Marco mentions in an AMA that he came across Bill in a dimension one time. Plus, Marco has a sticker of Sev'ral Timez in his locker. Gravity Falls is connected to Rick and Morty, due to the items Stan lost in the portal ending up flying through one of Rick's portals,**** ** **and Dipper and Mabel Morties (Morti?) seen in the background of an episode. Not to mention the disfigured face of 8-Ball, and**** ** **Ford's wanted poster said 'Rick was here'. Rick and Morty has a crossover with The Simpsons for an opening. In that opening also has the Futurama ship in the background. And The Simpsons crosses over with Family Guy, and then Futurama.****

 ** **Bottom line: Gravity Falls is connected to many adult cartoons! Cool, huh?****

 ** **I own Elaine! Not Gravity Falls!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 15/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Ahhh," I sighed, running my hands through my soaking wet hair. The heat of the water soothed my sore muscles from the last few days, and man, did I ever need this. It was two days since the zombie fight, and everything still hurt. __A hot shower is just what the doctor ordered__. Today, Dipper was going to round us all up to go to Ford's bunker. It was also the day that he was supposed to tell Wendy his feelings. Instead… he liked me. At least, that's what it looked like __And what the heck am I supposed to do about that?__

It was a best friend/brother love that I felt, that I had to conclude in my thoughts on Soos' roof a few days ago. If he was a little older, then maybe I could see it. 4 years didn't throw me off as much as it could've, but I was mentally five years older. Much closer to an adult than Wendy was. "Wonder where he is right now, anyway?" I paused, lowering my hands to grab the facecloth to scrub the shampoo out of my eyes as it dripped down my forehead when I wasn't paying attention. "Ow. Ow. Ow. It stings."

3rd POV

"Come on, come on, there must be something in here." Dipper closed the journal, leaning back against the window in a huff. Seeing how Elaine had vanished for a while, he took advantage of using the empty attic room, sitting in the window seat to look through the journal. True, he now had the usage of many more entries in the book with the black light's assistance, but there was a specific thing he was looking for at the moment.

A way to get Elaine out of her deal.

He didn't believe she was stuck with the demon permanently. There must have been a way to free her from his hold, without harming her in the process. But how? How!? "Ah, seriously?" He threw his hands in the air in frustration. "Nothing! How can there be nothing in here?" He got up off the seat, and slid the journal into his vest along with the light. It was a little awkward, seeing the size of what he chose to see the messages, but it covered the entire page instead of several lines at a time. "Maybe there was something else in the other journals?"

He doubted it. Even if they did have any useful information, he had no idea where they were. "Oh well. Better go get the others and head out to the tree." He closed the door behind him, and made his way back down the hallway. It was time for another milestone, he decided, to join the ones Elaine and Stan had. The ones they had been holding onto ever since the twins had arrived this summer. He was going to tell Elaine his feelings. Today. It didn't seem that hard. If he was still hooked on Wendy, he'd probably clam up right up off the bat. With Elaine, he could be himself. She was as crazy as Mabel, but with the smarts to match him. __And the insanity of Bill apparently,__ Dipper thought in annoyance.

He stopped in front of the bedroom door, and blinked. "I thought this was opened," he mumbled. He grabbed the knob, and opened the door. "Hello…?" Dipper felt the heat immediately rush up to his cheeks, and felt a cry of shock get trapped in his throat.

"Huh?" Elaine twirled around, and gaped at the young boy. The teen had a light brown towel tightly bound around her, thankfully covering everything important. A puddle of water dripping from her damp hair surrounded her feet, and her glasses were fogged up. "D-Dipper!?"

"I-I-oh man!" Dipper finally found his voice, waving his hands in embarrassment, holding them out in front of his face and looking to the side of the room, trying to keep his thoughts straight. "E-Elaine, I'm so sorry! I-I didn't think you were-the door wasn't-oh man, this is horrible!" Realizing that apologizing in the same room as her wasn't making anything better, he quickly rushed out of the room and slammed the door, pressing his back against it. Panting, he felt his blood pound at the incident. "I-I am so, so sorry, Elaine!"

"I-it's okay, Dipper!" Elaine called from the other side. She quickly grabbed her clothing from her bed, and threw it on as fast as she could. __No, it's not! It's definitely NOT!__ Yes, she had gotten plenty comfortable in the Mystery Shack; occasionally, she would leave a bra on the bed to Dipper's horror. _Hey, if Wendy could do it, why couldn't I? It's just a bra._ _It was just air drying since she didn't want to throw it in the dryer_. It was only recently did she start changing in the room, about a week ago. It wasn't that big of a change, but she could've sworn Dipper was already out of the building! Where was he hiding!? __Thank goodness I was covered!__ "There we go." Buttoning up the flannel, she flung open the door, knocking Dipper over. "Oops!"

"Oof!" He stumbled onto the floor at her feet, and looked back up at her. "I-I'm okay!" He jumped up, rubbing the back of his head where it hit the ground. The two looked at each other nervously, each still a blushing mess. "Uh…" Dipper gulped, and tugged at his shirt collar. "Are we… cool now?"

"Yeah, yeah, we're cool," Elaine said quickly. "Just… this never leaves this room. Mabel never hears about this, alright? We'd never hear the end of it."

"Right, right." The two looked away from each other; Elaine coughed awkwardly. "We, uh, should probably get going. Mabel and Soos should be waiting for us down in the gift shop."

"Good idea," Elaine grinned forcefully, patting him on the shoulder. Fixing her black bag on her back, she headed down the stairs and rushed to the room. __I've never been so flustered in all my life. That was horrible.__

(Time Skip)

Elaine's POV

"Thank you all for coming," Dipper announced, tapping a pen on his lantern. I stood alongside him, with Mabel and Soos in front of us. The tree where we found the journal stood proudly behind me, with the small hatch still wide open.

"Hey, when there's a mystery, you can count on your sister… ey," Mabel tried to rhyme, grinning happily.

"That's an amazing rhyme," Soos laughed. "When you want some, good… when you need a Soos, you… oh oh, gosh, I don't know." _Hard to rhyme with that there, pal._

"We're here to solve the number one mystery in Gravity Falls; who wrote this journal!?" He held up the book, and flipped to the opening page where Ford had torn out where his name was. "Thirty years ago the author vanished without a trace. But according to this new clue, we may have found his secret hiding place." He then showed the two the page where the bunker was located. Strangely enough, the black light was strong enough to show in the daytime. Not very well, mind you, but it was still noticeable. "We find that author, we learn the answers to everything. We just need to figure out a way to get down there." We glanced up at the tree, frowning.

"Chop it down, dudes!" I turned around to see Wendy bike up to us, ringing her bell.

"Wendy!" Mabel cheered.

"Oh, hey!" Dipper waved. "You came."

"Dude, I'm so stoked about this," Wendy grinned at him. She took of her helmet, and swapped it out for her normal hat. "I've been wanting to go adventuring with you guys. Sure beats picking up after my dad at home. Thanks for leaving my bike at the cliff by the way, Elaine," she smirked, directing the last part at me.

Whoops. "Hehe, yeah, sorry about that." __Knew I forgot something.__ "It was all I could think of at the moment. Sort of acted without much thought there."

"It's cool," Wendy shrugged. "C'mon!" Taking my hand, she dragged me closer to the tree, leaving the twins to their discussion. Soos took out a power drill, and tried drilling into the tree, to no success. "See anything?"

"Hmmm…" I examined the tree, letting myself back up to look at the top. "Is it just me, or does that branch look like a lever?" I pointed up at it, showing the branch that seemed attached to a painted sheet of metal at the top. "I can make out the screws."

Dipper nodded, and turned around, mumbling to himself about ladder shoes of all things. Wendy gave a lazy grin at me, before taking her belt off and began climbing up the tree. Once she got high enough, she loosely attached it back around her waist, and pulled an ax from a case on her hip. Spinning it around in her hand, she hit the branch, knocking it upwards with a loud clunk. "Boosh."

"Impressive," I said. The group gave their own show of interest, watching her success.

"Oh yeah, my dad used to make me compete in these lumberjack games when I was a kid," Wendy replied. "Guess I kinda ruled at it." The tree began shaking, and Wendy looked around worriedly. "Whoa, what is that?" The vibrations knocked her belt buckle loose behind her, causing her to fall down onto the bush below, screaming. The tree started to sink down into the ground, taking her with it. Quickly, Dipper and Soos yanked her back, and the five of us leaned over the edge. Once the tree stopped moving, wooden planks shot out from the side of the hole, making a staircase to the bottom; subsequently, a door inside the tree opened.

"Alright guys, this is it," Dipper announced, turning around. "Remember, whatever happens down there, we tell no one." Mabel gave him a thumps up as Soos turned his hat backwards. Wendy smirked, and zipped her lips, then threw away the invisible key.

"We're with ya, Dippin' Dots," I grinned, clapping my hands together. "Lead the way."

Using the lantern to guide the way, while I wondered where he even had that stored, Dipper led us down the stairs and into the room. _I give up on these weird things happening with objects. I just… I give up._ "A fallout shelter," I summarized, looking around as the others gave exclamations of surprise. "Wonder what the author needed this for?" I passed Wendy who was taking a fallout shelter poster off the wall, and Mabel who now had caterpillars crawling on her face.

"This is incredible!" Dipper told me, making me stop in front of a shelf with dated books of supplies. "It's like he was preparing for a disaster. But what kinda disaster would need supplies for over sixty years?" __Nuclear, maybe?__ Shrugging, I went to walk around some more, only for my foot to hit against an abandoned can of beans left on the floor. "Huh." Dipper picked it up, and glanced up at the rest of us as the group walked over. "Guys, I think this can was opened recently."

"The author might still be alive, down here!" Soos said.

"Wait a minute…" Wendy walked around Mabel, and pulled off the poster of a 1982 Gravity Falls, revealing an open hatch over. "I think I know where he might have gone." Taking the lead, Wendy crawled into the tunnel, and gasped as she exited. "Whoa! Oh, man! Was this place built in the past or the future?" Tilting my head at the question, I finally popped out after Mabel; the four looked around the small room made of metal squares curiously.

"Yeah, this room is way creepy," Soos said.

"Not as creepy as Dipper's internet history!" Mabel joked. __What on earth does he look at online to get that as a joke!?__ "Heyo!" Mabel playfully shoved Dipper, making him stumble forward and step on a square in the middle of the room. "Oh no." The panel descended, and the hatch behind me slammed and locked in place. The room began shaking, and I grabbed Mabel to support myself. The symbols on the squares around us began glowing red, and a loud buzzer sounded in the musty air. Backing up into the middle of the room, we watched as the panels begin extending from the wall. Screaming in panic, Mabel swiped the bugs off her face and looked around in horror. "Wall things! Crazy wall things are happening right now!"

Wendy ran over to one of the blocks, and tried to push it back in to no luck. "It won't stop!"

"Dipper, what do we do!?" I yelled. Dipper frantically ran through the journal, as a panel began rising underneath him. He paused, and shone the black light on the pages. "Find these four symbols!" He turned the book around to show us. "Quick! Everybody step on one!" We split up, and I heard Mabel, Soos, and Wendy cry out as they hit three of the four. "Elaine!" Dipper pointed at the last one above my head, and I scrambled onto a box and jumped to hit it.

"Four!" I yelled.

A hissing came at the end of the room, and a new door opened. "Run for it!" Mabel shouted. We squeezed through the narrow exit as fast as we could, throwing ourselves out of the death trap. Dipper exited right behind me, his vest getting caught in between the blocks as it barely missed him.

"Yes! Yes!" Wendy cheered, out of breath. Standing back up, she grinned at Dipper. "That was, huh, that was nuts! You ruled back there, man!" She punched him in the arm, and began checking out the room with Soos.

"Ha ha, thanks," Dipper laughed, rubbing his arm where she hit him. Giggling, I patted him on the back, and walked past Wendy and Soos to inspect the closet. __Weird,__ I thought. I stepped inside, and ran a hand over the small holes built into the sides. __Wonder why Ford had this decontamination thing built anyway? It's not like physical contact with the creatures would do any harm, right?__

I spun around, hearing a loud metallic bang and found the door closed behind me. "What the-?" I glanced down, and found Dipper on his knees, picking himself back up. Once he got to his feet, he looked up at me with a gasp. "MABEL!" Dipper shouted, and began to pound on the door. "Let us out!"

"Oh, I'll let you out Dipper," Mabel called from outside. Her voice was muffled, but I could make out what she was saying. "As soon as you tell Elaine that thing you've been wanting to tell her! You'll thank me for this later!"

"What's she talking about, kid?" I asked, leaning in closer to hear. Dipper gasped, backing away nervously at the space in between us.

"Nothing! Mabel's just been eating raw sugar packets again," he excused. He turned back to the door, and continued beating against it. "Let me out RIGHT NOW!" He shouted.

"Where are the lights in this thing, anyway?" I looked up at the cord dangling above me, and pulled it. "AAHHH!" Freezing cold water gushed down above us, followed by the holes in the wall blasting us with hot air, drying us immediate-aw, come on!

"AH!" Dipper screamed, and scrambled backwards in horror, plastering himself against the wall. The wind had blown us together, him directly flying into my chest. __What the-is the world out to embarrass me today!?__ I threw myself against the opposite wall, once again blushing the same intensity as when the shower thing happened earlier, and Dipper clawed at the exit. A deep tone echoed above my head, and I glanced up to see a red sign say " ** **decontamination complete**** ". The door behind me opened, and Dipper and I slowly walked out. _Just ignore what happened. Just ignore it._

"A hidden lab," I mused. "Must be where the author did all of his experiments." Seeing Dipper's face, I explained, "what? You didn't think a person like him didn't have a lab, did you?" The lights flickered on, and we glanced at the shattered containment tubes. Wrecked equipment was everywhere, along with cobwebs, tree roots growing in from the ceiling… and a series of large creepy tunnels. "What dug these?" I ran a hand along the soft dirt, frowning.

"Let's hope we don't find out," Dipper said. A loud growl echoed down through one of the tunnels, and we screamed as we saw a dark creature begin to lower from a hole in the ceiling away from us. Running around, we raced back to the door in the closet and began banging on it. "Mabel, open up, for real! There's a monster in here!"

"Ha ha, nice try!" Mabel laughed. "The only monsters are your own inner demons, Dipper!"

I tugged on my ponytail, giving a frustrated cry. "Dipper, just say whatever Mabel wants you to so we can get the heck out of here!"

"Come on Dipper!" Mabel shouted from the other side. "Now's the time, bro!"

"Elaine, I-I… I'm gonna find another way out!" Before I could react, Dipper grabbed my hand and dragged me back through the lab, away from the exit.

"Wait, what!? Dipper, stop! This is ridiculous!" I cried, as he dragged me down into one of the tunnels. It might've worked, if he didn't drag us down a tunnel with a dead end! The shadow of the monster got closer, and I held Dipper tightly in front of me. "What do we do!?"

"I don't know!" He shouted. The monster let out a loud roar, only for a shadow of a man to leap onto its back. The monster flipped him off, but the man reached up and ripped its tongue out of its mouth.

"Back! Back you heinous beast!" The creature scurried off, and the man walked around the corner into view. He definitely didn't look like he came from our time era; more like something from Steampunk or whatever. "Well, I just ripped out a monster's tongue," he said, throwing said organ onto the ground in front of us. __Ew.__

"It's-it's you!" Dipper stuttered.

"Hurry now, I scared it off, but it'll regenerate." He made his way down a different tunnel, and we followed behind him. The ground was leaking from above, possibly from the cracked pipes. The cold water splashed around my feet, and I shivered involuntarily. "I wasn't expecting guests," he told us. "I've been down here for a very long time. Years! Weeks, maybe!" He turned around. "I miss orange juice."

"You don't understand," Dipper said, dismissing the odd ramblings. "You're the guy I've been looking for!"

"He's the guy?" I said, wondering why Dipper wasn't just saying author instead.

"Elaine, he's the guy!" Dipper cheered. I couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. Even if I knew this would go downhill in a matter of minutes, his happiness was contagious.

"The guy?" The man asked, raising a brow.

"I've got like a gillion questions! Why did you write the journals?" Dipper began pacing in anticipation. "Who was after you? Why did you build this bunker?"

"Heh. My boy I'd love to discuss this in time. But we have more pressing matters," he said. We ended up back in the main room, and paused in front of the tubes, gazing in horror at the busted metal cage. The poles were so thick, but were snapped apart like it was nothing. "It's one of my experiments, a shape shifter. Able to take the form of anyone or anything it sees. It broke free from a cage of solid steel! I've gone half crazy trying to catch the creature alone. But now you're here!" He knelt down, and rested a hand on Dipper's shoulder. "Will you help me catch it?" He asked, lifting his goggles to reveal worn and tired eyes.

Dipper gasped in excitement, and nodded furiously. "O-of course I would!"

"Well then, follow me!" He led us down a new tunnel, brushing a torn cloth out of the way. I slid down the rocky decline, helping Dipper behind me. "Come in, come in! I apologize for the state of things! I don't get many non mole-people visitors. Now, the beast must have some weakness we can exploit." I glanced at the water pipe, and jogged to catch up with them. "I just wish I had my research on me. But alas, I lost my journals so many years ago."

"Journals?" I repeated, giving a small warning glare at the back of his head. __Easy, Elaine. This monster is unpredictable. Any rash moves could end up getting you and Dipper hurt… or worse.__

"Dude, I found one of them!" Dipper pulled it out of his vest, holding it out for him to take. "That's how I tracked you down here."

"What!? Could it be?" The man took the book, grinning. "My boy! I can't express my gratitude!" He turned around, hunched over, and began flipping through its pages. "Oh yes, after all these years…"

Dipper and I sat down behind him, and he smiled up at me. "Elaine! Isn't it amazing we're actually meeting the real author?"

I picked up an empty can of beans beside me, and frowned. "Yeah, it is," I whispered. "If only he was the real author!" I showed him the can, and watched as Dipper's face twisted into one of terror and nervousness. "Be careful," I warned. "We don't know what he'll do."

He got up, and crept up to the man. "Uhh, you know what? We should really get going. Can I have my journal back?" Slowly the man's head stretched forward, and twisted around to face us. The pupils were now slits, and his teeth were sticking out of his mouth in a disturbing angle.

"You're not going anywhere," he growled, and crawled up onto the ceiling. He gave a roar as the two of us screamed, terrified at the monster staring down and changing into his normal form. _I… think it's his normal form._ _If his DNA changed all the time, then I have no clue what he's supposed to look like. Or if he even is a he._ Some… weird, insect-like… thing. Honestly, it's hard to describe him. Long snout with buck teeth, a thin arm and a misshapen muscular arm, and scorpion-like legs. His empty red eyes looked down at us; I assumed so, he had no pupils. "How do you like my true form?" He asked, laughing. "Go on, admit it, you like it!"

"You!" Dipper snarled. "What did you do to the real author!?"

"You'll likely never find him. That six-fingered nerd hasn't been himself in thirty years! But I do thank you for bringing me his journal. He used to write it while I was in my cage. So many wonderful forms to take!" Using his tongue, he flipped through the pages, changing his form to the gremloblin, a gnome, and the Hide Behind. His laughter sickened me. _Okay,_ _ _I felt fear all the time when I was around the gremloblin. I felt anger when I was fighting Gideon. I… am not sure what I felt during that fight in Stan's mind. But this…__

I was ticked off. One break. Couldn't I get one break, or Dipper? But no. No! We had to get into more trouble and have our hopes for answers dashed! "We've gotta get that journal back!" Dipper whispered to me. Nodding, I scooped up the can again, tossing it back and forth between my hands.

"Hey xenomorph ripoff!" I shouted, and biffed the can at his direction. "Snatch this!" The can hit him in the face, and he growled at me. He turned into a multi-eyed frog monster, and lashed his tongue at me. Taking a sheet of metal beside me, I held it up, just as the tongue reached me. I felt myself get dragged across the ground, before smirking and letting go. The monster shrieked as the sheet struck him in the face, making him let go of the journal. Dipper quickly grabbed it, and tucked it under his arm.

"RUN! RUN! RUN!" He cried, and we chased back through the tunnels. "Hide!" Dipper shouted, and I dove behind the wall. He threw the flashlight attached to him down the right tunnel, and hid back beside me in the left. The shape shifter shrieked again as he stopped at the fork, and raced down after the glow. Panting, we ran up over the small hill, only to collide with Mabel, Soos, and Wendy, and stumble on top of them.

We all got back up, and Soos and Mabel greeted Dipper excitedly. I was about to walk forward, only for Dipper to hold up his arm. "Wait! How do we know they're not the shape shifter?"

"Maybe I am!" Soos thought aloud. "Guys, inspect my shape!" He lifted up his shirt, and Mabel poked him.

"Poke!" She said.

Laughing, Soos told her to do it again. "Even better the second time!" He announced, as Wendy shook her head fondly.

"It's them," I said, before groaning. "Oh, ow." Hissing, I looked down at my knee, finding a decent sized scrape through a worn hole in my jeans. "Huh. Would you look at that?"

"Oh my gosh, Elaine, you're bleeding!" Dipper said worriedly.

"Relax, kid. I've been hanging around Bill this summer, remember? I've been through worse." I reached into my bag, still on my back, and pulled out a roll of gauze. As I started wrapping my lower leg, I looked back at the newcomers. "We got attacked by the shape shifter. He broke out of his cage, fooled Dipper into thinking he was the author, and wants his journal."

"Wait, you weren't fooled?" Dipper asked me. Blowing a strand of hair back, I tossed the roll back into the bag.

Zippering it shut, I deadpanned, "I read. A lot. I am slowly making my way through that journal, analyzing everything, thinking it all over. The man has ****six**** fingers, Dipper. Six. That guy didn't. Plus, that outfit didn't fit the time frame he vanished in."

"Imagine if he escapes into town!" Dipper said, turning to the others. "He can transform into anything! We could never trust anyone ever again!" He held his head, the thought terrifying him.

"What do we do!?" Mabel cried.

"Well, he took us into his home, tricked us, and tried to destroy us," Wendy muttered, an angry look spreading over her face. "I say we return the favor. Elaine, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Revenge Mystery Girls style?" I asked. Getting the approved nod, I laughed darkly. "Let's show this creep what happens when he messes with my family." _Hey, if we all kept referring to me being a Pines, then why not say it out loud?_

Also, maybe I was enjoying this a little too much… nah!

(Time Skip)

Wendy, Soos, and I hid behind the water pipe I saw earlier in the shape shifter's cave. We held the valve tightly, waiting for the twins to lead the monster our way. Not gonna lie, I felt like I was close to passing out. Not because of my injury, but because of how dangerous this was. The shape shifter was giving us a run for our money, and wasn't afraid to kill us. At least Bill liked to torture, or… make us suffer a little more before he did away with his victims. He thought his plans out. This creature didn't.

"Guys, he's coming! He's coming!" We looked towards the exit, and the two sprinted towards us as the monster followed behind. He was now a sick combination of both twins with spindly legs. "NOW, NOW, NOW, NOW!"

"I-it's not working!" I grunted as the three of us turned the valve as fast as we could. Stupid delayed reaction. No one had obviously turned that thing in decades. Freezing as Dipper let out a scream, I saw the shape shifter lash his tongue out at the journal, and Dipper furiously began tugging it back.

"HEY, LET GO!" He cried. Abandoning the valve to Wendy and Soos, I grabbed the book, and joined in the tug-of-war.

"You leave him alone!" I growled. We yanked on the book, only for the tongue to harshly retract, taking me and the journal along with it. "Ah!" Flying forward, I landed on one of his legs; the monster didn't like that. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a pocket knife I 'borrowed' from Stan before I left. It was hiding in a drawer in his office, and was a last-second choice to take. Good thing I did though. I had a hunch it might come in handy.

The handle was dark polished wood with a red leather grip and a push button to pop open the blade. My favorite part about it was at the base, Stan had engraved his initials into it. Switchblades were illegal, but considering the man had a set of brass knuckles he always carried on him, I wasn't surprised. Snapping it open, I raised it up to slice at his face, only for a strong blast of ice cold water to nail me in the back. The water rushed around me, pulling me under. My lungs felt as if they were close to bursting; my vision blurred from the liquid. A sharp rough object, possibly a rock, struck me in the back, and I gasped at the impact, allowing water to fill my lungs even more.

 _ _Ah… ah…__ the water quickly drained, settling me down behind one of the tubes. Quickly and painfully, I rolled over and began hacking up the water. __This… is… wonderful…!__ Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand after my dry heaving stopped, I stumbled to my feet, and moved around the tube.

"But I was too scared and now you could be hurt or worse, and I never even got to tell you I'm like, in love with you, Elaine!"

 _Oh… whoops._ I was confused, watching Dipper kneel over an unconscious me, his face buried in his hands and tearing up. Y'know, I knew this would happen. I was in Wendy's place after all which was still a weird thing to think about, but… wow. I really meant that much to him? That much more than a friend? "Uh, Dipper?" I spoke up, and grabbed the journal off the ground.

"Huh-wha-Elaine!?" Dipper stuttered, jumping to his feet in shock. "W-wait, then who's…?" The impostor snarled, and jumped at me as he pushed Dipper to the ground. "LOOK OUT!"

The shape shifter knocked me over, shoving my head down in an attempt to grab the journal. "Give me back that journal!" He shouted, mimicking my voice perfectly.

"Not on your life!" I pushed him off me, only for him to get on top of me. "Get off me, you freak!" I brought my leg up to kick him in the stomach, and rolled out from underneath. The moment I stood up, he grabbed the book, and we fought back and forth for it. I watched from the corner of my eye as Dipper ran back up to us, holding my knife. "Give it back; it belongs to Dipper!" I turned to face him directly. "Hit him with my knife, kid!"

"Don't listen to him, Dipper!" He yelled.

"He's the shape shifter!" I screamed.

"Uh, uh, I don't know who's who!" He panicked. "Give me a sign!"

The shape shifter winked at him, smiling. I grimaced at the action, turned to Dipper. __What can I do!? I don't have any actions that are suited to__ _ _me and I don't deal with the mouth and ke__ _ _-that's it!__ "DIPPIN' DOTS!" Dipper's eyes widened at the nickname, and with a grunt, he jumped up and cut the monster's face with the knife. Not enough to cut deep, but the slash would not be one to take lightly. Green blood oozed from the wound, stretching from the top of his head to the chin, and damaging his eye, nose, and snout. He gave a pained shriek, and turned back to his original form. But even with the changed body, the injury remained. He glared at us, but I knew that the harm Dipper did more than likely blinded him. The eye was tightly closed, and the other was filled with hate and rage.

"Push him in!" Dipper shouted, and we rammed the beast into the tube. Just as he recovered from the shove, he went to jump out, only for the door to slam shut. "Nice one, Mabel," Dipper commented to himself in relief. Wendy, Soos, and Mabel walked back out of the research room and over to us, gazing at the tube.

"Let's get out of here, guys," Wendy murmured, voice shaking slightly. Nodding, we began to head out, only for a dark laugh to ring out around us. Spinning around, we found the shape shifter watching us, the glass fogging up from the cold.

"You think you're so clever don't you, Dipper? But you have no idea what you're up against. You will never find the author. If you keep digging, you'll meet a fate worse than you can imagine. And this will be the last form you ever take!" He turned into Dipper for a final time, and screamed as he froze solid. The glass finally glossed over, and Dipper stared at his reflection in horror.

Soos laughed uneasily behind him, trying to ease the tension. "Good luck sleeping tonight!"

(Time Skip)

As the tree rose back up onto the surface, we stared at the bunker entrance tiredly. Hair a mess, baggy eyes, and rips in our clothing. "Dude, I think I'm kind of adventured out for a little while. My face hurts from doing this all day." Soos made a screaming face, pointing at it.

Mabel giggled, relaxing. "Yeah, but you gotta admit we're all total heroes." Wendy laughed, and ruffled her hair.

"How's about we all head back to the Shack and watch that movie marathon tonight? Be better than standing around this creep joint," she said, smirking. Mabel and Soos cheered, as Soos picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. The three headed off, Wendy rolling the bike beside her.

That left me and… Dipper. "Look, Elaine," Dipper murmured, looking down. "About earlier. In the heat of the moment, I might have said some dumb things, and can't we pretend none of that ever happened?" He turned around, hugging himself. "Please?"

"Dippin' Dots." I knelt down, resting a hand on him. "I… already sort of knew," I admitted slowly, smiling shyly.

"Wait, what?" He whirled around to look at me in shock. "You did? But how?"

"Kid, ever since the pool I sort of pieced it together. You were practically drooling over me in a swimsuit!" I laughed a little, and sat down on the log beside us. Dipper groaned, slapping his forehead in disbelief.

"Uh, I thought I was being casual," he frowned. He sat down beside me, head in his hands. We sat there for a moment, and I cleared my throat to break the awkwardness that was laid out before us.

"Dipper, look. I'm really flattered you see me like that," I began, twirling a strand of hair. "To be honest, you're the first guy who isn't a creep who thought of me like that. Definitely a step up from my ex. And if it wasn't for… those two things, I would actually be willing to try out a relationship with you."

"What?" He gaped at me, and a nervous but excited smile replaced the distressed one. "You would?" Dipper asked before running over my words in his head, his face falling into one of confusion. "Wait, what things?"

"Dipper, I'm not from your world, remember? If I was from here, then maybe something could happen. But I'm not." I frowned, and drew my knees closer to my chest. "I'm from somewhere else. Dipper, if Bill ever finds me a way home, then I don't want to break your heart more than I probably will. The other being that while me being a year older than Wendy, and you almost being thirteen wouldn't be that big of a deal, remember I'm almost seventeen. I was close to my birthday when I ended up here, which is almost a year off from becoming an adult. While the age thing is a complicated matter, that sort of stops anything that you hoped could happen."

"… so, you… do like me?" Dipper asked slowly. I chuckled at the question, and wrapped an arm around him.

"Yeah, Dipper. I like you. But it's more of the fact I see you as a brother, and as the greatest friend I've ever had. I really do like you, but anything more is… sort of impossible. But just because nothing else could happen, doesn't mean I won't stop teasing you. Besides, why else would I have kissed you on the cheek weeks ago in front of Kat and Asger?" I smirked, watching his face turn into one of realization.

"That was… man, you're good," Dipper muttered, ending with a small chuckle. _He doesn't need to know that was before I figured out the crush thing._ "So… friends then?" He held out a hand for a shake, and I laughed loudly at the question.

"Of course, Dippin' Dots! Friends!" I smacked my hand against his, knocking him backwards and off the log. I continued to cackle, and Dipper erupted into a fit of laughter as well. Reaching down, I held out my hand with a smile. His laughter quieting down, he went to lock his fingers with mine, and I pulled him back up. "But seriously, kid. I'm sure you'll find someone one day, and I'll be there to tease you relentlessly for it."

"Hehe, thanks." Dipper fixed his hat, blushing. "Y'know, if I was still crushing on Wendy, this could have gone a lot differently." _Oh, you have no idea._

"So, how did it go?"

"AHH!" We screamed, and seeing Mabel now sitting beside Dipper. __How-wha-how did she get there!?__ "H-how much of that did you hear?" Dipper asked, worriedly.

"Everything. All the time." Mabel waved her arms around, grinning.

"We're not here." We glanced behind us, seeing Wendy and Soos sitting behind the shrubs. Wendy grinned and gave me a thumps up, while Soos looked pretty… Soos-like.

"Mabel, how can everything be so amazing and so terrible at the same time?" Dipper asked, looking from me to her.

Mabel frowned, and rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm so sorry for being so pushy, you guys. But if it makes you feel better, she did say she'll help you find a girlfriend your age. And if you do get old enough, maybe we can build on that!" She beamed, winking at me. "I'm gonna call it… Dilaine!"

"Dila-n-no! No shipping names!" I laughed, as Dipper's face brightened at my reaction. The twins grinned, before we stumbled on the log. Once the rocking stopped, we saw Soos sitting beside Mabel. Wendy walked over on my side, and sat down beside me.

"I'm still bummed we're not closer to finding out the author guy," Soos sighed. "At least I got his science-y coat and briefcase." He took the case out from the jacket he was till wearing and held it up, only for it to flop open. "Whoa! What the-?"

"Soos, that's not a briefcase, it's a laptop!" Dipper exclaimed, leaning in closer.

"And a really busted up one too," Mabel said, examining the cobwebs covering the screen.

"I bet I could get this thing fixed up in a few days," Soos told us, nodding in thought. "It's gonna take a lotta duct tape."

"This could be our next clue!" Dipper gasped. "I mean, this could give us the answers we're looking for!"

"Or a bunch of 8-bit video games." Dipper blinked, running over my words.

"… either way, it's a win."

(Time Skip)

" ** **Well, that happened.****

 ** **Dipper confessed his feelings to me after I almost got killed by the shape shifter. Long story short with that**** ** **one.**** ** **Dipper slashed his face, blinding him, and I have a bruised rib from the experience after getting knocked into a boulder by the water.****

 ** **Thank goodness for painkiller**** ** **s.****

 ** **But it's been DAYS since I've last seen angle or side of Cipher. While I have for the most part calmed down about the… kiss, I would really like to speak to him about it****." More like, I ranted his nonexistent ears off, and he let me go off the edge. " ** **He couldn't like me like that. Bill is a trillion year old dream demon. A monster incapable of feeling. Yet there were… instances were it seemed like he could. He wouldn't leave me alone to my panic attack, actually helping me through it. He showed me his room in his sanctuary in the Nightmare Realm. He showed me his piano, and played me a song,**** ** **even when he didn't have to,****

 ** **I don't know what it is. If it's… love, lust, or something else, but I don't want this thing to ruin our friendship. I… don't want to lose Bill****." I stopped writing, staring at what I wrote. I… liked him. I didn't know what it was, but I liked Bill. Something about that strange being… attracted me to him. He's certainly interesting looking. Not physically attractive, but his appearance confused me. The yellow form only being an exoskeleton that could be removed, hiding something of pure horror underneath. An eye that could reflect so many emotions, despite not having anything else of a normal face. His craziness was a more intense version of my own, which was what he believed let us get along so well.

He liked me, but he had no clue why. Maybe he kissed me because of his small knowledge of how attractions worked, and because of my vague explanation, but he did it. Maybe he did it to throw me through a loop? I didn't know. But I couldn't keep this up. I needed answers. I needed to see him again.

Bill's POV

 _ _Well, well, well! Looks like someone's confused!__ I stared at the bubble, watching her place her journal down beside her. I was not entirely sure what my interest in Angel was, but her explanation did make things more… intriguing.

Her confusion over being stuck in the third dimension-well, there were many replicas of that third dimension, but this one was my favorite-was nowhere near as funny as this! Her explanation made little sense, but it was enough to clear somethings up. I was right. I was obsessed with her due to how different she was compared to other fleshbags. I wanted her to be safe so I could keep my eye on her because of her constant attraction to trouble.

She was by no means the most attractive human, but she wasn't hideous either. Not too tall, not as short as she keeps claiming. Hey, my normal size for appearing to those meat puppets was only a few inches smaller than her! What was she complaining about? She was smarter than most if not all of the popular of that stupid hick town, figuring out its past even without my help; all because of her knowledge from her dimension.

Hearing a soft sound from my window, I turned back to the bubble. Angel huffed, and rolled onto her side, staring out the window. Chuckling, I adjusted the angle, zooming in closer to watch her. Her mental state… hehehe! How fragile it was! Putting up a brave facade for Pine Tree and Shooting Star, when she and ****I**** know fully well for desolate she was on the inside.

How I'd ****love**** to see that break!

But…

Her breakdowns from before; when she realized how vulnerable she was in this dimension, and when Pine Tree lashed out at her in Fez's mind, it… disturbed me that she was distressed. As I had made clear to Angel, my Angel, and only I could make her feel better. Pine Tree only caused her pain, seeing how she had kept stressing over what he would think of her ever since she had arrived there.

Love. HA! How could such a knowledgeable human like her even remotely consider that I, Bill Cipher, was capable of such emotions?

It's not, and WOULD NOT, be love I felt for her. She's just a loyal pawn, a puppet, who knew her place in my plans for this dimension. My marionette, and I pulled her strings.

 _ _Demonic possessiveness kink. That's what Angel kept referring my__ _ _i__ _ _n__ _ _terest__ _ _with her as,__ I mused, giggling at the thought. She wasn't wrong. Demons do tend to be… possessive of our possessions. And Angel was my greatest toy of all. Delicate like a porcelain doll, and easy to break with the right shove. _And just as well-crafted too. One of a kind._ Perhaps…

Maybe even with something more than a simple shove, would get some interesting results.

I laughed darkly, running a finger over the kaleidoscope of reds, yellows, and oranges where her face was. Until that day though, it looked like I'd be finally paying a visit to Angel. She wanted answers, did she? __Well toots,__ I 'grinned' slyly. __You're about to get them.__

* * *

 ** **Second episode of season two is done and over! Woo hoo! The scene in the decontamination closet is from a deleted scene I found on Youtube, and the shower part... something inspired from a comic, and from some advice from a pal on here. Who needs bras, when you can have scarred preteen boys?****

 ** **I have a one shot thing going about Elaine's thoughts on everyone that she writes out at the end of the summer. Sort of post GFA. Check it out if you want more sarcastic Angel action.****

 ** **That's all I have for now! Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	39. The Golf War

****Disclaimer: Well here we are. The tipping point in Elaine's deal. What's Bill going to do? Is Elaine finally going to snap? Who knows. You're only choice? Keep reading for the answer! And…****

 ** **OVER 25 000 views! Hope this chapter makes up for the wait. So. Much. Chemistry!****

 ** **EmmieSauce: Oh, I want that episode too! Bipper is going to throw everyone in a loop.****

 ** **caloricmangos: Yes, you are.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: All of those adult jokes really made my day. Glad it made yours too. It's not really a date with those two, but you can look forward to them hanging out a lot more down the path.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: You're young. Your schedule can't be as weird as mine. You ever have 3 hour long classes? Have a good one!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: I'll try!****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Some people do. Most readers are tossed between Dipper and Bill. Let me know if you find the reference!****

 ** **SnowyFalls: Thanks for pointing out all those errors!****

 ** **Akira D. Ryusuke: No one likes Mary Sue characters. I hate. I really do. Billaine, actually. I love how realistic I'm portraying their relationship; keeping it as sweet, and horrifying as one possibly can.****

 ** **OMAC001: Of course he is! You wouldn't expect something like him to NOT be that disturbing in real life, would you?****

 ** **Also, for anyone reading the updated chapters, I toned down the ending of this one. Hope that goes better.****

 ** **I own Elaine,**** ** **and**** ** **Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 15/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Ahh, mini-golf! The sport of mini champions!"

I stared at Dipper in confusion, tossing the heavy end of my black club up and down. "Well, you got the mini part down. Remind me, why are we here?" Honestly, I wasn't even sure. One minute, I was working on an entry in my journal. The next thing I knew, Mabel had grabbed me from behind and thrown me into the car. "And why was I brought here by force?"

"Because you've been a little off lately and we thought you'd enjoy some actual summer fun!" Mabel cheered as she switched places with Dipper; the boy had missed the ball entirely, having it roll into the pond beside us. A dinosaur sticker was attached to his face, and he peeled it off to put on his shirt. "Plus, I needed some fun too. I doubt Pacifica meant to ruin my article."

"She probably didn't even know, Mabel." I patted her back, and moved away from the ball. I stood beside Stan, who was wearing a Hawaiian shirt the same colors as his fez, shorts, and slippers. "Show this hole who's boss." The girl grinned, and took her place. Mumbling under her breath, she whacked the red ball, sending it through the course, off a passed out McGucket's face, and into the hole.

"Holy smokes!" Stan cried in disbelief. "Someone in our family actually has talent!"

"Grunkle Stan, you ain't seen nothing yet!" Dipper told him, and we rushed to the next hole. This went on for about an hour; Mabel led us all over the course, racking up an impressive score sheet. With her sweater tied around her waist, and beads of sweat running down her forehead, she approached the final hole and put down the ball. "Guys, this is amazing!" Dipper said. A crowd had gathered around to watch Mabel putt, her skills obviously impressing them. "If Mabel gets a hole in one here, she'll beat her all-time high score!"

"Don't jinx it, Dipper," I whispered. Mabel shook her hips again, and struck the ball. We ran around to the other side of the windmill, and watched the ball come out of one of the three holes at the bottom. Unfortunately, it ran around the hole and into a puddle along the edge of the green. "There it is. Told you."

"Aw, nuts!" Mabel shouted in annoyance, throwing her club down. The crowd dispersed, and I patted Mabel on the back. Holes like this were always random. It wasn't her fault.

"Ah, don't worry about it kid!" Stan picked the ball up, rubbing it on his tank top. "The thing's random!"

"Yeah, besides the Bermuda Triangle, how mini-golf works is the world's greatest mystery," Soos commented wisely. Dipper and I stared blankly at him, and turned back to Grunkle Stan.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're still better than anyone else in Gravity…" Stan was about to hand her the ball back, but stopped as a purple ball gracefully rolled into the hole. Gasping in shock, we looked up at the hill to see Pacifica, Asger, and the older Northwests staring down at us. Asger's golfing outfit looked a lot like Preston's, except it was in a dark red. He still wore his normal hat though, and had his bangs pulled under the brim so he could putt better. __And where Asger is, Axel isn't far behind.__

"Oh, would you look at that?" Pacifica said, looking up at her cousin. "I didn't know it was 'hobos golf-free' day!" The two gave the twins and I secretive smiles, and I relaxed a little. __Still a front.__ She was still a nice person. Although, I wondered how much trouble I'd get into if I took my club and whacked her parents in the knees for mental abuse.

It could be called that, actually. I mean, they controlled her life by ringing a ding dang bell! I didn't know if Asger fully knew it, but after the ghost episode in the future… I swear, if things didn't improve for her, I would be doing something about it. "Well, if it isn't the Pines family!" Pacifica continued, as the four walked down to meet us. "Fat, old, lame, braces, and geek!" She pointed to each of us, saying the insulting name. __Hey, I am a proud geek, okay?__ Stan whispered something to Soos, but I missed it since I wasn't close enough. Dipper didn't though, and he leaned on his club, smirking.

"I got this," he told Stan. "Hey, Pacifica. How's that whole 'your family being frauds' thing working out for you?"

"Great, actually! That's the thing about money! It makes problems go away!" She leered, before giving a very quick wink to Mabel. __But… how? It's not like the town knew about it. So how was it a problem that had to go away?__

"Well it can't buy you skill!" Mabel teased, catching on. "You walked into the game of a mini-golf champion!"

"Ha! Sergei!" Pacifica snapped her fingers, and a man with a large mustache and long hair walked out from behind the family. He stood beside the blonde, carrying a golf bag on his back. "This is Sergei, my trainer!"

'The Sportylmpics had mini-golf once. I took gold!" He pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing said medal.

"So if you don't mind moving out of the way of the professionals!" She turned around, heading to the bonus hole next to her mom. Setting down the ball, she gave a powerful strike, and sent it into the hole and triggered the volcano to explode. The blast blew our hair back, and Mabel watched Pacifica in aw and shock. "Enjoy second place," she smirked, taking off her gloves and handing them to Sergei. "Give her a hand, folks!" She began walking back out with her parents in front and Asger beside her. The dark skinned male looked back at me, and shrugged apologetically.

"Oh, yeah?" Mabel began to say, nervously hearing the crowd giving her pity applause. "Well… I want a rematch, you… you WALKING ONE-DIMENSIONAL BLEACHED BLONDE VALLEY GIRL STEREOTYPE!"

The shock of what the normally cheerful girl made everyone gasp, and Pacifica froze in place. Snapping a compact mirror shut in her hand, she whirled around and marched up to the brunette. The two stood in front of the schedule board, glaring at each other. "Like, let's do this!"

A car honking alerted us over to the paved walkway, and a young man drove up in a golf cart, Well, tried to. He kept ramming it into a lamp post. "Stop at once! The park is closed due to weather!" Glancing skyward, I saw the dark clouds above my head. "The King of Mini-golf has spoken!" He backed up the car, only to run back into the post and fall over. "Ahh! The king is down!"

The girls blinked, and turned back to each other. "This isn't over," Pacifica growled. "You, me, midnight. We'll see who's best!"

"I'll be here!" Mabel said, just as a bright flash of lightning lit up the sky. Rain began falling, soaking me through my flannel. The Northwests whipped out black umbrellas, and marched off. Pacifica looked back at Mabel, and gave a small wave. To anyone else, it might have seemed mocking, but to the girl in front of me, she knew it was genuine.

"I'll behere," Mabel whispered, and spat out a drenched piece of hair from her mouth. Shivering as the cold began getting to her, she turned around, hugging herself. "Can we get out of here please?" Now that's a plan I could get behind.

(Time Skip)

As we sat at the Mexican restaurant, Dipper was feeding Mabel corn chips, her head placed on the table and chin resting on the edge. "Mabel, don't you think you're overreacting a little?" Dipper asked. "I thought you and Pacifica were on okay terms now?"

"We are, Dipper," she said, sitting back up. "It's just… she just… grrr!" Mabel tugged on her hair, spraying drips of rainwater at Stan and me. Soos, smartly, had a rain poncho on. "We are Dipper! But I hate it that she has to act like this! Why can't she just behave like she does when she's around me and my friends all the time? Why does she have to pretend?"

"She doesn't have a choice, Mabel," I put in my two cents. "Asger told me that her parents are extremely controlling of what she does and how she behaves. That she has to uphold what the name Northwest is supposed to look like." I reached over my taco plate and the table, and patted her shoulder. "You know she's your friend, and judging by that small wave she did as she left, I know she's not gonna take this challenge as serious as she made it sound."

Mabel smiled softly, and nodded, thinking over what I said. "Thanks, Ellie. Y'know, maybe we should try to get there early." She quickly continued when she saw my unimpressed face. "To get some extra practice! She has a trainer, guys! I need all the help I can get!"

"Go to the golf course after dark, you say?" Stan said in mid bite of his burrito. "I don't know, we'd have to break in and-just kidding let's break in!"

And that's what led Stan to plowing through the guardrail of the mini-golf half an hour to midnight before the match.

Soos stood guard with a set of night goggles as Stan pried open a board from the fence using a hammer. Where he had the hammer and goggles from… best I not know the answer. Dipper crawled through first, the golf clubs on his back, followed by me, and then Mabel. Glancing back at her, I grinned at the trophy sticker on her chest. __Thanks, Stan.__ Walking over to the windmill, I tapped Dipper on the shoulder. "Hey, Dippin' Dots? Uh, I'll be right back. I gotta… you know."

Dipper chuckled, and pointed over behind the castle where the washrooms were. "Thanks!" I rushed past him, and into the bathroom. Standing over the sink, I cupped my hands together, bringing the tap water to my face and soaking it. I didn't really need to go. I just needed a moment to think. Turning around, I leaned against the counter, sighing. No doubt, Cipher would pay me a visit today. Didn't know why, but for some weird reason, it's like I just ****kn**** ** **e**** ** **w****. This has happened before too. Like I had an odd hunch, a feeling that he's watching me. Pyronica had even proved this. During our first encounter, she had told me that he watches me on a weirdness bubble. However, it's not something that concerns me at the moment. Right now, I need to focus on getting through crazy golf ball people, and then I can determine how to handle Bill.

 _ _Mabel comes first,__ I glared at my reflection, turning around and resting a hand on the glass. __Dipper and Mabel come first.__ _ _Then, I'll worry about me.__

(Time Skip)

3rd POV

Outside the golf course, a shiny black limo pulled up behind Stan's car. The older Northwests hardly looked at Pacifica, more focused on reading a magazine and applying makeup. "Now, remember, Pacifica," Preston told her. "Winning is everything." Asger frowned at this, his arm draped around the girl's shoulders in comfort.

"Oh, oh, and also looks," Priscilla added, fluffing her hair while looking in a compact mirror. "Winning and looks."

"Dad, I've been practicing for like, a million hours, okay? I've got this," Pacifica defended herself. Did her parents seriously doubt her skills? Not that she didn't mind Mabel possibly beating her, but aren't parents supposed to say 'winning isn't everything' or something among those lines? "You'll stay and watch, right?"

"Pacifica, darling, we have a party to go to," Preston said. "We'll just read about your victory in the paper." He held up the magazine to support his claim, and Asger's scowl deepened. __Yeah, like a game of mini-golf will end up in the news.__

"Asger, dear, stop frowning," Priscilla added, noticing his expression. "You'll get stress lines and ruin your complexion." Nodding with a tight lip and holding back any remarks, he opened the door and let himself and Pacifica out.

"Sergei!" Pacifica called, snapping her fingers. The trunk popped open, and said man climbed out, carrying her clubs. Just as the two walked away, Preston leaned out of the car, holding the handle.

"Oh, and whatever happens, just remember one thing," he began calmly, before his face turned serious. "You're a Northwest. Don't. Lose." With a loud slam, he shut the door, and the limo sped off. Pacifica stood still, and sighed. _Some things never change._

"Let's go, Asger." The three made their way through the exit, stepping around the gate. "Do you think they're no-shows?" She asked hopefully.

"Ah, nope." Asger blinked as a succession of lights lit up along the bonus hole, revealing Elaine and the twins. Dipper and Elaine stood on either side of a golf ball hill, with Mabel standing on top of it.

"Looking for someone?" Mabel smirked, hopping off. The three walked over to them, and the brunette's teasing expression fell into one of worry. "Are you alright, Pacifica? You look a little upset."

"I… I'm fine," she rubbed her arm. "Listen. About earlier… you know I didn't mean that, right?"

"I know," Mabel said, relieving her stress. "Sorry about the insult. Just got a little mad there."

"Everything's thing, Mabel," Asger added. "This isn't going to be as serious as we originally made it, right? No screaming or anything?"

"I think we're actually good," Dipper noted. He stared at Pacifica as she and Mabel talked with her instructor over the rules of the match. He still wasn't as okay with the young Northwest as Elaine and Mabel were, but she was starting to grow on him. Her attitude was still somewhat stuck-up, but she shared Elaine's sarcasm, which was a blessing and a curse. There was still something, that made him wary around Pacifica. She seemed… sad, when she entered the course. But what could've happened between this afternoon, and now?

"Dipper? Hey, Dipper!" Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at Elaine. "We're starting, dork. You coming or what?"

"O-oh! Coming!" He shouted, and jogged after her. The game, he now realized, would play a lot differently than he originally thought. Elaine didn't know, but he and Mabel had the weird golf people assisting them in beating Pacifica. But now? Now that seemed even more unfair than what it really was. The two were playing for fun, and didn't care who won or not. It's not like anyone outside of their group would hear about it. Sergei, he believed that was his name, wouldn't tell the truth. He seemed to listen more to Pacifica and Asger, as they treated him more nicely than the elder Northwests did.

After moving from hole thirteen to fourteen, he laughed as Mabel putted the ball into the miner's cavern. True to their word, the Lilliputtians had helped Mabel along the entire time. From using a gun and pushing up the green to direct her into hole one, to firing a golf ball into Pacifica's mouth in hole 8. This just made the girl glare at the pirate ship, before breaking into laughter.

She was… okay, he decided. Pacifica was okay. Not perfect, but whatever ill feelings he had were fading. "Ha ha! Miner hole," he said to the teens beside him. "I wonder what cute silly things are going on down there."

"Makes you wonder," Asger said. "It's a pretty simple hole looking at it, so it's hard to guess what's going on." Pacifica checked her watch, the two younger girls frowning at the hole. Finally, the ball rolled out on the other side, directly into the hole. "There it is."

"That was weird," Pacifica mumbled. "I'm gonna get a drink. We'll be right back." She led Sergei and Asger off towards the vending machines, handing her club over to the coach.

"I'm gonna follow their lead," Elaine said, holding her hand up. "Don't do anything stupid, guys." Dipper watched her chase after Pacifica and the two guys, and turned back to Mabel.

"You know, I feel like she's actually hinting at something." Mabel nodded, agreeing with him. "She wouldn't have said that for no reason."

"I think she knows we know that too," she smiled. Patting his shoulder, she walked over to the miner's cave, hooking her hands under the edge. "Elaine is obviously keeping more secrets. She even said so herself, remember? But we gotta respect that decision."

He went over her words, and sighed, grinning. "You're right," Dipper relented, shrugging. "Besides, what else could she possibly know that would be as bad as making a deal with Bill and coming from another world?"

Elaine's POV

"There's something going on, guys. I can feel it," Pacifica told us. The three of us sat on the bench, while Sergei was getting sodas for the two Northwests. He handed them their cans, as I cracked open my own.

"Maybe they have little people who control where the balls go," Sergei suggested, making a circular shape with his hands. Asger chuckled, and shook his head.

"I don't think that's it. Besides, wouldn't we have seen something already?" He directed the last part at me. Shrugging, I took another sip. _You aren't getting anything out of me._ He knew that I couldn't admit anything that wasn't already revealed in the show. Besides, he'd find out in a few minutes.

"Hoo, we gotta get you English lessons," Pacifica added. "I mean, think about it. I'm globally ranked. I can't believe Mabel's doing this well." Taking a sip, she quickly moved something to the side of her mouth before swallowing and spat out a pit. __What the… why is that in there?__ "Ugh, Pitt Cola! I always forget about the pit. Can you get me another one, Sergei?" He nodded, and turned back to the machine. "Huh?" Asger and me looked over at Pacifica, seeing the girl was no longer beside us. _Oh no._ I felt a multitude of tiny hands grab my arms and head, and joined Asger in screaming as I was dragged into the hedge. __Yeah… I should have seen that coming.__

"AAHHH!"

(Time Skip)

Groaning, I blinked as the windmill's lights blinded me. Pacifica screamed beside me, and Asger furiously fought on my other side. __I don't remember being tied… they knocked me out.__ Okay, now I was mad. Didn't the twins mention I was on there side? Or was it just that anyone with Pacifica was considered the enemy? "What's going on here!? Let us go!" Pacifica cried. Looking down, I saw that several mini pencils were stuck in the ramp, with rope tying us down. __This is some Gulliver's Travels, Lilliput stuff going on right now.__

"Let us go, you freaks!" Asger shouted angrily. Ignoring the purple Lilliputtian who directed the attack, we continued struggling. Of course, then he mentioned killing us when beating the girl in the game wasn't enough.

"As if! I'm calling my parents," Pacifica yelled desperately, her struggles halting once she heard the words. "Where's my phone?" Looking to the side, we saw several of the creatures playing with said device, sending messages to her 'friends'. "Hey, hey!"

"So how about it, hugeling?" The leader continued. "Who's da best now?"

"Not so fast land lubbers!" We looked over at the pirate ship, and saw that Sergei was tied up and standing precariously on the plank over the pond. "If you're going to play dirty, so are we. Now give us the sticker, or he walks the plank!" The rest of the Lilliputtians rushed around us and over to Mabel, shouting for the sticker to be handed to them.

Mabel looked around, cupping her ears before throwing her arms down in frustration. "ENOUGH!" The arguing stopped as fast as it started, and they looked at her in shock. "No one gets the sticker!" They began booing at the idea, and Mabel looked around her annoyingly. "No, no. Nuh-uh. No booing-stop, no! No one gets the sticker cuz you're all being jerks! I mean, why can't you just all get along?"

"Because we hate each other!" A Dutch Lilliputtian replied.

"That's kind of how rivalries work, lass," the pirate captain added.

"Well then, maybe… maybe rivalries are dumb." Mabel tugged on her sweater, and grinned nervously at Pacifica. The blonde returned the smile, her panicking quieting down. "Maybe you don't settle them with petty competitions. Maybe the only way to be 'da best' us by ending the fighting and working together!" She ripped it off at the end, and crumpled the sticker up. Tossing it in her mouth, she chewed angrily and swallowed… and gagged a little at the end.

The Lilliputtians conversed together at the act, just as a female Dutch Lilliputtian spoke up. "It's all so clear."

"If we work together…" the leader, Franz-I believe his name was-began.

"Then we can cut open her belly and get the sticker!" The pirate captain shouted. On that note, everyone charged. The twins backed up against the street pole, Mabel's face paling as the French leader said to slice her open.

"Uh, you guys aren't appreciating the lesson here!" Mabel cried. As the little nightmares left the windmill, one of them accidentally turned on the windmill. The ramp under us began to slowly move forward, and the blades picked up speed. Screaming, we began fighting even harder, not wanting for our heads to be chopped off by the whirling arms.

 _ _Wait. Asger!__ "Asger!" I shrieked. "Call Axel!"

If his arm was free, I would guess that he would hit his hand against his head. __You seriously forgot you have a dragon!?__ "AXEL!" Asger yelled at the top of his lungs, the name filled with panic. Turning to us, I saw his face was still in one of terror. "It's gonna take her at least a few minutes to get here. We don't have the time to wait."

"Mabel!" Pacifica cried. The brunette ran up the ramp, having used the light cord to glide over the army, and began untying us. "Hurry!"

'I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying!" She tossed the ropes aside, and the three of us stood up. Mabel picked up her club, and gasped. The Lilliputtians had us surrounded, with tiny pencils as their weapons.

"We have you at miniature pencil point!" The pirate captain snarled. "There's no way around us!"

"You ready to putt?" Mabel asked. Pacifica brought her foot down, bringing the purple club beside her to her hands since the tiny creatures brought with them. _But why though?_

"Way ahead of you," She smirked. The two began viciously whacking the tiny monsters. We stood behind them, looking at Sergei and Dipper drive up in the golf cart. Seeing the small seating though, we saw that it proved a problem.

"We're not all going to-" I was cut off as a screech came from behind us, and sighed in relief. _Great timing._ As slow as her arrival was, Axel landed in between the car and us. Growling at the Lilliputtians, they wisely chose to get out of her way. "Finally!" Asger and I rushed over to her, and climbed onto her back. __Wait a second. I'm on a dragon… I'M ON A DRAGON!__ If this wasn't life or death right now, I'd be having a major fangirl episode. _Being snatched out of the sky doesn't count, but this does!_ "Dipper, you get the girls out!"

Dipper nodded as Pacifica and Mabel climbed in beside him, Sergei sitting on the back where the clubs were. "Gun it!" Mabel yelled, and the four took off. Seeing our cue, Axel bent down and sprung into the air, her wings pounding to get enough altitude above the course. I gave a startled shout, holding on to Asger tightly. I had no problem with heights, even though they made me a little on edge now. But I usually I wasn't on a fire breathing lizard!

"There goes Sergei," Asger said. We looked down to see the man had fallen off. "We'll… worry about him later." We continued to look down below us, seeing Mabel get up from her seat to look at the top of the roof where Franz was. She exchanged a few words with him, before striking him with her club and sending him straight into the bonus hole. The warning lights sounded, triggering the explosion and lifting the kids up into the air with enough momentum to slide through the gate as it closed. Only a few seconds once it stopped skidding, the thing broke apart. Asger tapped Axel's head, and the lizard dived down to land beside them, snorting softly.

Looking over at the door, we saw several pencils and an ax poke through the wood. "Stay out, you dumb hugelings!" Franz shouted as golf balls began getting tossed over the fence, followed by a well-aimed ax through a sign on the door.

"What did you say, you little trolls?" Pacifica got up, storming to the door. "I will sue you! I will sue you, and I will own you!" She punched the door, panting, and turned to Dipper and Mabel. "You two! I don't know what you did or what's going on, but if you think I'm gonna forgive you for that I-"

She stopped short, seeing Mabel hand her a sticker. "I'm sorry, Pacifica. We shouldn't have cheated. You have every right to be mad at me." Mabel smiled shyly. "Are we still cool?"

Pacifica examined the sticker, and a small smile crept over her face. Sticking it to her shirt, she looked away. "You're just lucky this sticker looks fantastic on me." Her eyes darted back to the brunette, and Mabel gave a giggle. Axel and Asger exchanged a look, and the teen nodded. On command, the dragon took off, flying towards what was probably the mansion.

Just as she was out of sight, Stan and Soos pulled up in the car. Popping open the door, Dipper, me, and Mabel crawled in. Looking back, Mabel grinned at Pacifica. "Hey! Your parents aren't here. Want a ride home?"

Pacifica looked as if she was about to protest, but the lightning strike behind her encouraged the two into the car. Dipper and Asger were stuck on the ends, with me jammed moved around so I was now stuck in between Mabel and Pacifica. __Thank goodness Mabel is the one beside Dipper.__ Telling Stan where to go, Asger settled into his seat as we drove off. Stan and Soos began singing some sort of driving song, about the headlights are off and they can't see where they're going. Mabel bounced in her seat to the tune, and Asger looked ahead anxiously.

Pacifica rested her hand down on the seat, before pulling it up in disgust. A wad of gum was stuck under it. Shaking it off, she heard Mabel exclaim, "hey, I found two tacos!" Looking up, she saw Mabel sit back down in her seat, the food in her hands. Taking a happy bite from one of them, she grinned happily.

"You're allowed to eat in the car?" Pacifica asked, confused. Mabel swallowed the bite, and grinned.

"Pffft! Yeah! The car is where secret surprise snacks happen!" Smacking her lips, she held out the other taco. "Want one?"

"Oh, I'm not supposed to take handouts," Pacifica told her, waving her hand.

"Handouts? It's called sharing!" Mabel elbowed her gently teasingly, before registering what she said. "You do know what sharing is, right?" She asked, a note of sadness in her voice.

"Sha-shaawing?" Pacifica tried to pronounce the word, failing. This made Mabel feel even more guilty, and she paced her hand and the food in Pacifica's.

"Just take it." Pacifica took it from Mabel's hand, and the brunette went happily back to her taco. Taking another gleeful bite, the blonde stared down at her food. Looking down at her, I watched a series of emotions go across her face, and it looked as if she was close to tears. Lightly tightening her grip on the taco with a pitiful smile, she took a bite.

The ride went by quietly after that, the girls finishing their tacos. In the distance, I could make out the approaching gates of the Northwest Mansion. __Now or never.__ "Hey, Pacifica?" Pacifica turned to face me. "Listen. I know it's not for me to say, but… if there's ever something bothering you; friends, family, talk to me, okay? You don't just have to talk to Asger. You can talk to me. I want to help, with whatever is bothering you, okay?"

Dipper and Mabel were quiet next to me, surprised by my words. Asger smiled, clearly touched at what I was doing for his cousin. As the car came to a stop, Asger opened the door for her. Before she climbed out though, Pacifica gave me a quick hug, burying her face in the crook of my shoulder. "Thank you," she whispered, and hurried out of the vehicle. Smiling, I looked back at the twins. "What?" Dipper shook his head, sharing my amused expression as Mabel rested her head on me.

"Thanks for the ride, guys!" Asger called as they stood outside of the gate. "See you soon, Elaine." I saluted him, winking.

"Oh, and Mabel?" Pacifica also turned around. "Thanks. And tell your servant I like his W-neck!"

We turned to look at Soos questioningly. "Yes!" He fist pumped the air, and the bit of cloth that made the W fell down.

"So, are we all like, cool now?" Dipper asked Mabel.

"I think we're even closer than before," Mabel said. The three of us watched the two, waiting for the door to open. "The important thing to remember is that at the end of the day, they're just ordinary kids like us." The gates swung open, revealing fountains and peacocks. A mountain range stood proudly behind the mansion, and pink fireworks began shooting up into the night sky, spelling Pacifica's name.

"Should have charged her for that taco," Dipper deadpanned.

"Agreed!" Mabel cheered. Pulling back onto the road, Stan drove us back to the Mystery Shack.

"Hey, got any more of those surprise tacos?" Soos asked, earning laughs from everyone. Sighing, I nestled deeper into the chair. _Now… to focus on other matters._

(Time Skip)

Curling up on the window seat in the attic with a cup of hot chocolate and journal three, I finally took the time to read about the bunker. There were many pages written in code and formulas that went far over my head, but it was when Ford found the shape shifter that really caught my interest. From only turning to herbivores because of a fear of him turning into larger and more vicious creatures, to Fiddleford being skeptical of the monster as a whole. Apparently, he had to keep reminding Ford that the shape shifter was for research only.

Then… there was how the monster ended up being captured for three decades.

He had tricked Ford into thinking he was Fiddleford, and bound and gagged the real Fiddleford before shoving him in a closet. If it wasn't for Ford's quick thinking and made a fake journal to lure him into a tube to be frozen, who knows what would have happened. The shape shifter with the journal… that was an absolute nightmare.

That was what I wanted to cover today. I didn't want to move any further than that, but there was a few things I wanted to do now. Smirking, I reached into my bag and pulled out a small black flashlight. A UV flashlight. Much more reasonable than the thing Dipper carried around with him.

It was late, so the room was already dark enough to examine the journal. I was so excited for this, not gonna lie. There were key things I was looking for. In short, anything that might be worth being written down.

Staring at the back, I turned on the flashlight, and began scanning through the book. Bright green text shone back at me as I moved the light away, and I grinned as I began reading. " ** **The deeper in the woods you go, the more wild and RUDE the gnomes turn****!" __So gnomes become more intense the further you get. Gnome queens sometimes get eaten alive due their diet of pie and candy by foxes and… boy scouts!? Why would a young boy eat a gnome!?__

Flipping to the page that described Bill as a muse, I ran the light over it. " ** **My Muse LIED TO ME! HOW COULD I EVER HAVE BEEN SO FOOLISH****?" A image of Bill peering over the mountains stared back, and I shivered at the greenish glow that stared back. __Yikes.__ Glancing to the next page, I found an image of some sort of lizard in the stars that Ford found in an old scroll. " ** **Out of all the idiots in the entire universe, why was I the one to fall prey to Bill's villainy? If beings of such evil can exist in the cosmos, could there possibly be other beings of equal and opposite good? Or is the vast universe filled only with darkness? Some force compels me against reason to maintain Hope**** …"

I began flipping again, ignoring the lesser pages of deformed birds and moth men as I pondered Ford's words. There was something out there that was as strong if not stronger than Bill? Something of good nature? I knew Time Baby was more neutral than anything else, so then… what was this chapter hinting towards? There's so much more that could be revealed if I continue, but I need to wrap this up for now. Glancing to and from the history page, I groaned, and closed the book. "I'm done. I am freakin' done."

"You sure about that, Angel?" __And there he is!__ Glaring at the smug triangle, I sat the journals off to the side, more specifically sliding Ford's behind my back. "I was certain you weren't." Arms crossed behind his back, he leered down at me. "Well, Angel? I'm waiting!"

"You've been… watching me, haven't you?" I asked carefully. I didn't need to start screaming at him. "I know you have."

"Do you, now?" Bill taunted. "And why do you suppose I do that?" He drifted closer, leaving only a few feet in between us.

"Because I intrigue you," I responded, not letting the closeness get to me. "Because I am one of if not the only human that is not bothered by you and what you stand for. Your chaos, your insanity; I don't mind it." I sighed, leaning against the pane. I had been thinking about how to answer to him since Scary-oke. What I had decided, was that showing anger and frustration wouldn't lead to anywhere. "True, you terrify me half to death, make me question my sanity on a regular basis. But I… don't mind." Looking away, I frowned, running that sentence through my head. __I don't mind.__ Turning back to the demon, I placed my hands on my hips. "Why did you do that Bill? You don't have feelings. You've said so yourself." Even though I didn't believe that in the slightest, love of all things was the last one to come to mind around him.

"I can feel things, Angel. But whatever I'm feeling towards is something I haven't felt in a long time." Yeah, because that cleared things up a whole bunch. Bill put his hands on his angles, and moved even closer. Inching further back, I moved my arms and drew my knees to my chest, choosing to hug them. "Remember what I said back in Fez's mind, kid?"

"That… only you could make me feel. That… you want to keep me safe, and that I was yours," I mumbled. "Is this because of how much we are around each other, or is it because of you branding me at the start of the summer?"

"Both. None." Bill shrugged. He leaned backwards, kicking his legs up in the air and moving his hands behind him again. "Does it matter? The point is, I like you. Whether it's because of your so called 'love' or that demonic possessiveness kink you go on about." I blushed at that. Had I really thought about that that often? The idea first came into my head during Dreamscaperers, and sort of… stuck. "And I know for a fact you… hehehe!" He stopped to chuckle. "Like me too! Man, aren't you a pathetic fleshbag!"

 _ _It's not like I can help that.__ The monster grew on me. Why was it that I was okay with this sadistic freak? Why was I okay with his behavior, and degrading, and unusual insults? Because… I enjoyed his company. But… did I like him more than that? "Bill? What exactly do we do now?"

"That's up to you, kid," Bill replied. "Frankly, I don't care much about what decision you make. I'll still act the same around you. All that will change is how you act towards me. Be more open, and I get to hang around you more than our usual meetings." I nodded, biting the inside of my mouth. He wouldn't care what I did. He was the one to kiss me, even though I still had no idea why. Was he testing a theory, because it sounded like it?. But… what did I personally want to happen next? Did I want this? For the past few weeks, ever since I found at about Dipper's crush on me, I had told myself that I didn't want a relationship while I was there. I didn't need to bond any further with anyone than I already had. But… wasn't Bill the exception? Wasn't he the one to bring me back home?

I'd already fallen so much already, having gone off the path I told myself to follow and I didn't see myself going back there anytime soon. "Bill, I'm gonna be straight," I began cautiously. "You have zero idea about feelings and how to act on them. Neither do I, to an extent. Honestly, relationships confuse the heck out of me. I've tried to find someone, and it always ended up going sideways. But…" __this is it, Elaine. No... turning back from this point on.__ "I… I'm willing to try it." I sat back up, and lowered my legs to the ground slowly, body shaking at my final words. "I'm willing to try it if… if you are, Bill"

The triangle's eye widened in delight at my answer, and I did wonder if he expected me to say no. He moved in to fill the gap, and ruffled my head, sending the loose strands of brown spiraling around my face. "Was hoping you'd say that, Angel." Retracting his black arm, he hooked it around my back, placing it in between my shoulder blades while the other hand pinched my chin and directed my face to meet his. The pointed obsidian nails still dug into my skin, thankfully not drawing any blood.

I will say, the second kiss was more expected this time around, and I was actually ready for it this time. He wasn't forcing me into it, but Bill was clearly the one in control. His mouth was shaped and felt similar to a human's, despite it being a bright yellow. Odd, since his body was a pyramid. As I sat there, a random thought popped into my head. __Blood and wine.__ That's… what he tasted like. I had bitten the inside of my mouth too hard countless times, and knew what blood tasted like. For Bill though, it didn't shock me as much as it would've. The odd metallic tang filled my mouth with the sweetness of his favorite wine, making a very unusual taste.

This though… was it wrong? I was a human. Almost an adult, mind you, but a teenager. He was a trillion year old entity that could kill me without a care. _I wonder how his age thing worked though. If he's a trillion, how would that equal in his own years? How did time pass in that dimension?_ He wasn't my species, but he had a higher intelligence, so did that equal things out, or…?

But Bill didn't believe in rules. He followed his own philosophy that meant he could do whatever he wanted without caring about the consequences. That laws were useless and that they were supposed to be broken. He didn't care for any lives he ruined as they held no merit to him, and enjoyed delivering pain on people he saw below him. Let's face it, I was diving deeper and deeper into a hole I couldn't get myself out of.

 _ _This time though… did I really care?__ Breaking apart to let my almost drained lungs to refill, I smiled nervously at Bill. The demon's eye had returned, and stared at me, still giving the representation of smiling. __I… somewhat. But for now… n_ ow, was gonna mess me up big time._ "Everything's different now," I mumbled, more to myself if anything. "Everything's… different now, isn't it?"

"Ha ha ha! And did you really think otherwise?" Bill asked and flew beside me, and gave me a one armed hug. "We're partners, Angel. Have been from the start. Better get used to remembering that." Well, at least he wasn't thinking of me so lowly from the start. __Looks like I'll have to, Bill,__ I weakly replied in my head, keeping that last idea to myself.

Well, wasn't this just gonna screw EVERYTHING over!

* * *

 ** **There we are! This chapter was one I really enjoyed writing. I never even planned to go down that route with Pacifica, but once I started, I just couldn't stop. Bill and Elaine… NOICE!****

 ** **Stay tuned for the next update, guys! It's… BIPPER TIME!****

 ** **Angel****


	40. Sock Opera Part 1

****Disclaimer: Welcome back everyone! It's... BIPPER TIME!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: I know, I know. This isn't gonna end well. Of course I'm including the note. Not gonna let that one get away from me. Question is, how did THAT get past the Disney censors?****

 ** **Guest: Thanks!****

 ** **Guest (another one): Thank you!****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Down, man. Things are going DOWN.****

 ** **MtVS17: The turning point in their relationship was supposed to be bittersweet. Nothing with Bill is ever sunshine and rainbows. Interesting ideas, by the way. I was already thinking of something among those lines, but you just gave me an even better idea!****

 ** **EmmieSauce: No, he isn't gonna kiss her in front of Dipper. The twins don't need to know about their partnership growth just yet.****

 ** **Guest (again): Oh, Bipper is gonna make these next two chapters as dark as Cipher's soul… if he had one, that is.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Glad to know forced kissing is beautiful. ;)****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Thanks!****

 ** **RillFipher: CLEAR! (Brings her back to life with shock)****

 ** **formerEMObillc: Bill screws humanity's morals. I bet most fans wouldn't mind if Cipher popped up into their life too, but like Elaine, I know how horrible that can turn in a second.****

 ** **caloricmangos: Most people probably would agree with that. :)****

 ** **the Stargazer: No, Bill can't use Elaine's body. It was one of the rules of her deal, that she can't give him the journals, or let him possess her. She didn't want to mess anything up, and took precautions. That is to say, that doesn't mean Bipper isn't gonna have a little 'fun' with her. Bill and Elaine scene… yeah, it's creepy. I'm glad you like how I use the lesser episodes. Thanks for the review!****

 ** **By the way, I went back and edited that scene with Bill and Elaine two days after it was posted. I thought I needed to fix how unwilling Elaine is about the whole relationship thing.****

 ** **I own Elaine. Devil's Train is by The Lab Rats.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 16/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Alright, guys, today is the big day."

"Big day!" Mabel cheered, and I giggled at her enthusiasm. We were curled up in a corner of the library, with Dipper taking Ford's laptop out of my bag. Well, giggle-yawn was a better term. It had been a long, looong night, especially with my new… situation. I allowed Bill to… kiss me. I, uh, wasn't as intense as some fans I knew online, who would love to be in my position. But if they had to put up with what I had been going through all summer with the life-and-death stuff, they'd probably be sent running.

But now, this was just another secret that I needed to keep from the twins. They already knew of my deal, and where I came from, but not the finer details of both subjects. To be honest, if I did end having to tell them about the cartoon thing, then it'd be at the end. Possibly around Ford's return, or further. If Dipper knew about my knowledge of Ford, he'd never let me forget it. After all, it was his mission to knew who he was, and with his best friend knowing all along… I couldn't do it.

 _Still, that means I'm… dating Bill?_ I wasn't sure what I'd call it, but that was something to figure out later. "Soos finally fixed the laptop. If this thing works, we could learn the identity of the author and unravel the greatest mysteries of Gravity Falls. You ready?" Dipper smirked, plugging the power cord into the wall.

"Oh, I'm ready, baby." Mabel slid a book out from a shelf and opened it. "Ma-ma." __How did she know it'd be an infant pop-up book?__

Shaking my head, I reached in between them, and flipped the red power switch in the top right corner. The two were sitting down, while I had to stand because we couldn't all fit around the machine. The screen lit up in neon green, and went through its powering up sequence. "This is it. This is it," Dipper said in anticipation. Once the images settled down, I grinned to myself, watching a welcome banner appear over a digital version of the portal. __Nice touch, McGucket.__ "Aha! It worked!" He spun his chair around to face Mabel, and the two did a silly handshake. "Blip, blap, bloobity bloop, twins," they said together, ending with a raspberry. A small red light lit up our faces with a buzzer going off, and we looked back at the laptop.

"Of course there would be a password," I muttered, crossing my arms. "Why not? Not like this search isn't already a pain in the-"

"Elaine!" Mabel interrupted me, giggling at my frustration. "Don't worry, guys. With your brains' and my laser focus, there is literally nothing that can distract us from… did you hear that?" We turned around, and watched a blonde boy possibly a few months older than Mabel put on a puppet show for the younger children. You know, if it wasn't for his creepy obsession with his puppets, I'd say Mabel and him would get along just fine. Both were craft experts, and were not afraid to show it. __I can respect that.__

"Ba bump. Ba bump." I looked from Gabe to Mabel, and could see figurative hearts in her eyes, and a pop-up heart in the book she was holding.

"Oh no." Dipper got up off his chair, and walked over to the bookshelf next to him.

"Just when I was getting over Mermando, of course you show up at my doorstep," Mabel cried dramatically, holding her hands to her cheeks in wonder.

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about Mermando," Dipper replied. "Did not care for Mermando." __Hey, he was your first kiss, kid! Don't be hating on him for that!__ Dipper returned to his seat, holding a thick dusty book. "Okay, this cryptology book says there's 7.2 million 8-lettered words. I'll type, you two read. Okay, Mabel?" We looked down at the spinning chair, and sighed in unison. "Oh well. Best get started."

I began reading off the list, and Dipper input the letters into the machine. He wasn't taking his time in typing, wanting to get the right code as fast as he could. We got roughly through 2 pages before Mabel returned, sliding up alongside her brother. "How'd it go, Mabel? We got a winner?"

"Guys, how hard do you think it'd be to write and compose a sock puppet rock opera with lights, original music and live pyrotechnics by Friday?"

"… what!?" We whirled around to stare at Mabel in shock. Was she actually serious right now? "Mabel, are you serious? That's insane!" I said, voice rising at the end.

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" Mabel grabbed our shirts, pulling us towards her. "I got lost in his eyes and his ponytail and I'm gonna be so embarrassed on Friday if I don't have ANYTHING!"

"What about cracking the code?" Dipper reminded her, trying to calm her down. "You know, Mystery Kids?"

"If you help me with this for JUST a couple of days, I promise I'll help you with the password! Please, pretty please!" She brought her hands together, and gave him the puppy dog eyes. "It's for love, Dipper," she whispered.

"… fine," Dipper relented, and gave her a small smile. "Alright, okay-"

"YES!" Mabel brought him into a power hug, and twirled him around before letting go. "THANK YOU! THIS GUY! HE'S NUMBER ONE!" She cheered, pointing at him for the rest of the people to see.

"Okay, okay, okay, shhh…" Dipper covered her mouth, and Mabel giggled helplessly behind it. Picking up the laptop, I slid it under my arm and followed after them as we exited the library. "I can't wait to get to the bottom of this laptop. We're close to something big here; I can feel it." I nodded to myself, agreeing with his words until I remembered something. Something crucial. __Wait a minute.__ Quickly, I turned to look at the stain glass window beside me, and sighed. __Couldn't wait until later to stalk us, Cipher?__ Bill's shadow halted on the wall, and I nodded at it. _Yes, I can see you._ Just like we all could back at the Shack days ago. __Well, have fun!__ With a small wave, I jogged to catch up with the twins, leaving the confused demon behind.

(Time Skip)

It took about two days before Dipper essentially died… of sleep. He really was a great help with making the puppets, and had an eye for detail. Not in the sense as Mabel, but he was very realistic in hair design and outfits. Guess this came from all those sketches I'd seen him draw in the journal. I sucked at needles and sewing; Gail was much better at that than I ever was, which was why I gave my need-to-be mended clothes to her. Instead, I helped design the backdrops with the other teens. This has led me to own a pair of paint splattered overalls and a massive gray shirt with holes in it. _Yeah, I don't think I'll be keeping these._

Wednesday night, and I sleepily looked from Mabel to Dipper on either side of me, tucked comfortably under my covers. Mabel had a dozen puppets surrounding her, with a Gabe puppet wrapped in her arms. Dipper had a massive pile of papers around him, and his face pressed against the keyboard. The annoying red light lit up his darkened eyes, and I sighed at his stupid determination with this project. Sleep was not going to kill him. "Oh, kid. You're gonna be exhausted for days…"

"You gotta admit though, Angel, Pine Tree's certainly determined." Blinking, I didn't even have time to register the sudden shift and scenery and the muffled words of Bill as I found myself standing in the Nightmare Realm. _Wh…?_ _ _But-but how did I… I already fell asleep!__ "Yep!" Bill laughed, and took off towards the crater where the others were. "You were out like a light! About time too. I thought I'd have to knock you out again!" I chased after him, running his words through my head.

"So I take it you wanted to talk to me about what happened a few days ago in the library, with the laptop?" I asked, thankful that the meteor actually had gravity on it and that he had started to glow down to let me catch up with him.

"Not exactly, Angel. Have to admit though, I'm impressed that you noticed me." We walked towards the crater where the rest of the demons were, and Bill slipped his skinny arm around my shoulders. "Most fleshbags wouldn't give a second thought about seeing my shadow. In fact, they usually don't even notice." He thought that over, and backed it up with, "the invasion of Fez's mind fell into a different category. They could see me, because you pointed me out. If you didn't, they probably would've have seen anything until the old man started kicking and screaming."

"Well, ever since I started dealing with you, I've learned to keep on my toes. It's better to be wary than get myself killed." _Learned that the hard way at the start of the summer._ Chuckling at my answer, we went down the incline, and over to where a majority of the demons were. __The bar?__ "Bill, um… do the others know about… what happened?"

Bill looked at me for a split second before laughing loudly. "Ha ha ha ha ha! Kid, aren't you going to be in for a surprise!" __What does he mean by that?__ We stopped behind Zanthar, and I leaned around his tree trunk sized legs to see Pyronica, 8-Ball, Keyhole, and Teeth hand four large mugs of cosmic sand over to Kryptos; the demon looked exceedingly pleased with himself. "Look who finally decided to join the party, boys?"

They all turned to look at us, and Pyronica immediately walked forward and gave me a bone crushing hug. "Ah! P-Pyronica?" I squeaked, feet dangling from being lifted into the air and my face pressed against her chest. "Wh-what the-?"

"Congratulations, fleshy! Knew you would finally join our side!" She dropped me to the ground, and I stumbled in regaining my footing. "Not many demons let alone humans catch his eye. You two put on quite a show for us."

"P-put on a sh-? Wait, hold up. You guys were watching us!?" I knew that the others had to have some idea of what went on in our world; Bill couldn't possibly tell them in person all the time, or send one of the lesser demons to spread the word. But did they really watch what happened in one of the weirdness bubbles!? "H-how!?"

"It wasn't that hard," Teeth shrugged. "Boss thought we'd enjoy the entertainment." He laughed, and I stepped back in nervous anger. These guys thought my life was a show? For their own amusement? __At least… Pyronica acted more behaved around me.__

"Then… what's with all the drinks?" I gestured to the mugs. "Because I highly doubt that you'd all give Kryptos those willingly."

"He won the bet," 8-Ball grumbled. "You were the one to accept his feelings first, and weren't fighting as much as we'd have thought you'd would."

"They basically bet on who would act first, kid," Bill patted my head, 'smirking' at how uncomfortable I was. "They had to debate on that since I kissed you first, but you were the one to lead to that with your question. He won, so the others are paying up."

"Loser had to give the winner drinks," Pyronica supplied, still grinning. "I'm fine with that, 'cause this is much more interesting. Better keep your eye on this one, Bill. She's a keeper."

"You know I will, Pyronica," Bill put his arm around me again, and I gave an unimpressed look.

"Not like that isn't much of a change already," I deadpanned. "Bill, as much as I find this amusing, and how hilarious it'd be to see Kryptos get himself drunk, I need to get some actual sleep."

Bill rolled his eye, and moved his arm to grab my hand. "Alright, Angel. Yeesh, you're so needy," he muttered.

"And you're such a pain in the butt," I rebutted. Bill's eye narrowed, and we glared at each other, waiting to see who moved first.

"They really are perfect for each other." Kryptos' statement earned chuckles from the crowd, and we broke our staring contest, remembering we had an audience. I blushed a little at the attention, before I was dragged off back towards the cliff. "She's certainly a change in the normal routine, isn't she?"

Once we were far enough away, I looked back at Cipher. "How on earth am I a good change?" I finally asked, wanting to break the silence. "You guys can do anything, so how am I a good thing?"

"Angel, you really don't get it, do you?" Bill stopped, and floated in front of me. "You're a variable that threw herself into my plan with no warning. I didn't see you coming, and that intrigued me and the Henchmaniacs. You're new. You're unpredictable. That's what I like about you." He held a hand to his brow, and laughed to himself. "Why else do you think I'm so attached to you?"

"Because it's easier to make sure I don't do something stupid?" I asked, tilting my head.

"Nope. Because you're a freak, just like the rest of us. Yeah, what you said was valid, but consider the benefits from this, kid! Once I conquer that dimension, you'll be right by my side, playing a role you couldn't even begin to imagine!"

Not gonna lie, that didn't sound good. But… I couldn't help but find that was also interesting. Dark, and horrific, but a little interesting. _What could Bill have planned for Gravity Falls, and what power could I possibly-whoa._ Whoa! Not considering this! "Bill, cut that out. You know that I'm not staying in Gravity Falls." That was the whole reason why I even put up with him at the very start, because of our deal to get me home.

"You sure about that, kid?" Bill asked slyly. "You've been having a fair amount of doubts about it. You've really come attached to the Pines, haven't you? It's gonna be a pain for them and you when you leave."

"Don't you think I don't already know that!?" I snapped. Shaking my head, I slowly responded, trying to calm down from that painful reminder. "Bill, I can't stay here forever. Gail needs me. My parents need me. I have a life outside of this world. As much as I love it here, I can't stay."

"Never say never, Angel." _That's a little ominous._ "Well, see you later!" I opened my mouth to say goodbye, only for Bill to quickly zoom in and peck me on the lips. Pulling back as fast as he moved, he 'grinned' as I sputtered in surprise.

"B-Bill!" I cried, holding a hand to my mouth.

"Bill!" He repeated, laughing. Bill held up a hand, and prepared his fingers for a snap. "I'll be seeing you kid, much sooner than you think." He snapped his hand, and I bolted up from my bed, panting.

Looking around for any sign of Dipper and Mabel, I grabbed my pillow and threw it across the room. _Surprise kisses are not something I enjoy._ I flopped backwards and stared up at the ceiling. What did he mean by… never say never? I wanted to go back home… didn't I? "Oh, this is gonna be a pain of an adventure, isn't it?"

"LOOOOOOVVVVVEEEE!" _And of course there's… that too._

(Time Skip)

"Goodnight, my babies." Back in bed again after a busy day of painting, I watched Mabel pick up the Gabe puppet and walk it over to the Mabel puppet from her bed. "Mwop mwop mwop mwop. Mwah!" The puppets kissed, and she began stroking Gabe's hair. "Soon, Gabe Benson-"

"Ugh, wrong password." We turned to watch Dipper scream at the laptop, even more papers scattered around him. "WRONG, WRONG! UGH!" He collapsed onto his pillow, and tiredly began to try and eat his shirt.

"Don't stay up all night, Dipper," Mabel advised. "Last time you got this sleep-deprived you tried to eat your own shirt… and you already are."

"Wha-pleh!" He spat it out, and fixed said shirt. "Just a few more tries, okay?" He got up, and pulled on a dark blue jacket instead of his vest. "Elaine, can you give me a hand? I don't wanna risk falling asleep and falling off the roof."

"Okay, kid. Seeing that I slept in this morning, I should be awake enough to lend a hand." I got up, and grabbed one of my flannel shirts and threw it on. Buttoning it up, we hurried on up to the spot on the roof, and got to work as the moon began to rise overhead. Crows cawed in the distance within the trees, and the wind was cooler than normal. "Man, this is… creepy."

It wasn't long before Dipper's frustration got to him again. I wasn't keeping track of the time, as we didn't have a clock, but he had started to bang his hands against the keyboard. "Ugh, I can't take that sound anymore. I. Hate. You. Sound." Pausing to yawn, Dipper rubbed his eyelids tiredly as the machine balanced on his lap. "There has to be some shortcut or clue. Who would know about secret codes?"

The moment the words left his mouth, the wind picked up, and we watched the weather vane spin wildly behind our heads. As the leaves flew past us off the roof, Dipper closed the laptop and tucked it under his arm. I stood up beside him, and we turned around to look at where the wind was blowing, only for a bright spotlight to shine down from behind us. "Aah!" We turned around to see the moon with a giant slit pupil in the middle of it, giving startled cries. Neon blue bricks appeared from either side, and began to form the image that was Bill. With a flash of blue lightning, the demon himself appeared, slightly larger than normal, and we were thrust into the Mindscape.

"I THINK I KNOW A GUY!" Twirling his cane, Bill shrunk down in size and moved closer. "Well, well, well. You're awfully persistent, Pine Tree, Angel. Hats off to you!" He took off his top hat, taking gravity along with it. Screaming, we tumbled along the back of the roof before he straightened it out again, making us fall onto our backsides.

"You again!" Dipper growled. The boy moved in front of me as we got to our feet, trying to keep me away from Cipher. __As if that's gonna work, kid.__ _ _Still, thanks for trying.__

He seemed to notice it too, either focusing on my thoughts or my actions, but continued with his spiel. "Did you miss me? Admit it, you missed." Bill squinted, holding a finger to his… cheek maybe, in a mocking manner.

"Hardly," Dipper replied, tightening his hold on the laptop. "You worked with Gideon! You tried to destroy my uncle's mind! And you've got Elaine stuck in a deal that practically gave her soul away!"

"Please, Pine Tree, Angel's no good to me without that. Her soul is still her own. All I need her for is eyes in your dimension and some special knowledge that I can't access. After all, I find that all Angel needs is just a little nudge in the right direction, and I can give it to her. Why do you think I did that earlier?" Dipper narrowed his eyes, not pleased with the explanation and knowing exactly what 'that earlier' was referring to. "They're just jobs, kid! No hard feelings! I've been keeping an ****EYE ON YOU**** since then," Bill continued, circling around us as a predator checked out his prey. "And I have to say I'm impressed!"

We looked at each other, not believing him in the slightest. "Really?" We said together, voices heavy with sarcasm. As if we believed a lick of what he was saying.

"You two deserve a prize! Here, have a head that's always screaming!" Bill clapped his hands, and a ghostly green severed head appeared in midair, plopping to the roof in front of us.

"AAH! AAH! AHH!" It screamed, making Dipper jump back in fright. Bill chuckled, and pointed a finger at the dismembered head. To my disgust and horror, the unknown head disappeared upwards, layer. By. Layer. Skin, muscle tissues, and bone, all rising up into the sky piece by piece before vanishing altogether. I held back the bile building in my throat, and awkwardly swallowed. I'd seen Dipper slash the shape shifter's face and blinded him, splattering green blood everywhere. This was much, much more revolting. _I… I don't know if I can puke in the Mindscape, but I'm not willing to see if that's true or not._

"The point is, I like you." Bill sat down on the edge of the roof, 'smirking'. His arm twisted in unnatural angles, stretching above our heads to nudge us closer to him. The ever-present smile still on his face… well, sort of a smile. "How's about you let me give you a hint, huh?" He closed his eye, twirling his wrist in thought. "I only ask for a small ****FAVOR**** in return." He lit up his hand and eye in bright blue, staring at us intensely before he relaxed, extinguishing the flame.

"I'd never do a favor for you!" Dipper shouted, pointing at him. After seeing how much I'd suffered from my deal, he knew better than to shake Bill's hand. "Don't forget who defeated you last time!"

Bill rose up from behind us, and I wrapped my arms around Dipper in protection. The triangle's eyelid narrowed at my action, but remained silent. "Right, you 'defeated me'." _Definitely air quotes around that._ "Well if you ever change your mind," he said, reaching into Dipper's head and pulling out a light blue brain before having it vanish. My grip tightened, seeing how easily the black fingers went into his skull. "I'll be here for you, ready to make a deeaaall." He pretended to be a slot machine, making his tie turn into three slots and having Dipper' symbol appear on each. "Hey, wanna hear my impression of you two in about three seconds? AAAAAAAAH!" Bill screamed, waving his arms around as his eye was stretched out to mimic a wide mouth.

"AAAAAAAAH!" Sitting upright, I found myself making the exact same noise, with Dipper screaming alongside me, and… hitting me in the face by accident with his hand. "Ow!"

"O-Oh! Sorry, Elaine," Dipper quickly said. Rubbing my cheek, we looked around, seeing that the sun was rising in the distance. "Were we really out all night?"

"With Bill, it's hard to determine how time passes. The matter essentially becomes dead." Standing back up, I stretched my back and held out a hand. "C'mon. We gotta tell Mabel."

Creeping back down the ladder, we walked, actually more liked dragged, ourselves into the kitchen. Stan and Mabel looked over at us, and Dipper greeted Mabel with a yawn. "Hey, Mabel."

'Whoa, bag check for Dipper's eyes. Ha ha!" Stan laughed, seeing the dark circles under the boy's eyes until he saw nobody was joining him. "Nobody?"

"Dipper, I told you to get some sleep last night!" Mabel said, clearly disappointed. I was used to the odd sleeping schedule with Bill, and the demon allowed me to get enough REM to register for the next day. "Here, wake up with some Mabel Juice." She held up a blender with sparkly red liquid, and… plastic toys? _Isn't that a health hazard?_ "It has plastic dinosaurs in it!"

"It's like if coffee and nightmares had a baby!" Stan said, apparently speaking from experience. Rolling my eyes, I grabbed Mabel's hand, and dragged her out of the room and into the hall, Dipper right behind me. The blender was still in her arms, having no time to set it down. "Mabel, last night me and Dipper both had a dream with Bill in it?" I got straight to the point, not letting Dipper speak.

"Bill?" Mabel repeated, looking from me to Dipper anxiously. "What did he want with you two?"

"More like what he wanted from me," Dipper said. "He said he'd give me the code to the laptop if I gave him something. Like I'd actually trust Bill, right?" He laughed at the idea. "After all he's done to Elaine?"

"Don't worry, bro. Today's the day that the Mystery Kids are back in action. I'll help you crack that code. I've just got to hand off my puppet stuff to my production crew," Mabel told us, smiling.

"Production crew?"

Ah, Candy and Grenda… and Pacifica, apparently. The three were covered in sock puppets, and smiled at Mabel. In the background, Wendy and Soos were attaching the backdrops to the car with multiple ropes. The smaller stage sets were packed into the trunk and back seat, while the larger ones were oddly placed on top. "We read the script. Very emotional," Candy told her, adjusting her glasses.

"I cried like eight times," Grenda added.

"I'm just impressed you did all this in a week," Pacifica said. "You must be really serious about this."

"Hey ladies." We turned around, and saw Gabe skate up to us from the road, a pink helmet on his head.

"GABE!" Mabel cheered.

"I was just bladin' by. Helps me dry out my ponytail after a shower." He took off the helmet, and shook his hair. Which was actually impressive, as the puppets were still on his hands. "Ah, ah."

"Hubbity-bubbity," Grenda exclaimed. Candy mumbled something in Korean, while Pacifica didn't look as impressed. Guess she already knew how weird he was.

"It's so great to see you!" Mabel ran up to him. "I was just working on the world's greatest puppet show. IT HAS PUPPETS!"

"That's what makes it a puppet show," I said quietly, earning a small laugh from Dipper.

"Your passion is so refreshing, Mabel," Gabe complimented. "Unlike the girl from last night's puppet show. Single-stitch on one puppet, and cross-stitch on the other?" He put his hands on his hips, and shook his head. "I was like, 'uh-uh'!"

"Cross-huh?" Mabel asked, speaking just above a whisper.

"Naturally I deleted her off my cell phone contacts list," Gabe continued.

"NATURALLY!" Mabel repeated, laughing nervously. Dipper and I watched the exchange, seeing how the girl was starting to doubt herself.

"I know you won't let me down. Based on what you said the other day, you must be a puppet expert," Gabe smiled, pointing at her with the bee puppet.

"You know, Gabe, you look pretty sweaty. You should really take your shirt off." Everyone sans Mabel and Gabe himself stared at Grenda, and she realized how odd that sounded. "Right? Aren't we all thinking that?"

"Later, ladies." Snapping the helmet back on, he took off down the road, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

Once he was out of sight, Mabel turned around in terror. "GWAA! We gotta up our game, girls! Did you hear that thing he said about the stitches!?"

"Don't worry, Mabel, your crew can handle it!" Grenda put down the box, and held up a puppet version of her, only to accidentally rip the arms off. "Oops."

"How many eyes does a face have again?" Candy held up a blue sock with at least ten eyes glued to it. Pacifica sighed, and sat her box down and began removing the excess eyes.

"Two, Candy. A face has two eyes. Count how many you have, and base the puppet of that," she told the shorter girl. A loud crash came from behind us, and we saw Soos had fallen off the top of the car along with the props, setting of the alarm. __I spent a whole day working on that!__

"AAH!" Mabel screamed, tugging at her hair. "Okay, I'm back on fabrication. Get me my lint roller!" She yelled back at Pacifica, and ran back towards the house. Dipper quickly grabbed her shoulders, pulling her back and knocking a box of puppets out of her hands that she took from Grenda.

I knelt down to pick them back up and put back into the box as Dipper talked to Mabel. "Whoa, whoa! Hey, you just said you were going to help me!"

"DIPPER! This sock crisis just bumped up to a code argyle! The laptop can wait!" Mabel bent down next to me, and helped fix the puppets.

"Mabel, do you seriously think that your random crush of the week is more important than uncovering the mysteries of this town? You're obsessed!" Dipper cried.

Mabel glared at him, and I could see how hurt she was. "I'm obsessed? Look at you! You look like a vampire! And not the hot kind!" Dipper rubbed at his eyes, trying to remove the dark circles.

"But you said you were going to help me today! Elaine, back me up here!" He shouted angrily.

Oh no. I was ****not**** picking sides. "Dipper, as much as it pains me to say this, she's right. A few hours not focusing on the laptop won't kill you. We've already put so much work into this, and I really want to see how it turns out. If not for her weird crush, then for a fun, normal activity I get to do with my favorite twins." That shut both of them up. Sighing, I stood up, and Mabel followed suit. "Dipper, one day isn't going to destroy your search. Plus, if I'm not wrong, continuously typing failed password entries could result in a data erase or the entire machine locking you out for weeks. Mabel, while I do approve of Gabe more than your previous crushes… to an extent, you shouldn't badger Dipper so hard about this. It's what he's been dreaming of all summer." I stopped to smirk. "Well, that and possibly me."

Mabel laughed at the comment, and Dipper blushed furiously. "I… guess you're right," Dipper admitted. "Sorry about that, Mabel. But can I please work on the laptop until we have to leave? I'll have Wendy and Soos drive me to the theater."

"Sure, Dipping Sauce," Mabel grinned shyly, shuffling her feet. "I'm sorry too." The two looked back at me. "You're really good at playing the referee, Elaine."

"Kid, I've done this with my sis and her friends, plus I end up in matches with Bill all the time. This, while it pains me to see you arguing, isn't unusual. Siblings and friends fight all the time."

"I'll be back in a bit." Dipper walked back to the Mystery Shack, waving behind him. Mabel sighed, and I found the girl suddenly hugging my arm.

Mabel sniffed, and wiped at her face. I didn't see any tears, thank goodness, but she was definitely bothered by that little spat with her brother. "Thanks, Ellie. I don't like it when Dipper and I fight either." Smiling, I bent down and gave her a hug, stroking her hair.

"I know, Mabel." From what I'd learned so far this summer, was that the young female wasn't anything like her cartoon counterpart. Yeah, thinking back on the show no longer was of any use to me and I only related to certain things help me in a situation or in my research, but it was hard to not compare what Alex had created, to Mabel herself. She was self-conscious, and scared of the real world. She lived in a world of fantasy as she wasn't ready for the harsher reality outside of sweater town. She was silly, and was sometimes bullied for it. Yes, she could be willing to guilt trip her brother for things, but she always made up for it in the end. This Mabel… was not my dimension's. This Mabel, was not the fans. This Mabel was real. This Mabel… was mine.

3rd POV

Dipper yawned, and stared tiredly at the green screen. This really did go a lot better than he thought it would. He had thought when he and Mabel started shouting, that he would end up storming off and dismissing her altogether. He never thought Elaine would step in like she did. The teen always seemed to know what to say when things got rough. __One of the many qualities I like about her,__ Dipper smiled wistfully.

He never thought Elaine actually felt something in return. Dipper seriously thought his preteen heart was going to stop at the shock of her revelation. But… he understood. The strange and wonderful girl he had come to love was right, and that a relationship would never work. She was destined to return to her dimension, and he had to accept that. __But how do you just turn off how you feel about someone?__ Best friend and brother… he guessed he could handle that. Somewhat.

The buzzer sounded again, and he groaned. "Passwords. Passwords," he muttered, monotone. "This. Is. Torture." He yawned again, and felt his head droop forward, the lack of sleep finally getting to him. He almost nodded off, until the laptop spoke.

"Too many failed entries. Initiate data erase in five minutes." A countdown appeared, and the seconds began ticking down.

"No! No, no, no!" He grabbed the sides of the laptop desperately, pulling it closer. "I'm gonna lose everything!? I only have one more try!?" Elaine was right. He shouldn't have used up all that time trying what might have been obvious incorrect answers!

"Well, well, well." Dipper jumped away from the window and abandoning the machine, the attic plunging into gray as Bill appeared above him. The demon's eye was closed, legs crossed in a mediation position with balls of his signature blue flames in each hand. He moved away from the glass that Dipper noticed was etched in his image, arms drawing behind him and he gave a sly look out of the corner of his eye. "Someone's looking desperate."

"I thought I told you to leave me alone," Dipper said. He did ****not**** want to deal with him right now. He had more than enough problems, and he didn't need a psycho demon to add to that list. Dipper didn't need to turn into what Elaine had become, signing over his life for something that was out of his control.

"I can help you, kid. You just need to hear out my demands." Bill summoned his cane, resting his arms on it. This didn't go as he originally thought. He foresaw Shooting Star upsetting Pine Tree lashing out at each other, which would allow Pine Tree to make a deal out of anger towards his female counterpart. Angel… she kept messing up what he could glimpse into the future. Bill knew that she knew almost all of what would happen, but refused to use that information to benefit him. He didn't like obeying rules, but even Bill saw that this would be cheating. He liked a game, and would only rely on what he could see to win.

Dipper looked from the laptop to Bill. He wouldn't deny the small part that was curious as to what the triangle wanted, but he knew that it would end up biting him in the end. "Uh, what crazy thing do you want anyway? To eat my soul? To rip out my teeth? Are you gonna replace my eyes with baby heads or something?" Bill had a disturbing sense of humor, so the baby heads one wouldn't surprise him.

Eat his soul? Well… maybe later, down the road, if he was still offering. Rip out his teeth? Please, deer teeth were much more useful. Baby heads… wow, Pine Tree sure had some great ideas! "Yeesh, kid, relax! All I want is a puppet!"

 _ _A puppet?__ Not good. No way did he want to become a toy for that monster. "A puppet? I know what you've done to Elaine, Bill. I'm not signing myself over to be your lackey."

 _ _Angel?__ She's made herself busy, hadn't she? This was going to be interesting. "Who ever said that, Pine Tree?" Bill's tone was low, and Dipper stepped back. "Not everything your Angel tells you is the truth. She's lied to you, you do know that, right?" Did the kid really need a reminder of that?

"I know, and I respect that," Dipper replied, trying to keep his voice even. "Elaine doesn't want to tell us everything, but when she does, she'll be ready." He narrowed his eyes, tightening his fists. "Not like some sadist who thought revealing her deal would be a great joke!"

Bill flickered red, and he moved closer to Dipper. "I'd watch that mouth of yours, Pine Tree." He opened his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, Dipper's tongue flew out of his mouth and into Bill's awaiting hand. _What the-!?_ Dipper screamed, and covered his mouth with terror filled eyes. "Try to listen carefully, because I'm only saying this once." He allowed his cane to float beside him, and used his free hand to pry open Dipper's closed mouth and shoved the tongue back in. He held his hand to his mouth for a second, hearing Dipper make choking sounds under him as he let his magic reattach the organ. Letting go, Dipper coughed harshly, and quickly raised a hand to check for himself that the tongue was in its proper place. "What you thought was scary kid, is ****nothing**** when compared to me. When it comes to the multiverse, I am one, if not the top creature that sends fear and panic at just the sound of my name." He zoomed in close, and Dipper's breathing hitched. " **I** ** **CAN**** make you scream if I wanted."

 _ _Did he… just reference__ _ _something__ _ _?__ Dipper's mind finally responded to the threat. Bill chuckled darkly, and backed up. "You can blame your friend for that, Pine Tree. Heard her singing the lyrics in her head one day. Now, hear out my request." There was no room for argument, so Dipper wisely and silently nodded, not wanting his tongue ripped out again. "All I want is for you to do is a small favor. That's all. No torture, no killing. Just let me take control for a little while, and that's it."

That… didn't seem too bad. Bill wasn't going to let him leave easily, and judging by how fragile Elaine's mental state was… Bill could do that to him. He couldn't turn into what she had become. Dipper was her rock, and one of if not the most supportive person she had. In any case, Bill could take his anger out on her if he didn't agree.

This was too much fun! Bill loved to see the child squirm and try to decide what to do. He was glad he had an excuse to show his anger at Pine Tree. After what that useless skin sack pulled back in Fez's Mindscape… he wanted to slice open his stomach and wear his intestines as a scarf. No one was allowed to up his Angel; and now that she was closer to him, that played even worse in Pine Tree's favor. He was so. Very. Lucky. That he wasn't losing his sanity like Glasses or dead where he was standing.

Dipper looked over at the laptop. The countdown showed only 30 seconds left, and counting. __I can't… I-I can't be doing this! I-I can't!__ "Tick tock, kid!" Bill's eye turned into a timer, and he held out his hand. The appendage lit up in flames, waiting for him to shake. Humans; they were all so weak! Angel being an exception, of course. Couldn't forget that.

"J-Just one favor? Fine!" Dipper quickly shouted, and latched his hand around Bill's. __This isn't gonna end well.__ "What... favor do you want me for, anyway?" He asked cautiously, glancing down at the flames that oddly enough weren't burning his skin.

"Oh, you know… your ****BODY**** **!** " __Payback time, Pine Tree!__

"WHAT!?" Dipper cried, just as he began to scream in pain. A sharp pang ripped through him, like his entire body was being split down the middle. Closing his eyes and blinking away tears, he felt himself become… lighter, and felt the suffering lessen. Reopening his eyes, he gasped in horror. __I'm a ghost!?__ His legs were almost non-existent, and a light glow surrounded him. He put his hand through his chest where the pain began, and yelped as it went harmlessly through the shirt and skin. "This can't be happening! What did you do to my body!?"

Dipper looked around, and when he didn't see Bill, he feared the worst. _Oh no. No, no, NO!_ The briefly lifeless body of Dipper began to slowly pick himself up, using the seat to support him. The eyes opened, and Dipper felt a scream get caught in his throat. Yellow cat-like eyes stared back at him, and his gums were pulled back in a horrifying toothy grin.

"Sorry, kid but you're my puppet, now! AH HA HA HA!" Bill grabbed the laptop, and threw it onto the floor. Raising his foot, he brought it down onto the machine, and Dipper felt his invisible heart plummet as the lights were broken, and the entire lid crumbled under the shoe. The laptop, the thing he thought would be his saving grace all week, shattered under his body's weight. "AH HA HA HA!"

 _ _Oh gosh, oh gosh, oh gosh!__ Dipper's mind broke, repeating the sentence over and over again. It was at this moment, he knew…

He screwed up.

* * *

 ** **Oh my gosh, this was fun. I've wanted to write Sock Opera forEVER! And if you thought this was fun, then wait until Elaine meets Bipper!****

 ** **Hope you like the little song reference. Figured it was suitable for Dipper's deal, wouldn't you agree?****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	41. Sock Opera Part 2

****Disclaimer: Man, you guys loved that chapter! With all the attention, we have reached… 250 REVIEWS! New milestone, people! And I even managed to post less than a week after the last update! WOOOOOO!****

 ** **EmmieSauce: Thanks!****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Elaine isn't that fragile, but when it comes to Bill and the truth… yeesh.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Yeesh, kid, relax! All I want is some suspense! Is that too much to ask?****

 ** **Akira D. Ryusuke: You got that right! Because of Bill's obsession with her, plus Dipper's feelings towards Elaine, makes Bipper feel a little… intense towards her. Hehehehe.****

 ** **RillFipher: Who's gonna ride Bill's train tonight? BILL! BILL! BILL! BILL!****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Bill and Elaine… can't… reproduce. Just-just why…?****

 ** **the Stargazer: Many people probably do forget their rules of the deal. Elaine cannot give him the journal, or be possessed. Other than that, it's all free game. We also have the deal about keeping her injuries healed, but I think both of them have that in the back of their minds.****

 ** **LumpyApple (reviewed twice): Glad you like my references!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I don't swear, but the saying suited Dipper's problem so very much.****

 ** **OMAC001: I know! I saw a good chance to really change how the deal went down. I can't make everything the same cookie cutter episode.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed (reviewed twice): Thanks! I love how huge this story's getting.****

 ** **FormerEMObillc: Oh, Elaine and Mabel are gonna have a screaming match with Bill when this is over. And yeah, Elaine was in the story Learning to Love. Thought it'd be interesting to see if my OC would get in there as a guest to Matthew's party too.****

 ** **Let's DO THIS! Remember, this is rated T for a reason. We've got flirty Bill/Bipper coming your way.****

 ** **I own Elaine. Asger belongs to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited:**** ** **Sept. 17**** ** **/18****

* * *

3rd POV

"Oh my gosh, this can't be happening. This can't be happening!"

Dipper floated above Bill, pulling at his translucent hair. Was this what it was like with Elaine? To be manipulated by some razzle dazzle nacho demon? All he wanted was answers, and now he was stuck outside of his body as Bill had forced his way inside! __Which… sounds even more disturbing, now that I'm thinking about it.__

Bill stumbled across the attic floor, arms swinging loosely as he tried to maintain his balance. He hadn't had this much fun in years! Sure, Angel was smart enough to prevent herself from being possessed, but Pine Tree certainly wasn't! Eyesight was certainly better than Sixer's too. No glasses on this fleshbag. Cackling, he moved towards a mirror, staring at his reflection. No one could usually tell the difference if he'd taken residence in a body or not. Only a few physical changes such as his eyes would alert that something was wrong. "Man, it has been so long since I've inhabited a body." Grinning, he slapped himself across his cheek. The stinging sensation sent to Pine Tree's brain gave him a feeling of exhilaration, and the toothy smile stretched even further. "Woo!" Bill exclaimed, and he slapped his other cheek as hard as he could, leaving another red mark. "Woo! Ha ha! Pain is hilarious!" His normal form had sensors that could feel things, but humans had so much more use of them! He had to ask Angel more about this! "And two eyes? This thing's deluxe!" He put his hand in between his eyes, letting one blink after another. He then moved to grab his eyelids, prying them up to have a better look while using his other hand to bring down his bottom lip to examine his gums. __Not bad, Pine Tree. This body's in much more better shape that Sixer's was!__

"I don't understand!" Dipper cried, drawing Bill's attention from the mirror. "Why are you doing this!? I thought we had a deal!"

Geez, this kid wasn't getting it, was he? "Look kid, you've been getting way too close to figuring out some major answers. I've got big plans comin' and I don't need you gettin' in my way. Destroying that laptop was a cinch, considering Angel wasn't around to help me out. Now I just need to destroy your journal. Race ya to the bottom of the stairs!" He straightened his body, and allowed gravity to tip him backwards and down the flight of stairs. His body landed roughly at the bottom, and he felt a snap in his right arm. __Well, that's dislocated!__ Standing back up, he gripped the limb, and forced it back into its socket with a satisfied hiss. As much as he'd love to mess up the kid's body, he needed both arms to get that journal.

Bill laughed, and walked into the kitchen. He'd get to that journal in a moment,. Right now though, it's time to have some fun! Opening the fridge, he took out a can of Pitt Cola, and examined it. He'd seen Angel drink this a few times, so it must be good. Not as good as cosmic sand, but decent by human standards. "Human soda! I'm gonna drink it like a person!" He cracked open the top, and began pouring it directly into his mouth from above his head. The quickness of the flow down his throat made him gag between laughs; the red pop flowed over his mouth and onto the floor. Bill then moved the can to his eyes, relishing in the sharp pain that came from the carbonated drink made with his corneas. __Oh, this is wonderful!__

"So where do you keep that journal anyway?" He walked towards Dipper, now finally down from the attic, and began jamming his arm in the utensil drawer after sitting the can down. The pink drink dripped down his face, leaving the front of his shirt and the floor a stained mess. "It's gotta be around here somewhere." The motion of the drawer flung the forks inside around, and Bill winced occasionally at each fork that became embedded in Pine Tree's arm. "Boy, these arms are durable."

"Dipper?" Bill and Dipper froze. __Oh no.__ Both demon and boy thought the line, realizing exactly who it belonged to. Shooting Star was someone Bill could easily manipulate and talk his way around, but Angel wasn't going to let this go without a fight. Dipper's feelings were along the same line as the demon's. Elaine was most likely going to kill him for making a deal with Bill, after showing how much hurt she had in revealing why she made hers. "Are you okay? Mabel sent me to come get you before she heads out with Stan and the girls." She moved into the kitchen, and paused. "Is… something wrong?"

Of course something was wrong! She was talking to Bill-Bipper?-right now. Which meant Dipper was probably around there too, drifting in the Mindscape due to Bill's interference. She had to be careful of what she was saying then, and how Bill could act towards her. Hazel eyes drifted from Bill to where his arm was, she almost growled at the sight. "Arm out of the utensil drawer. Now, Bill!"

 _ _H-how did she know!?__ Dipper gasped as Elaine moved over to Bill, and yanked his arm out of the drawer. Three forks were enclosed in his skin, blood dripping from the stab wounds. Grumbling, she pulled each fork out, and dropped the bag on her shoulders to the ground. "Hold still. If I don't bandage these quickly, there's a chance they'll get infected." She fished out a roll, and proceeded to wind them around the arm as the two watched.

"Aw, Angel!" Bill cooed. "You do care about me!" Elaine flushed, and tightened the last gauze around his arm, smirking as the demon winced from how tight she made the wrapping.

"I care about Dipper, Bill. You, on the other hand, are testing my patience right now possessing his body. The sudden masochistic actions and the cat eyes give it away." _Oh,_ Dipper nodded to himself. _So that's how she figured it out._ Standing back up, she flung her bag back on. "Dipper, I swear I am going to give you such an earful you when you get your body back."

"I panicked, okay!?" Dipper shouted, floated down to bob right beside her and Bill, as he had backed away when she had entered. "It's not my fault he's a good liar!"

"And I thought you were smarter than that!" She snapped back, before freezing the moment the words left her mouth. "Wait, Dipper!?" __Did… did she just hear him?__ Bill blinked in surprise, and watched Angel look around wildly. __H-how!? How could she possibly sense Pine Tree!?__

Dipper grinned, seeing a chance to finally be heard. No clue how she could hear him, but he was going to put that to good use. "Elaine! Elaine, can you hear me!?" He called again, cupping his hands to his mouth.

She could. It was faint, like a whisper, but he was there. _Now that I think about it… I could've sworn I felt something when I walked over here._ Not so much as a physical presence, but she felt… warmth. "I can, Dipper. I can hear you." Elaine smiled at where she thought Dipper was, and turned back to Bill. "You are so very lucky that you're in a body of a friend, Cipher. Else I'd knock your sorry triangle butt into next week."

 _ _Huh. That's interesting.__ Angel snapping at him wasn't anything new, but she never outright threatened him before. It must've been because of Pine Tree. __But, how is Angel hearing Pine Tree?__ She seemed to have an awareness of the supernatural, stronger than Sixer's that's for sure. She'd noticed it herself; when she sensed him watching her through his windows, and when he was following them in the library. Angel had a well developed sixth sense, that she probably didn't even know herself. __Hmmm… I can use this.__

"You're smarter than that, Angel." He smirked, and leaned in closer. "You know I do whatever I want."

"Uh…" Elaine paused at his movement, cheeks pink and shook head quickly. "Sure, I-I know that. That doesn't stop me from annoying you for tricking me and Dipper. Bill, you are not gonna get that journal."

"She's right!" Dipper added. Bill stroked his chin thoughtfully, watching the two glare at him. "I've hidden it! Somewhere you'll never find it in a million years!"

"Hey guys!" They all turned around to see Mabel stick her head out from the doorway, gesturing wildly. "I borrowed your journal to use as a prop in the show I hope you two don't mind I'm gonna go before you process this sentence okay BYE!" She waved goodbye, and ran back outside. Dipper and Bill exchanged looks, and the demon's face split into a grin.

"Sure, sounds great, sister!" He called, and began following after her, looking back at Dipper and Elaine as he went. "I'll see you at the show!"

"Wait! No, Mabel, don't listen to him! That's not me!" Dipper shouted, and zoomed out of the kitchen and after the demon. Giving a small shiver, as the boy flew past her, Elaine followed right behind them. She jumped off the deck, and found Bill talking to Dipper again.

"Heh! Welcome to the Mindscape, kid!" He said mockingly. "Without a vessel to possess, you're basically a ghost!"

"Just without the powers," Elaine remarked, standing beside them.

"Oh, hey guys!" We looked back towards the Shack, and saw Wendy and Soos come out the front door. The handyman closed the door, making sure to lock it. "There you are!"

"What up, dudes?" Wendy smirked. "Asger's joining us at the theater. Thought it'd be nice to see what Pacifica was working on with Mabel."

"You sure that's not the only reason?" Elaine batted my eyelashes, earning a playful shove once the other teen was close enough. "I kid! Hehehe… somewhat."

"Need a ride, guys?" Wendy asked, looking down at Bill. The demon grinned, and Elaine shivered as he blinked one eye at a time. _Could he at least try and act normal?_

"Oho, anything for you, Red!" __Oh, this is painful to watch.__ The triangle had no clue on human behavior, no matter what he said or thought. Wendy and Soos got into the front, as she and Bill climbed into the back. Elaine wanted to stay behind with Dipper, she did, but there was no way she wanted to let Bill go off on his own in the twin's body. Buckling herself in, Elaine watched Bill struggle with the fastener. "Err…!" _Really painful to watch._ Sighing, she reached forward and attached it for him. She lifted her head and saw Bill staring at her in surprise, before letting another smirk appear in its place. "Thanks, Angel."

"Whatever," she muttered, moving back on her side of the car and looking out the window. She heard the engine start up as Soos turned the ignition, along with Bill asking Dipper one last question as he floated outside the window.

"But how can you stop me..." he slowly turned his head to face the specter, giving him a horrifying toothy smile. "If you don't exist?" Bill began laughing maniacally as Soos drove to the theater, not letting up for at least a minute. Elaine moved even farther against the door, and put her head in her hands as Wendy asked them what was so funny. "Just thinking of a joke, Red." __Ugh, this is going to be one pain of a night.__

(Time Skip)

Elaine's POV

"Aw, nothing like the theater, huh, toots?" I glared at Bill, trying to lean away from the arm wrapped around me. I was used to the action from the triangle himself. With him in Dipper's body… it felt wrong. _My Dipper d_ _oes_ _n't act like this._ His other arm was around Soos, and he smiled up at him. "Hey Soos, wanna hear the exact time and date of your death?"

"Hehe, okay!" Wendy and Asger sat on the other side of me, and Asger gave me a blank look. _Bill_ , I mouthed and repeated in my head. He nodded, but it was plain as day that he was as worried as I was. It was a little nice to have a friend who's on one of the somewhat nicer sides of Bill's deals. At least neither of us had to… sacrifice a goat, or… give blood or something. _Though I doubt Bill did anyone of those things._

"Hey guys! You all made it!" Mabel ran up to us, taking in all of the excitement in the air.

"Are you kidding me?" Stan said beside Soos. "I would never miss… whatever this is."

"By the by, Mabel, where'd you put my journal again?" I shivered as Bill's cat pupils rolled around his eyeballs, the action disturbing on Dipper's body.

"I used it as a prop for the big wedding scene!" Mabel told him, not noticing the strange blinking. She put a hand to her chin thoughtfully. "I still need a reverend and bridesmaid, though." _Bridesmaid?_

"Hey, what if me and Elaine here play the reverend and bridesmaid?" Bill suggested. __Wait, what? I-I didn't sign up for that!__ "I mean, someone's gotta hold that journal, right? And didn't you always want to put Elaine in a dress?"

 _ _Wh-bu-n-no! I-I refuse!__ "Right! Let's go!" The two grabbed a hold of my arms, and dragged me up the stairs and backstage, despite my very clear, very loud protests. "Elaine, there's a dress in there!" She opened a dressing room, and threw me inside. "The suit is down here, Dipper!" Closing the door before she could run back and try and do make up or hair, I almost let my legs give out and take me to the floor.

"Oh, I am ****not**** gonna show mercy in my journal for this night." Turning around, I looked at the dress hanging on a hook on the wall. The dress was pearl colored with thin straps, and flowing thin fabric fell to the floor starting at my waist. Underneath was the same color as the top, but the thinner cloth was just more see-through. A pair of brown and silver sandals sat beside it, along with a brush on the vanity table. "Not bad, Mabel." For a girl on a budget, this dress was pretty nice. "Sort of a summer dress, actually." _I_ _hope she'll let me keep it._

Double checking to see if the door was fully locked, I switched into the dress, and brushed my hair out of the ponytail. A sparkly silver headband adorned my head instead, keeping the flyaway strands out of my eyes. "Done." Giving a playful twirl in the mirror, I nodded in approval. In who knows how much longer, Bill would be moving up to the cake prop and confronting Mabel. I had to let this play out as normal as I could. Any screw ups could result in her getting hurt… or Bill. If he got hurt, then so did Dipper. And I couldn't let that happen.

Opening the door, I stepped out and made my way down the hall. "Come on! How hard can this be?" I stopped in front of a door, slightly open, and poked my head in. __Hehehe!__ Bill was close to strangling himself, fighting with a bolo tie around the color of the white shirt he now wore. His other clothes were exchanged for a long black coat, black dress pants, and dress shoes. "Argh!"

"Need a little help?" Bill spun to look at me, and his yellow eyes widened. His mouth closed and opened a few times, and I looked down at my dress nervously. "Is it the dress? I can ask Mabel if she has something that covers my arms, if you think that would-"

"NO!" Bill quickly shouted, before realizing his outburst. "No. Y-you look fine!" Okay, this was weird. Bill Cipher being a nervous wreck? What freaky universe had I entered?

"Cipher, are you alright?" I asked, walking over to him. The suit really fit him. With a much more improved posture, he made Dipper's body look not all that bad. __Ah, and that's not in a weird way!__ I knelt down, and held out my hand. "Tie."

Bill dropped it into my hand, and I wrapped it around his collar. "It's Pine Tree's body," he complained. "Even without its soul, that doesn't eliminate how its brain and sensors operate." I continued fiddling with the tie, half listening. At my small nod, he continued. "What exactly does the kid see in you?"

See in me? Well, I'd certainly had enough experience to know that Dipper had a crush-maybe even more-on me. Plus, there was that joke Mabel made about his internet history… I really hoped he didn't like me to that extent. _Eugh. That's a scary thought._ "He likes me," I finally voiced. Nothing more was said, as I didn't want to say anything that could lead to him going after Dipper. "Why are you asking?"

"Because you've got Pine Tree's and mine interest in you in one body, Angel." O _h, that's… that doesn't sound good._ Bill nodded, seeing I had paused in finishing the tie. He took my hands once they were free, and pulled me into an awkward and forced hug. The dream demon chuckled, and nuzzled his face into my shoulder. __Okay, this got weird!__

"B-Bill!" I shrieked, managing to keep my voice low enough to not alert anyone outside the room. Forget the fact this was Cipher; this body was Dipper's! I-it's Bipper! "G-get off of me!" I tried to push him back, but Bipper's arms pinned mine to my sides, his hands on my hips.

"Hehehe. And why would I wanna do that, toots?" Bipper practically purred into my ear. __Oh gosh.__ My face lit up like a Christmas tree, and he drummed his fingers against my sides. This-this wasn't because of him being in Dipper's body like he said, right? With his interest in me already, adding in Dipper's crush on me… d-did this mean he… actually felt something? Did Bill feel… something else in Dipper's body? _Well whatever it is, I'm stopping it now!_

"Nope!" I ripped my hands free, and shoved Bipper away, his back slamming into the wall beside the dresser. _Oops._ I… forgot that this was still Dipper's body. Remembered it one moment, but in the rush to shove him off, I might have hit the kid's head.

Bipper shook his head in annoyance, and placed a hand on the side of the drawer to support him. "Yeesh kid, couldn't you be any more gentle?" He asked. I noticed how red his own face was, and I could've sworn he was almost as embarrassed as I was. __Is he… ashamed? Was he upset I rejected him?__ "I gotta go," Bipper announced quickly before I could start screaming at him again. He looked at the clock on the wall, took a deep breath to compose himself, and turned back to me with that disturbing smile. "I got a Shooting Star who finally needs to fall and a Pine Tree to cut down!" Bipper waltzed out of the room, and I stared at where he last stood as the sentence registered.

"Shooting Star… MABEL!" I quickly ran out of the dressing room, and sprinted past the backdrops beside me. "No, no, no, n-ah!" I collided into a mass of brown and pink, and Mabel and I fell to the floor in a heap. "Mabel, it's-!"

"I know!" Mabel interrupted me, and grabbed my hand. "Hurry! We gotta get that journal before Bill does!" She pulled me to the side of the stage, and I climbed up the ladder behind her to the cat walk. Running along the high rise, we stopped in the middle as Dipper continued the show beneath. The hollow giant wooden cake hung from four ropes that connected to one hanging from the rafters and was tied to a railing beside us. I grinned at Ford's journal, before seeing a small problem.

"How are we gonna reach that?" I asked. Mabel grinned, and climbed over the railing, keeping one hand firmly wrapped around the bar as she reached for the book.

"Come on, come on!" Mabel leaned further, only for her hand to slip. "Aah!" Screaming, she fell into the cake, just as I reached to grab her collar. Unfortunately, this just pulled me into the cake after her. __Seriously!?__ The cake plummeted towards the stage, only for it to stop. Sighing in relief, Mabel opened the book and began flipping through it. "Come on, come on now, there must be a way to get Dipper's body back!"

"Oho, but why would you want to do that?" We looked up, and Mabel immediately buried herself deeper into my side. Bipper grinned creepily down at us, the orange and purple stage lights illuminating him from behind and cast dark shadows around him. Truth be told, I always loved that scene in Sock Opera. Seeing it now… I was downright terrified.

"Bill Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, before narrowing her eyes. "Bipper."

"Shh!" He held the rope in one hand, and brought a finger to his lips. "You wouldn't want to ruin the show," Bipper cooed, pointing to Gabe in the audience. "Whoops!" Shrieking a little as the cake dropped a few feet, I tightened my arms around Mabel. "It's slipping! How's about you hand that book over?"

"No way! This is Dipper's and Elaine's! I'd never give it away!" Mabel declared, holding the book in between us.

"Hmm, you didn't really seem to have a problem taking it for your own play, Shooting Star," he told her. "Or almost ditching him when he needed you. Not like that's any different than all those over times this summer." Oh, that had to sting. "So come to your senses. Give me the book or your play is ruined!" Bipper growled at the end, now only holding the rope with one hand. Mabel turned from him to me, searching for help, and I sighed regrettably.

"I can't help you with this, kid. The journal's the only thing I can't help him with." My hands were tied at this point. Mabel looked from the book, and I saw a few tears drip down her cheeks as she held the journal out.

Bipper reached out and grabbed it, as Mabel still held it with her own too hands. "There it is. I mean, who would sacrifice everything they've worked for just for their dumb sibling?"

Not many people. In fact, I knew several siblings who would gladly drink a glass of water in front of their sibling if they were on fire. Same goes for friends and classmates. Mabel and Dipper… they weren't those kids. "Dipper and Elaine would."

 _ _I what?__ "Wait, what?" Apparently, Bipper was also confused at her statement. With a hard pull, Mabel brought the journal back into the cake, and Bipper along with it. With no one to hold the rope, the cake was sent spiraling towards the stage, and shattered the wedding scene that was set up. The three of us screamed as we tumbled out, and the impact set off the laser lights and fog machine around us, making the audience curious as to what was going on. Mabel and Bipper rolled close to the edge of the stage, and she pinned him to the floor.

"Get out of my brother's body, you evil triangle!" Mabel shouted, raising the book up and brought it down roughly on his head. Holding his skull, Bipper stood back up, and took a fighting stance.

"You can't stop me! I'm a being of pure energy with no weakness!" Bipper lunged at Mabel, and I knocked her out of the way before he could reach her. Bipper instead knocked me over, holding my head down with one hand and supporting himself with a hand by my shoulder as he was almost straddling me to keep me out of the fight.

"That may be true, but you're in Dippin' Dots body now, Bipper. And I know all his weaknesses!" I announced, trying desperately to hide my blush.

"Whaddya mean his-?" I reached under his arm and tickled him. __Revenge!__ Bill laughed, rolling onto his back before crying out in alarm. "Aah! Body spasms! What are these!?"

"A little note about the human body-you haven't slept for 24 hours!" Mabel said from where the cake was. I ran over to her, and watched Bipper stumble to his feet. Bipper chased after us, only for Mabel and I to start running circles around him. Slowly, Dipper's body begin to shut down, taking Bill with it. "Also, I got a full night's sleep and I'm on four mega-shots of Mabel Juice!"

"Ah! What is this feeling!?" Bipper's face drooped, and the dark circles around his eyes were much more evident. "My body is burning! I can't move these stupid noodle legs! Curse you, useless flesh sticks! Body… shutting down…" Bipper gave me one last look, sweat pouring down his face before he tripped, and collapsed to the floor unconscious. Once I was certain the demon was gone, I rushed to Dipper's body, kneeling over it and shaking him.

"Hey, Dippin' Dots! You in there?" His eyes flickered, and I felt my heart leap at the normal irises staring back at me. "Oh, thank gosh! You're okay!" I dragged him to his feet, hugging him for dear life.

"Ha ha! Yes!" Dipper shouted, either from how much I was hugging or the body being his own again I didn't know. "I'm in my own body!" So it was the second one. "And it's… just as underwhelming as I remember." He hissed in pain, and looked at me. "Elaine, can you…?"

"Hehe, sorry." Echoing cackles filled the stage from behind us, and we saw the Dipper puppet crawling towards us on a box of pyrotechnics.

"This isn't the last you'll hear of me! Big things are coming! You can't stop me!" Bill shouted, waving one of the puppet's arms in the air.

"I'm sorry, Gabe." Mabel pulled out a yellow and black striped box from her sweater, and pressed the red button. Puppet Dipper looked down at the box he was on, and I grinned sadistically.

"Always go out with a bang, huh Bill." The fireworks exploded, sending several of them whizzing and exploding above the audience's heads. A stray firework flew into the puppet box, and blew them sky high. The Grunkle Stan puppet soared through the air, as flaming socks rained down upon us. Grinning, I began humming Ave Maria as I watched Gabe's mournful face, almost close to tears as cotton, yarn, and googly eyes fell around him. The remaining fireworks finally went off in a cacophonous boom, sending smoke everywhere. The Dipper puppet flew beside us, and Dipper happily stomped on it, popping off one of its eyes.

As the smoke cleared from the smoldering set, we turned to the audience just as a piece of the scaffolding fell behind us. "Don't worry," Mabel said, seeing Dipper's and my faces. "I've seen enough movies to know this is the part where the audience thinks it was all part of the show and loves it. Cue applause! The audience stared at her incredulously before booing, and we heard a few shout of how they almost died by her fireworks. _Gotta agree on that one. Where did she even find those things?_ "Gabe!" Mabel saw the blonde stand up, frowning at her. "Stick around for the wrap party? We've got mini-quiches!"

"Don't speak to me, Mabel. You've made a mockery of my art form. Let's go, my loves." He walked out of the theater, and… began full-on making out with his puppets.

"Did he just make out with his puppets?" Dipper asked, as I slowly nodded.

"Yep. Never gonna get that out of my head any time soon."

"I might've dodged a bullet there," Mabel agreed, equally disturbed. Candy ran past us, shouting for Gabe in Korean.

"Oof. Mabel, I'm sorry about all this. It's my fault your puppets got ruined," Dipper apologized. "Bill, he-he's more clever than I took him for."

I rolled my eyes, and whacked him on the head. "You should've known better, you dork," I muttered harshly, before my face fell. "I'm just glad you're okay." I wanted to say more, but I couldn't find the words for it. But that one was filled with emotion and thankfulness, and they both knew it.

"I know, Dipper. And, uh, one of my puppets survived. And she has something to say to you." She held out her hand, revealing the Mabel puppet. "I'm sorry, Dipper. I spent all week obsessing over a dumb guy. But the dumb guy I should have cared about was you! Bap!" She nudged his face with the sock, and Dipper smiled at the puppet. "Mystery Kids?"

"Mystery Kids." The three of us high fived, and Dipper gasped in pain, going to grip his hand. "Ow! What'd Bill do to my hand!? Ahh!"

"Honestly, Dipper, you're better off not knowing." No way was I telling him what happened earlier when I went to help Bill with the tie. "Let's get you home and fixed up. Nothing a little sleep, some pain meds, and a hot water bottle can't cure."

"Seriously, I need to go to the hospital."

Asger and Wendy had long since gone home, and Soos had left too in his truck. Stan though, was waiting for us at the car, and stared from Dipper who I was supporting to me and Mabel. "Do I wanna know what that was all about?"

"Demons, Mabel Juice, and Dipper with a lack of sleep leads to disastrous results," I summarized. "Can we please go home, Grunkle Stan?"

He shrugged, and opened the door for us. "Alright, alright. I see you've three been through a lot today. How's about you three take the day off tomorrow, huh? Some rest ought to fix you up from tonight."

"Thanks, Stan," Dipper said. Buckling in, Stan drove back to the Mystery Shack, the four of us enjoying the silence. Mabel looked out the window, lost in thought. __I hope Bill's words didn't affect her that much. I might need to talk to her later.__ Looking back over to Dipper, I almost laughed. His head was slumped against the glass, half asleep. "Hehe." I held a hand over my mouth, until I noticed something. A paper was sticking out of the front pocket of his jacket, only a corner of it sticking out. "Hmmm…" I carefully reached over and pulled it out, doing my best to not disturb Dipper.

Once it was fully in my hand, I rolled the crumpled paper up and stuck it into my pocket. __I'll look it over when we get back to the Shack. This might be important.__

(Time Skip)

" ** **BIPPER (Bill's mind + Dipper's body)****." I nodded at Mabel's definition, and spared a glance back to the closed door of the room. Dipper had collapsed onto his bed the moment we got home, so I took Mabel to my attic space, handed her the journal, and together we began writing about what happened tonight. Mabel and I jotted down all the differences we could tell if we didn't even know it was Bill. From how cold his hands were-seriously-was Dipper dead when he's possessed?-to that horrifying smile of his. I think the both of us never wanted to see Dipper's gums again. Ever.

I wasn't sure what the picture of Bipper looked like in the journal back in my world, but I let Mabel let me draw him. It didn't make sense to have him in Dipper's normal clothes, so I kept him in the suit. Bipper actually rocked it better than Dipper did. Not sure why, but it might be because of his better posture. I drew his body half-turned and arms crossed. His cat eyes glowed in the black background I made, and the grin I gave him easily mimicked the one I saw in his change room. It was like an 'I know something you don't know' grin.

"How does this look, Mabel?" I showed her the drawing. Mabel put down the knitting she had brought up with her, and smiled.

"You managed to capture his craziness to a T, Ellie," she replied. "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you, but what was that note sticking out of Dipper's suit?" Mabel asked, seeing it poking out of my jeans pocket. "Where'd he get it from?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "I wanted to read it once we got home." Pulling it out, I held it in between our faces, the two of us staring at it intently. "You ready?"

"You bet I am." I moved closer, and unfolded the paper. "Here we go. ****Note to self: possessing people is hilarious****!?" We looked immediately at each other, both of us thinking, __Bill.__ He wrote this while in the changing room; he had to, he had no other time alone. Mabel looked back at the paper, and I took the silence to continue. " ** **To think of all the sensations I've been missing out on-burning, stabbing, drowning. It's like a buffet tray of fun! Once I destroy that journal, I'll enjoy giving this body its grand finale-by throwing it off the water tower****!" My voice shook, and my fingers tightened around the paper. " ** **Best of all, people will just think Pine Tree lost his mind, and his mental form will wander in the Mindscape forever. Want to join him Shooting Star? I'll be glad to watch over Angel for you****."

"… BIIILLLLL!" We screamed in fury, not even bothering to remember other people were still in the Shack. He-just… he-he said… he wanted to make it appear as if Dipper committed SUICIDE!? __Please, PLEASE let this be actually from what happened in the show, and not from me being in this dimensi__ _ _on!?__ That would be even worse! You wouldn't add that to a kid's cartoon! A DISNEY cartoon! Bill even wanted to kill Mabel's body-and why would you even ask permission!? And what did he mean by that last part!?

"You rang, toots?" Bill flashed into the room, until he realized Mabel was beside me… and I had the note in my fist. "Oh no."

"You wanted to kill Dipper's BODY!?" I hollered, jumping to my feet and storming over to him. I shoved him with my index finger, practically foaming at the mouth. "You threatened Dipper, even though he gave you what you wanted!? Y-you even went and threatened Mabel despite her not evening doing anything to you at the moment!" Tears ran down my face from a torrent of different emotions, but I had no intention of backing down. I didn't even care what could result from this; from me yelling at him. He ticked me off. He threatened my family.

There would be hell to pay.

And when I swore, which was hardly ever, I meant business. _Sorry Kat and Mabel, but you aren't stopping me this time._ And neither was my stupid mind thinking back to this as a cartoon like when I first arrived there. "Why!? Why did you do this!?" I asked, voice cracking. "I-I thought you…! I thought you…! I-I thought you… you cared about me." The anger fizzled out, and I sighed, slowly regaining my breath. Hearing the floorboards creak, Mabel quietly walked up behind me, looking worriedly from me to Bill.

"Elaine? Are you okay?" She asked, keeping herself calm as if it would set me off again. I shook my head no, and Mabel mumbled to herself. "… okay," she decided, "Elaine can you step outside for a moment? I want to speak to ****him**** ," she growled out the word, "for a few minutes."

"Okay?" I said, making it sound more like a question. I moved around Bill, casting one last glare before moving outside the room. The gray still stretched outside into the hall, so I sat down against the door and waited. __Bill, why did you do this?__ __What did my twins do to deserve that?__

"Alright, you evil triangle," Mabel's muffled voice said from the other side. I leaned my head against the wooden frame, trying to hear clearer. "I don't like you, and you don't like me. And I know for certain Elaine wasn't fond of you possessing Dipper even before the note was found."

"Gee, I never would've know that!" Bill exclaimed sarcastically. "What else do you want to point out that's painfully obvious? I was there, fleshbag!" I was more impressed with how controlled the girl was in this situation. All silliness had gone out the window, and was replaced with hardened seriousness.

"This note hurt, but it hurt Elaine more than it did me." It did? I would've thought Mabel would be even more upset than I was. _"_ Dipper is only going to feel more angry about her deal with you because he thinks he can't help her, and I'll probably have a few nightmares about too. Elaine though, she bottles things up. You should know this better than us, Bill." Mabel sighed, and I could feel her frustration through the door. "I don't know why, but I think you mean more to her than she says you do."

 _I do?_ "She does?" Bill and I shared the same reaction, and I pressed my ear as much as I could to listen more. How many times were we gonna share the same responses to Mabel's statements in one day?

"You'd be surprised. She sometimes just starts smiling for no reason after disappearing to probably talk to you. Maybe that's because she can say stuff she… can't say to us." A small shuffling came from the other side. "I understand that you're her only chance of returning back to her dimension. But until that happens… can you keep watching out for her? I don't want Ellie getting hurt because of me, or Dipper, or you… or herself."

"Shooting Star, I don't do requests," Bill said bluntly. There was silence for a moment, which might have been Mabel processing the pointed reply. "But I'll let this pass for now. Call it a favor after what happened at your show. It's not like I don't already watch over you Pines' enough already. Angel's just a special case. Luckily for you kid, recent events have played in your advantage for me to watch over her more than usual." __Yeah, and I__ _ _have a pretty good guess what they are.__

"Thanks." The door swung open, and I fell forward and landed on my face. "Oops. Sorry, Elaine." I mumbled a reply on the floor, and brought myself back up.

"Should have seen that coming. Alright. Bill, can you kick Mabel out of the Mindscape? I need to talk to you." Bill immediately snapped his fingers before the girl could protest, and she vanished from the room. "Good. Now, you've got some explaining to do."

"Gotta say, kid, I like this bossy side of you," Bill 'grinned'. "Did that note I wrote really shock you? You know what I'm like by now, and you know what Pine Tree's done to deserve that treatment."

"But he wasn't there for… much of the fight…" __oh.__ "This was somewhat revenge for him lashing out at me in Stan's mind, wasn't it?" Idiot. How could I forget that?

"Got it in one, Angel!" Bill clapped, and I rolled my eyes at his behavior. "You still mad at me, or did you get that out of your system?"

"Trust me, I won't be forgetting this for a while. The note, and for what you did earlier when I was trying to fix your tie." I paused, and then winced at another reminder. "Sorry for the head thing." I moved back to the seat, and saw that the journal was no longer there. __Guess Mabel took it with her. Smart move.__ _But n_ ow what? Bill floated in front of me, waiting for me to say something.

"You can't blame all that on me, kid. Pine Tree has a pretty strong interest in you. Physical things aren't as easy to come by where I'm from, remember? Get all high from being trapped with limitations for so long, and the freedom really does wonders for you." He moved closer to me, seeing I was listening with complete attention. "Still, should've been more in control back there."

So… things could have been different? I mean, I did warn him about the limitations of the human body during one of our question periods. Hearing his reasoning though, it did make me wonder… "Bill? Remember the limitations we established in our first deal, about what you couldn't do to me as long as I worked for you?"

"No journal stealing or possession," Bill recited. "Why do you ask?"

This was… a bad idea. I'd many bad ideas involving the demon; but this? This was close to being one of the ****worst**** ones I've had. Making the deal with him the first time, making the second deal, and then forming an even stronger partnership on top of that. We'd both been so busy, neither of us had had a chance to ask our daily questions since Gideon took over. But after hearing how much he enjoyed Bipper… it… didn't hurt to teach him how to pass off as an actual human, right?

"Would you like…" I gulped. "Like to… possess my body?"

* * *

 ** **And such, Sock Opera has come to an end. The reason for this cliffhanger is because I figured you all deserved a treat for reaching 250 reviews. And what better way than making Billaine an actual thing instead of a ship!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	42. Billaine

****Disclaimer:**** ** **Well… this should be interesting.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: I prefer Billaine, actually. But to each their own.****

 ** **LumpyApple: Because I CAN!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: It's not**** ** _ ** _exactly_**_** ** **like that. They do talk about a lot of stuff, but it's more or less something she's curious about. She doesn't want anything in return. It's okay to take your time with reviews. I'm not going anywhere.****

 ** **FormerEMObillc: Actually, her worst mistake this summer was making the deal in the first place.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: Thankfully, about the death of a minor thing, the girls got Bill out of Dipper's body before he could jump. Figured Bill wouldn't exactly know what he was feeling towards Elaine in Dipper's body, which made his interest in her more… physical, instead of mental. As for Mabel and Bill in the end? Who else could watch over her when the twins couldn't?****

 ** **SnowyFalls: 1: I think Dipper and Ford already know that. Elaine is about to find out for herself. 2: Elaine has issues; after all, she already made a deal with him and allowed herself to become even more attached. 3: Why not? There's a reason behind this, and you're about to see it. Yeah… she also referenced Undertale. What can I say? She likes the game!****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Eh…****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: You know he would. ;)****

 ** **OMAC001: You're gonna like this, I can say that.****

 ** **RillFipher: Most people are!****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: Wasn't so hilarious for poor Elaine. As for if this another deal or not, all I can say is… keeping reading and find out!****

 ** **Olliepops: Thanks! Answer: can't tell you that. The answer you're looking for won't be seen until the end of the story. No spoilers!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Technically, it's not a deal. This is a continuation of her second deal; she and him ask each other questions in return of keeping her body healed. She's not making another one.****

 ** **LumpyApple (again): This song sums up the deal so perfectly, doesn't it?****

 ** **I own Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 ** **Edited:**** ** **Sept. 18**** ** **/18****

* * *

3rd POV

… _I'm sorry, what?_

Bill blinked, running over her request once, twice, and a third time. Was she actually being serious right now? Had she willingly just asked to be possessed? __Kid, are you right in the head?__ "Run me by that again, Angel." He reached to the upper left side of his body, and pulled the severed screaming head out of subspace before vanishing it away in a burst of blue flames. "I think I had something in my ear."

"You don't have ears," Elaine said, frowning for a moment. "Bill," she sighed, "would you like to possess me?" So he had heard her right. Now that that's clear… why in the name of the Nightmare Realm would she request ****THAT****!?

"May I ask why you're asking me this?" Bill crossed his arms and leaned back in the air. "This contradicts your first deal, Angel. You're smart enough to have avoided Sixer's and Pine Tree's mistake. Why the change in mind?" Not that he didn't like it, though. After being in Pine Tree's body, he was itching to possess someone again. The nerves and sensors that screamed as he stabbed himself with the forks and tried to drown himself with the soda; oh man, that was delicious!

"Because… I feel like… I want to fix that, Elaine admitted. "You've been doing so many things for me that went outside of our deal; taking me to see your 'friends', showing me your quarters… helping me with my panic attack." She still wasn't sure how he knew about what to do, but right now, it wasn't something she was worried about. In the future she'd ask, and she wouldn't take no for an answer when that happened. __Need to make a note of that in my journal. Mental notes aren't helping.__ "You've done far more than just keeping my body healed, even though we don't always do our daily questions. Yet..." Elaine paused to think. "You haven't made me do anything huge yet as of helping you with your plan."

"That's what you think, kid." Bill waved his hand in the air casually, giggling at the girl's confused face. "Your mere presence in the town had changed how the people were going to act in the pre-stage of my design. Sure, there's a few things I'm gonna have you do soon, but right now, all you need to do is keep playing the twins and the rest of the townsfolk."

She hated that. She didn't like hiding secrets from her friends. Even though the twins knew about her deal, it had hurt them to see what she was doing. Mabel had forgiven her, and by now, so had Dipper. Elaine knew though, that she had to do everything in her power to not break that trust again. Her trust with Dipper was still relatively fragile. "Okay, Bill. But to summarize, you've done so much for me, and after the sock opera… I can tell you wanted to do more in the physical realm. However, it actually was pretty sad seeing how much you didn't fit in with our norms. If anyone just took the time to look, it was clear that you were not Dipper. Heck, Mabel only found out because Dipper told her." She sat up straighter on her seat, looking him dead in the eye. "I want to teach you how to actually act human. Behavior stuff, and stuff that won't lead to you killing the poor sap you tricked."

A fully willing human, already under his complete control, wanting to have her soul ripped out. To Bill, that idea of hers was like a present at Christmas. But… there must be some sort of catch. Angel wasn't that stupid. Even if her idea proved to benefit both of me, especially if he went and possessed someone else in the town down the road, there was something else going on there. "There's a catch, isn't there?" Bill asked, displeased. "You wouldn't say this if you didn't have some conditions."

"You know me so well, Cipher," Elaine smirked, resting her hands behind her head and crossing her legs. "It's simple. No mutilation, no cutting, stabbing, or internally hurting my body. Nothing that severely injures me." If what happened when Dipper got his body back happened to her, then there would definitely be questions. She had to play this right.

"Then what ****can**** I do?" She basically ruled out all the fun stuff!

"There's other things that trigger nerves and reactions besides that, Bill. You should know that, if you've taken over Ford's body all the time back then." Elaine was certain she made enough guidelines. Anything else he could do wouldn't cause that much lasting pain. "Some things that won't damage any vessel."

"Hmmm." It was an intriguing offer. Limiting, sure, but intriguing. Angel was right though, there was still so many things he could still do, and having a demonstration of the limits and how to act as whatever sucker he tricked was a good idea. And he wasn't going to pass up an opportunity like this, of course. "Alright, Angel. You've got my interest. I'm sold!" He flew down to her, and Angel uncrossed her legs. "You sure you don't want to back out of this?"

Did she want this? No, not really? In fact, the moment the question came out of her mouth she had wanted to run in the opposite direction screaming her head off. But… she didn't. She was told at the start of the summer to help him along with his plans, and while this wasn't exactly what she originally thought of, it was still a good idea. "I'm sure." The brilliant cyan flames danced in front of her, as the triangle lit up his obsidian hand for the possession. __Oh, this is gonna be terrible.__ "Let's do this." She slid her hand into his, feeling the chilling blue flames.

Having her soul ripped out… it was painful, but… weird. It felt like someone pulling at her entire being, all focusing in one spot. Closing her eyes as the tugging increased to something like someone pulling a large needle out of her chest, it vanished as fast it came. __Is it… over?__ Cracking open an eye, she gasped. Elaine bobbed up and down a few feet in the air, her body slumped against the glass. "Whoa!"

"Ugh." Her body groaned, and slowly sat upright. Dazzling yellow cat eyes replaced the normal intelligent hazel irises, and an unsettling grin stretched over her face. "Lookin' good, Angel!" Bill cackled, swinging her-his?-legs over the edge of the seat.

"Um, Bill? What do I refer to you as right now?" Bill had told her that he had no specific gender, but didn't mind being referred to as a guy. Bipper was easy to understand as Bill possessed a boy. But he was in her body right now. So… what did that mean for him?

"Gender neutral, kid. Call me them and they," Bill said, flipping their ponytail back behind their shoulder. "I've possessed other species before, and have been different gender and sex types. It's not the first time I was in a girl's body." __Oh, that sounded wrong.__ Reaching forward to grab the edge of the wall where it connected to the side of the bay window, they pulled themselves clumsily to their feet. "Whoa, ha ha! Hey, Angel?" They grinned up at her, and she floated back a little to avoid them. It had felt incredibly strange, when Dipper flew past her to chase after Bill. She didn't want that same sensation, and passing through someone in the real world. _I guess this is what Bill feels like all the time._ "You got a name for me?"

Name? Did they mean like Bipper? "Well…" __Bill was in my body. Bill and Elaine. Elaine and Bill. Hmmm… I got it.__ "Billaine," Elaine said the amalgamated name, trying it out slowly. "Billaine." Saying it a second time, she smiled at how it rolled off the tongue. "That's your name."

Billaine giggled, and clumsily walked past her to the mirror as they had done with Bipper. They needed a good look at this body before they chose on what to do next. Stopping in front of the glass, they smirked at their reflection. Their glasses were just as geeky as Sixer's were, right down to the small crack in the lens. They had more muscle than Bipper did, which still wasn't much. Billaine reached a hand up to brush a loose piece of hair out of their face, and quickly finished scanning over their body.

"Well?" Elaine waved her arms around, trying to keep her balance upright without having her flip over and flew over to them. "What do you think?"

"I think I picked a winner in a partner, kid," Billaine bared their teeth, making Elaine lean back. She was right when she said she never needed to see Dipper's gums again. Now the same could be said about herself. "Not bad, Angel. I can see that we're gonna have some ****real**** fun today!"

Oh no. "Not yet, Bill. Like I said, we're teaching you normal and **sane** human behavior." She folded her legs underneath her, finally getting a center of weightlessness. "The first being no person goes out of their way to do what you're wanting to do. You'd want to try and mimic their voice, and speech pattern."

"Already know those ones, kid," Billaine replied. He might act out of character sometimes, but those few things were ones he had perfected several hundred thousand years ago. "Any others?"

"You need to work on walking. I noticed a few times earlier you had your arms bent oddly like you sometimes did in your normal form." She tapped a finger to her chin, thinking it over some more. "Also, by the way, say things in a normal conversation. Soos and the date of his death… really?"

Okay, they'd let her have that one. A few things could have been thought out more carefully. As Billaine thought over her words, Elaine herself took the time to examine her own appearance. How did Dipper react to being transparent? Her legs were almost invisible, and a silver glow had surrounded her. Her hair floated around her face despite it being kept in a ponytail, moving up over her head. Gravity didn't apply to her, and her clothes chose to look as if they were in water, drifting around without constant movement.

"Well, how about we talk about that sensory thing, huh?" They were interested in what she had to say about that one.

"O-okay." She moved down to their height, keeping a foot off the floor. "Hold out your arm." Billaine, while annoyed they didn't get a clear answer, did as they were instructed. "Roll up your sleeves. Now, see these blue lines on the inside of your arm?" Billaine followed through, and brought the wrist closer to their face.

"What do veins have to do with this, Angel?"

"Trace your fingernail where your hand and arm join on the inside. The nerves and veins are right at the surface, and is sensitive to touch."

 _Sensitive?_ Billaine looked at his other hand, and shrugged. If the girl wanted to start simple, they'd let her. They placed an index finger at the bottom where the arm bent, and dragged the nail up towards the veins. A feeling like when Angel had… tickled him, they believed it was called, came to his head. Smiling, they traced little circles where the veins were the most noticeable, giggling to themselves.

"Hehehe! Not bad for a start, Angel. What else do you have planned?" They looked up at the teen expectantly as they rolled the sleeves back down, but the brunette ghost only shrugged.

"That's all I know," she said. "Sorry. There's other minor things that wouldn't cause bodily harm. You already seem to show a dislike of tickling, which rules that out."

"Angel, I'm not leaving this body until I get some enjoyment," Billaine said slowly. "And I'm not exactly fond of the idea of your options. If you're not backing that other idea up, I'll do it for you." They spun around, and moved towards the piles of boxes in the corner. "Let's see," they mumbled, rummaging through the miscellaneous items. There must be something in there they could use. "What's this?" A pack of candles. No matches, sadly, but… these would work. __Oh yes, hehehe! These would work perfectly!__

"You ever heard of wax burnin', Angel?" Billaine showed her what they found, and Elaine's eyes widened in horror. "Judgin' by your expression, I'm gonna say yes."

"Bill-Billaine you can't be serious!?" She cried. "You want to burn my-your-our arms with hot wax!?"

"Ha ha! Nah, but let's call this… practice for you." They unpacked the five candles, one by one, and lined them up on the window seat. "Hey, kid? You wanna learn some Latin?"

"Latin?" Elaine repeated, tilting her head to the side.

"A simple spell for fire," Billaine continued. "If Pine Tree can summon a hoard of zombies without basic knowledge of magic, then you can light this candle here no problem." They didn't want the girl running around with magic under her belt, but seeing how they gave Drake a dragon for protection, they owed it to the girl for some other form of help. Drake and them couldn't be there all the time… even if they really wanted to.

"Fire spell." There… wasn't any harm in learning, was there. Dipper and Ford already knew some of the language. It might benefit her down the road. "But don't I need a body to do that? I'm just a soul right now, aren't I?"

"Magic comes from your inner being, kid," Billaine explained. "You have enough power in your weak soul to conjure something. Not enough to blow up the room or anything," __not yet anyway,__ "but enough to light a simple candle. I'd do it, but my powers are locked while in a human's form. Unless I have a real physical form, I can't do anything."

 _And thank goodness for that._ "Alright, Billaine. What do I do?"

"Just focus on the wick of this candle. That sense of yours, kid? Put that to good use. Imagine your entire being is on that candle, and then pronounce loudly and firmly: ignis." Billaine chuckled as Elaine's face screwed up at the instructions, making little odd noises as she stared at the candle. "Angel, I didn't need sound effects. No need to overreact. Just take it nice and slow."

"Okay, okay." She guessed she did sound like she was a little constipated. __Oh well. May as well see how this goes. If he can summon zombies right off the bat, then I can light a candle.__ Clearing her throat, Elaine announced as clear as she could. _Please don't be a dud._ _I want to show that I can do this. I can do this._ "Ignis!"

A small explosion came from the candle, and a large flame erupted from the wick before it gently calmed back down to a normal size. __I… I did it. I did it!__ "Bill-oh-Billaine! Did you see that? I actually did it!"

"Ha ha ha! Sure did, Angel," Billaine congratulated her. How something so minor as a fire spell, made her so happy… it felt… nice. __What?__ Billaine placed their right hand over where their heart was, knitting their brows together. This body… the emotions were different. Pine Tree felt an intense crush on Angel, which made them act… yeesh, that was awkward even for them. But… it wasn't so bad. But in her body, with her feelings, they felt something… new. They weren't entirely sure what it was, but it felt… like the same euphoria they felt when she complimented their piano playing, or when she fell asleep next to them… or the confusion in their first kiss. It was confusing, but… more wonderful. _Wonderful. Why's that?_

The two watched as wax dribbled down the candle, before Elaine went to focus on the second one. "Ignis!" _And… nothing._ "Uh, Billaine?"

"Don't worry, kid. Didn't expect you to get it the first time, so twice in a row was hoping a bit much. Try again, and focus on what you want to accomplish. Having a goal in mind, and concentration on your will helps." Nodding, she looked back to the candle, and repeated the word. Not as loudly as she had before, but managed the same amount of confidence she pulled off the last time. The wick ignited, thankfully not with the same intensity as last time. "Much better. Now, try that again for the last three."

Following the same steps as before, candles three and four soon were aglow beside one and two. The fourth was a little slower, but she was quick to correct the shakiness in her command. However, before she moved on to five, there was something… she wanted to ask Billaine. "What sense exactly are you talking about?"

"A sixth sense. Y'see, toots, some humans have something called a sixth sense. This allows them an awareness to the supernatural. You remember how you could see my shadow in the library?" She nodded slowly. "And when you heard Pine Tree despite him being a spirit, and yeah, I could tell you felt him in the kitchen. That's all because of your highly developed sense."

"But I never had anything like that happen before," Elaine said to herself. That didn't make any sense, but... at the same time though, it… it sort of did. She was aware of when she was being watched. She had always thought it was because they watched through a window in the shape of a triangle. She never knew that was actually because the demon was watching her. "How did this start?"

"Your little gift is... kinda my fault?" Billaine admitted, face flushed. "You remember how I healed you, right? I input my power directly onto your injuries to fix them, like when you got yourself bit by the gremloblin." Well, how could she forget that? It had hurt like crazy, like her entire body was on fire. "When I fixed yourself up at the start of the summer, you were pretty banged up. So, could you blame me if I went overboard in fixing you? Never could see the extent of your injuries until now though. Heh, I can see why your body reacted that way, convulsing as it did with my assistance. No doubt, with the amount of time you've been around me and in the Nightmare Realm, all of that just piled onto the amount of energy I used on your injuries to heal you."

"So, I'm a demon?" Elaine squeaked, floating a little backwards at the idea.

"Nah, Angel. You're just experiencing sort of a… a paranormal discharge you absorbed. Not lethal, kid. You'll live," Billaine said dismissively. "Oh, and light that last candle, while you're at it." Turning back to the fifth candle, Elaine watched as it lit itself again, just as easily as the first with a firm cry of Latin. Shame they couldn't actually do anything to the girl's body, but he did agree to her terms. No harming, no threatening. __Although…__ a mischievous smirk danced over their face. __That doesn't mean I can't do__ ** _ ** _other_**_** _ _things with Angel's body.__

"Y'know, Angel," they addressed the teen. "I haven't possessed a female of your species in quite some time." __What did he mean by that?__ Elaine blinked, and before she could open her mouth, Billaine began rolling up the sleeves of the flannel so more, until they were just above their elbows.

"Um, Bill-Billaine, what are you doing?" She almost slipped up their name, mind trying to figure out what they were doing. The possessed teen chuckled, turning back to the mirror after sparing her a quick glance. They stared at how scarred their arms were, how the color changed from where her arrival burned them to their normal paled tone. Running a fingernail over one of the scars of where the gremloblin bit them, Billaine nodded absentmindedly.

"Wow, kid. You've got more scars than I thought you had. That transportation here really didn't do wonders for you, huh?"

"Not like I can help that. Okay, Billaine. Time's up. I'd like my body back, please." Not that they were doing anything wrong at the moment, but being outside of her own body made her feel more stressed than normal. Even with the confidence she had earlier, she wanted back into the real world. Flying towards her corporeal form, Elaine ended up going straight through it as if nothing happened. Billaine laughed as she gave an annoyed shout, throwing her arms down at her sides. "Get out of my body, Bill!"

"Not yet, Angel. I just want to check a few things out first." Elaine growled as Billaine continued looking over the different scars. It-it wouldn't be too bad, right? All they were doing was looking over her arms right now. Billaine wouldn't go any further. RIGHT!? Billaine hummed to themselves, and slowly trailed their fingers over their shoulders towards their… this idea had gone on long enough, . While it did pay off in the end, it was time for that first deal to kick back into effect.

Elaine gathered up as much energy as she could, and tackled the possessed human again. "Time's UP!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bill shouted and felt a solid force roughly shove him out of the vessel, spinning him across the room. Quickly steadying himself before he could hit the wall, he stared at Angel as she caught herself from falling forward, gasping for air. "You-you kicked me out!" He couldn't believe it. He didn't believe it! A human forced him out! __Just how strong is this sixth sense of hers!?__ If she got that big of a reaction from that first fire spell, and she could manipulate her energy for something like kicking a dream demon out of a body… what else could she be capable of?

Not teaching her anymore magic though, that's for sure. He didn't need her learning anything else. But it might be a blessing to know how to contact him in the Nightmare Realm. She could enter on her own whim instead of with his assistance. "I-I did," Elaine mumbled, equally as shocked. "I-I didn't think it would work that time."

"Heh. Well, Angel. You definitely ended your request in a big way." He adjusted his hat, watching Angel move to the window seat and put out the five candles. Thankfully, the wax hadn't melted to the seats, and she didn't end up exploding them to the point she had to throw them out or wipe wax off the window and walls. "Haven't had that much fun in a while. We ought to do that again sometime."

"I don't want you checking my body out again though, Bill." Elaine glared, but let a shy and guilty smile grace her features. "But… it was sort of… interesting, seeing how happy and excited you were. I know you weren't going any further with that last thing, doing it to get a rise out of me, but this wasn't as bad as I'd thought it'd go. Usually, your eagerness only happens when-"

"When I'm talking 'bout my plan?" Bill guessed, finishing her sentence. "Take a good look, kid. That isn't the truth anymore. Why else would I have taken you to Dimension 36, or to my personal sanctuary? I like ****you****. Not even Sixer can do what you do."

"And what's that, Bill?" Bill 'smirked', and drifted back towards her. He lifted her head up to meet his eye, watching hers blink in confusion.

"Make me act even crazier than usual, act more violent, be more manipulative. Take your pick. I haven't acted this different in ages. You're changing me, Angel." He moved even closer, and brought his eye up to the top of her head "And I love it." He planted a kiss on her forehead, and Angel's face turned a bright pink.

"G-glad you think so!" She stuttered, and shook her her head. _Focus, Elaine. No blushing mess!_ "Bill, um, do you still want to ask your question of the day too?"

"Nah. I think that your idea was enough for today." He wasn't wrong. She told him about things that would help him, and he taught her a way to defend herself if nobody else was around.

"Thanks," Elaine grinned. "By the looks of it, with your and Mabel's talk earlier, and then all of that, I think I slept straight into tomorrow." The three of them had the day off thankfully, due to the events of last night, so… what else could she do? _Thank you, Grunkle Stan._ "Hey, Bill? Before you leave… wanna have one last dose of human fun?" __Oh, this is gonna be so interesting if he agrees.__

Human fun? What was she talking about this time? "What do you have in mind, Angel?" Bill asked, rubbing his hand under his eye in thought.

(Time Skip)

"Hey, Mabel?" Dipper looked up from the journal. It was almost lunchtime, and Elaine still hadn't returned from her conversation with Bill. Whatever it was, it must've been serious. No shock there, he did possess her friend and threaten the both of them with freaking suicide!

Yes, Mabel showed him the note when he had woken up. He also read the passage about how sorry she was at the bottom. He didn't blame her. In fact, it was both of their faults. But after the past 24 hours, both twins now knew they had to be even more careful around the sadistic demon. Who knows what else Bill could do to them.

"ATTACK!" Before Mabel could respond from her bed, the door burst open, and two balloons flew out from the hallway and collided with their faces. White powder burst from them, covering Dipper and Mabel and everything they had near or on them in… flour? _What?_ Elaine stood in the doorway, holding several of the weapons, alongside a puppet version of her with a long black burnt streak on the side of its face. In its arms were two balloons of its own, and Dipper heard the demon's insane laughing come from the sock.

"First wave complete, Major Angel!" Bill announced, struggling to speak between laughs and juggled the ammo in his hands. "Permission for wave two?"

"On my command!" Elaine shouted, grinning maniacally. "One, two-!"

"Wh-what are you doing!?" Dipper cried, throwing the journal under his covers before it got covered even more in flour. "What's HE doing!?"

"Flour bombing!" She declared gleefully. "How else would I get even for what you two put me through all week? Bill? Well, I just told him of a funner way of getting revenge on you. Temporarily, at least. After this, we go back to normal."

"Ellie!" Mabel shook her head, trying not to smile and began to wipe at the powder over her face. "But you know what he wanted to do with us!" Was she really that quick to forgive him? No. No, of course she wasn't. When she had returned to their room with Dipper's journal and left Elaine's unconscious body behind her, she didn't know what to think. But… she was right, in what she told Bill. He managed to have her get stuff off her chest that she didn't feel ready to tell them, and… while she would never say she liked him, she was more willing to accept his presence than Dipper.

"Sure, I do. But it's hard to stay mad at someone you're forced to see all the time." She tried. She failed. There were grudges, but they had gotten smaller with time. "Neither can I with you two. So this is the next best thing. Wave two: COMMENCE!"

 _Crud!_ "Run!" Dipper and Mabel ran past the two, and down the hall. The four laughed, and Bill and Elaine chased after them, throwing balloon after balloon at the twins. Stan opened the door of the bathroom, and stopped as the group chased past.

 _ _A sock puppet? Flour balloons? What the…?__ Scratching his head, Stan stepped back into the washroom and locked the door. __You know what? I don't want to know.__

* * *

 ** **Done! The ending was inspired by an event that happened on campus a few days ago. Like, do you even sift?****

 ** **Sorry if this seemed a little weird. It's more of how the Hamilton chapter went. More of a short thrown in, to help hold things over. I have a chemistry test I had to prep for, so... yeah. Seriously though, how would Bill react to possessing the human he was obsessed with?****

 ** **Also, for anyone who's reading this now after I did my updates, this chapter was much more… interesting, back then. But I wanted to dial down stuff, and this I find is much better. I had to keep the fire spell, but some of the stuff with the candles had to be changed.****

 ** **This chapter leads us into our normal scheduled program. This isn't going to be the last time Bill and Elaine's relationship takes a turn. So prepare for the worst. Next time, we head into the world of killer video games and FNAF ripoffs!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	43. Soos and the Real Girl

****Disclaimer: Soos and the Real Girl… yeah, not much to say about this episode. It was good; not one of my favorites though. But still, lots of potential buried in here.****

 ** **RillFipher: SHIELD YOUR EYES! IT BUURRRNS!**** ** **But, hehe. Don't worry. That part that you were flipping out over is long gone now.****

 ** **LumpyApple: I have zero regrets… somewhat.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Hard to say. Soos and the Real Girl came out only a month after the first release of the game. It takes several months to make an episode. So… maybe they already had the idea? I don't know. The anime references with fire may or may not happen. Elaine isn't going to be using magic constantly**** ** **too.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Capture the Flag… with flour. University has some really weird stuff.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619 (again): To each their own.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: That chapter was all about feelings… and**** ** **things on fire.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I'm gonna take that as a 'I love it' thing?****

 ** **Guest: I shall write more! I'm glad I haven't slowed down too much with all of my school work. Typing into the night is a pain, but it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make.****

 ** **EmmieSauce: With a large amount of mystery, drama, humor, and creepy flirty triangle!****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: She hates to admit it, but she's starting to grow used to the idea. Although, kissing with his eye is still a little… eugh.****

 ** **Akira D. Ryusuke: Thanks!****

 ** **GoldenDragwolf: I'm glad I made you feel better.****

 ** **Dante Nephelin: Thanks!****

 ** **I own Elaine. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 19/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"You know, Angel. I think I need to be more strict on my Henchmaniacs."

It's been two days since the Billaine episode, as I had decided to call it, and right now Bill and I were up on the roof chatting. Everything semi returned to normal after that night. Y'know, minus the fact Stan had me clean up all the flour we launched at the twins. To my annoyance, Bill had ditched the puppet and left me to our disaster. Let me tell you, flour didn't come out of floorboard cracks very easily. It got EVERYWHERE.

As for Dipper and Mabel, the two had been taking Soos to the mall. According to Stan, it was because the man-child wanted to find a date to his cousin's engagement party. I wouldn't have minded joining them. I'd been stuck in this building for way too long. But Bill had popped in before I could do anything, and the two left once my body collapsed in my bed, snoring softly. That was this morning.

It was 2 in the afternoon now.

"How so, Cipher?" I kicked my legs over the edge of the awning, watching the demon float in front of me. Even within the Mindscape, we decided a change of scenery was needed. Talking in the attic or the bedroom got boring. "This have anything to do with them watching us through your weirdness bubbles?"

"Yes!" Bill yelled, turning orange for a second. _Orange, huh? That's new. Not entirely angry, but not calm either._ "Have you ever seen a squealing Pyronica? It's weird. Even for me," he grimaced. Got to agree with him on that one. I couldn't imagine the succubus acting like a fangirl. _Still not_ _ _gonna say we're together.__ True, we'd gotten closer. Yes, I allowed him to be more… forward with my personal boundaries, but I wasn't sure if that meant we were, in terms, boyfriend and girlfriend. Frankly, I liked how we kept calling ourselves. Partners. "How about you, kid? Pine Tree and Shooting Star suspect anything?"

"They're a little weirded out about the flour fight, but I think Mabel's grown a little, and I mean a LITTLE, more used to you. Dipper still hates your nonexistent guts, but that's to be expected." I shrugged, and continued my sketch of Billaine in my journal. Their stance resembled Bipper's a little, since I drew his in Ford's journal, but their arms were behind their back and they were rocking on their heels. A sly smirk stretched over their face, and their cat eyes glinted playfully. "Right now, I heard they're checking up on Soos. Not sure exactly what happened yesterday when they took him to the mall, but he never showed up today."

"Yeah, psychotic AI programs sure have an affect on people!" Bill said gleefully. "Your friends are sure in for a treat later on!" Nodding mutely, I couldn't help but agree. Giffany, now that I'd long since come to see everyone here as real life, and no longer a cartoon, she… terrified me. It was like Yandere Simulator gone wrong. And I didn't want a katana or a box cutter coming at me. "Hmmm… looks like Kitten and Red are calling for you, Angel."

"They are?" Not like I had much of a choice to trust him. I wasn't aware of what was happening in the outside world while I was stuck in here. "You know what they want?"

"Nope! Whatever it is, they're excited about it, that's for sure. Guess we'll have to talk more later, kid." Bill floated closer, and I tilted my head back on impulse. "Angel, are you always gonna act like that? I thought you trusted me!"

"I do, but… it's just that it's weird that it's your eye," I explained. Not that he wasn't a horrible kisser, but how he did it was a different matter.

"Well, I COULD shapeshift into a fleshbag, kid, but I am **not** going to lower myself to your pathetic standards," Bill ended in a growl. "If you're staying the same pain in my angle, then I will gladly abide to that too."

Well, at least I didn't have to worry over any human version of Bill. I wasn't one the people who drew him all tan skin and blonde and/or black hair. Eye patch or bangs, and striking yellow eyes. I wasn't one for a pretty face. I preferred personality. Maybe… that's what drew me into our unusual friendship. "And I'm perfectly happy with you as a dapper triangle," I replied. "I'll see you later, Bill."

"ELAINE!" Kat knocked the door open with her foot in a bang, and stormed into the room, Wendy following right behind her. Blinking out of my sleep induced daze, I pulled myself up from my bed. "Listen up, weirdo, and listen good! We've got half a day to get this done, and you're gonna help us!"

Wow, she's wound up. _I think I'm influencing her. Never thought I'd hear a line like that from anyone other than me._ "What am I helping you two with?" I asked, closing my journal before they could see the drawing. Unlike Ford, who wrote in brown, and Dipper with blue, I did mine with black ink. As for the drawing of Billaine, it was the only time I allowed color. I wanted to emphasize the yellow cat eyes. "And where's Asger?"

"That's sorta why we came here," Wendy said nervously. "Asger… he asked me out on a date."

"HE DID!?" I jumped to my feet, and threw my arms around the redhead, spinning her around. "I SHIP IT!" The two were certainly getting closer since I had convinced Wendy to seek comfort in the dark skinned teen after the Robbie incident. They were really sweet together. After I saw how much they were snuggling at Mabel's puppet show, I had a hunch it was only a matter of time. "Where? When? Details, girl! I need details!"

"Since when did you change into Mabel?" Wendy asked, laughing at my excited response once I released her. "He asked me after the twins left to the mall yesterday over the phone. We're going to Greasy's Diner tonight." She twirled a strand of hair, blushing. "I need help, Elaine. I don't want to screw this up like I did with all my exes." I could see why. Unlike all of them, with the exception of Robbie, Asger was a childhood friend. She didn't want to risk damaging their relationship if it didn't work out.

"Don't worry, Wendy. I've dealt with Mabel's crush-of-the-week so often I've picked up on a few things. Kat and I will help you out." Ignoring the fact some of those crushes included a pack of gnomes, Gideon, and Gabe. Mermando was still cool though. The Spanish merman deserved props.

"Thanks, guys. So, what do you think we can do?" Wendy asked, crossing her arms.

I grinned, and rubbed my hands. "Go to the washroom and clean your face. I'll break out Mabel's makeup and hair supplies. We got work to do." _Seeing a future shipping ahead of you… it fills you with determination!_

(Time Skip)

"He's here!" Kat shouted, sticking her head out of the bedroom window before pulling herself back in. "Asger alert!"

I finished the last touches on Wendy's hair, and stepped back. _Not bad, Elaine._ "Okay, okay. Wendy, are you good? Do you have everything? Do you need a mint? Phone charger? A condom?"

"A co-Elaine!" Wendy blushed, and snorted as she playfully punched my arm as I retracted with the iron. "I'm fifteen! Why would I do that?"

"You'd be surprised," I shrugged. "You haven't been to my high school. Go get your man, girl!" I pushed her out of the room, and wiped my hands on my jeans since I had makeup all over them and they were still covered in hair spray. "Man, this is gross. We sure made a mess, huh?"

If anyone would've walked in right now, they would be immediately greeted with the sight of hair elastics everywhere, a smoking curling iron on the dresser above my bed, and eye shadow and lipstick marks over Kat's and my faces. Oh, and the teenage novels we found hiding under Mabel's bed that Grenda accidentally forgot during the last sleepover. _Not like those lipstick marks are ours. All that's on Grenda right there._ "Wanna go watch them?" Kat asked, grinning excitedly.

"It'd be a sin if we didn't. All aboard the Wenger train!" I threw my fist in the air, jumping, only for Kat to give me a blank look. "What? Wrong shipping name?" She shook her head, crossing her arms. "Eh. We'll work on it."

3rd POV

"Okay, okay. You got this." Asger fiddled with his tie, making sure it was straight enough. Instead of his casual clothes, Pacifica had managed to get him into a red dress shirt and black pants. He got to keep his sneakers though, but the hat he always wore was left behind in his room. "You're just finally going on a date with the girl of your dreams. Yeah, yeah, no pressure… oh, there's so much pressure." He slapped a hand to his forehead, thoughts speeding through his brain. _What if I say something stupid? Do I smell nice? Is my hair parted correct-?_

"Asger?"

"Oh, Wendy, you're… whoa." Wendy stood in the doorway of the Mystery Shack, and Asger wouldn't lie if his jaw didn't drop. The redhead was clad in a pair of dark jeans, brown sandals that showed off jade green painted nails, and a flowery printed pink blouse. The buttoned shirt matched her hair to a T, which was sans hat just like his own, and curled so it had a very noticeable wave in it.

"So, what do you think?" Wendy asked, tugging on one of the short sleeves. She'd never wear anything like this in public, but Kat and Elaine were persistent in changing things up. This coming from the older teen who was essentially a brunette, red flannel, more insane version of her Got to give them credit where it's due though. She looked… not bad. _Thank goodness they let me keep my normal earrings in. I refuse to wear anything dangling._

"You look… amazing," he breathed, before realizing that he must have been looking like a complete fool just staring at her. "So! Um," he coughed, "you, uh, ready to go?"

"Ready when you are." A low growl came from behind him, and Wendy finally noticed the large black lizard watching around the corner of the house. "We're riding Axel?" She had no problem with it. Except… Axel might. The dragon seemed a little… possessive of her owner. And of Kat and Elaine too, for some reason. Apparently, as Asger explained to her while he was trying to cheer her up, it had something to do with all three of them being there when she hatched.

"Yeah. Seeing how Greasy's is out by the woods, I figured it was the quickest and fastest way there. Besides," he added as he patted the dragon's back. "You've never ridden Axel before." Greasy's Diner might not have been the greatest location for a first date, but he didn't want to take Wendy out to a fancy restaurant. True, he could afford it, but he wanted to make her feel comfortable. "Um… what are you two doing?" Wendy turned around, and they could see Elaine and Kat's heads sticking out from behind the living room door, as she had come out through the gift shop's entrance.

"Just ignore us!" Elaine yelled back. "We don't exist!"

The couple blinked, before turning back to each other. "We should probably… yeah." Asger grabbed her hand, and helped her onto Axel's back. The dragon huffed at the quickness, but otherwise remained calm. "Let's go, girl." Sitting in the front with Wendy behind her, Asger patted her head. With a sly dragonic smirk, Axel spread her wings, testing the current around her... and flew directly upward, pounding her wings as hard as she could. Wendy screamed, and clung to Asger tightly. "A-Axel! What's gotten into you-!"

"HA HA HA HA! THIS IS AWESOME!" Asger glimpsed back at Wendy's face, watching tears fly off her face. However, it didn't look like they were scared tears. Rather, it was from the force of the wind. The girl was shrieking in excitement, laughing hysterically. How was she not freaking out-wait. She was Wendy. Of course she'd love this. "WOO HOO!"

Axel rolled her eyes, and brought her wings to her sides, diving sharply down to where the diner was. With her wingspan, traveling across the town didn't take that long, and she would prefer to ditch the human Asger found more interesting than herself as fast as she could. Pulling up at the last second, she landed on the ground along the treeline, and Asger slid off her back. "Wendy, you alright?"

Still laughing, she slid off Axel, her wavy hair sticking up in a few random places. "We have GOT to travel like that more often!" Shaking his head fondly, he took her hand in his.

"I'll make a note. Axel, be back in two hours, alright? We'll be behind the diner. Wait in the trees." Axel frowned, as much as a dragon could, and gave Wendy one last glare before taking off again. "Well, here we are."

"I have a feeling she doesn't like me very much," Wendy pointed out as they walked back around Greasy's to the front door. Opening it for her, Wendy walked past Asger and took a seat in the closest booth.

"She's just jealous that not all of my attention is on her," Asger frowned. He sat down across from her, sighing. "I'm sure it's just a phase." They looked up at Lazy Susan, who had walked over to them. He hoped it was a phase. Even though her physical appearance was possibly closer to an adult now, her mental age was still of a child.

"What will you two lovebirds be having today?" She asked loudly. The teens blushed at the name, and Wendy glanced at the menu in front of her.

"Just a burger and fries please. Oh, and a Pitt Cola," she added at the end. Asger nodded, and placed his own menu down.

"I'll have the same as her," he added. Lazy Susan jotted it down, and went back into the kitchen. "That could have gone better," he muttered.

"Yeah," Wendy laughed embarrassingly. "Lovebirds, hehehe. Heh…" Asger and her chuckled, before it faded out awkwardly. The two sat there, listening to the other patrons talk around them, and the hustle and bustle of the kitchen staff in the back. __Awkward,__ Wendy repeated in her head. This date still was going better than most of her old ones. At least no one tried to make a move on her yet. Why else would she have broken up with so many?

"So! Um, hehe, how was that adventure with the Pines down in the bunker?" Asger asked. Pausing to see Wendy's surprised reaction, he continued, "Elaine tells me a lot of stuff." Like his world being a cartoon in another dimension for example. Elaine had told him a few days ago that the family now knew about her dimensional problem and her deal with Bill. However, she also told him that they still didn't know about the cartoon part.

This made him worry. Elaine had to tell them at some point in the future. Seeing how much her deal with the triangle demon bit her in the butt when Dipper found out, the boy twin finding out about his best friend knowing everything would destroy him. The only reason it didn't bother him as much as he thought it'd be was because Elaine later told him and Kat how the world was changing due to her presence. He never existed in her world.

That was a little hard to swallow. How would one react when they find out that they aren't suppose to exist? But… he took it in stride. Honestly, Elaine was probably more shocked than he was. After all, this wasn't her world. This was a place changing to one who thought it was just something else. _I… still am not sure how to think of all that._ Between him, her, and Kat, they were all confused as to what was happening.

"It went well. The shape shifter was horrible, but it was probably even worse for Elaine. She had to fight the thing when he looked like her. The only way she and Dipper won was when Dipper found out the fake and used this knife to slash its face." Wendy gave him a sly grin, not seeing the slightly disturbed look on his face. "Dipper ended up confessing his feelings to her. Amazingly, she wasn't that bothered. She already knew it." She laughed to herself. "Actually, Dipper isn't that great at being casual. I remember he used to have a crush on me at the start of the summer."

"I know," Asger added. "When me, Elaine, and Kat were hanging out at the party, we could see how upset he was that you were hanging with Robbie. When do you think things changed?"

"Between me and Dipper, or us?" Wendy asked, confused.

"You and Dipper. I already know when things changed for us. When Elaine sent you to me for comfort, right?" He was so thankful to the short teen for her actions. Her last minute decision was the pushing point to finally bring them together.

"Yeah. I think that the pushing point for them, and Elaine told me this during work one day, was when she helped Mabel fall back to sleep after she had a nightmare. She wasn't sure at the time, but she could've sworn Dipper was listening to her sing Mabel back to sleep."

"That's sweet of her." A plate of food was sat down in front of him, and Lazy Susan did the same to Wendy. She then put down the cans of soda, and grinned.

"Food!" She turned around, and went to another table. Cracking open the cans, they each took a long sip before sitting the drinks back down.

"Finally. I'm starving. Hey, Asger, pass the ketchup, would you?" Asger slid the red bottle over to her, and Wendy took the bun off and put a fair amount on. "Thanks." Handing it back, Asger did the same to his own burger. Taking a bite, she hummed to herself.

 _ _Try to be casual, Wendy. Don't just talk about your friends. Ask about him.__ "So, Asger?" She began, mouth full of food before she quickly swallowed. "Whoops. How's your summer been going so far? Family treating you well?"

Asger sat down his own burger, and deadpanned. "What do you think? My aunt and uncle have upped their control over Pacifica, and give me nasty looks whenever her or I talk about our friends." He wasn't even gonna mention how much Preston was disgusted with their date tonight. He was also about 90 percent certain that the lumberjack curse originated from one of Wendy's ancestors. After all, her family's been there for as long as his had been. Chopping trees was in her blood.

"Has she done anything to stop it?" Wendy asked. She knew how much Pacifica had changed this summer. Mabel welcomed her into her friend group with open sparkly arms, and she heard from Asger herself that Elaine told Pacifica to go straight to her if she wasn't comfortable talking to her cousin.

"No. But I'm hoping things change for the better in time for the party in coming up. No doubt she'll try and invite Mabel and the others. I'll of course invite you and the other girls too." Wendy gaped at him in shock. 'Commoners' hardly ever got into the Northwest's party. Coming as one of their guests? Wow.

"Wow, that's-wow! Thanks, Asger!" Wendy said, and took another sip from her drink. "Hey, um, I know this night is all about us and all, but did Kat and Elaine ever say what they were up to tonight?"

"I think they mentioned something about jumpscaring bears and cupcake chickens?" It didn't make sense the second time she thought about it. "Seriously have no clue what she was talking about. Hope they're having fun."

Elaine's POV

 _Soos and the Real Girl. To summarize: FNAF, plus Yandere Simulator, plus Gravity Falls equals this disaster of a night._

"AAHHH!" Screaming, I dove in between the gaming consoles, trying to avoid the giant brown bear. The eerie red eyes stared blankly at me as it roared and continued its pursuit. "I'm boned, I'm boned, I'm so very BONED!" __Why am I quoting Markiplier at a time like this!?__ I found myself backed up against a corner of the games, and the animatronic raised its arm and brought it down to slash my arm, only for Melody to knock it away from me with a chair. Its head bounced along the floor as the red lights faded, finally being forced to turn off. Panting, we looked at each other as I threw my arms in the air in exasperation. "Killer robots in a pizzeria! What's next? Creepy cartoons coming to life in an inky factory with a cult!?"

A screeching came from behind me, and I barely had time to react as the rat-bucket machines had crept up on us and captured us with their massive metallic claws. The bear one was no where to be seen, so each rat took one of us, and brought us over to where Dipper and Mabel were. _It's still alive!?_ The headless bear was holding Mabel in front of it, same as the frog and Dipper. Grunting and kicking furiously, we tried to break free. "Come on!" Dipper shouted. "Soos, do something!"

As if he was listening, we heard the robots suddenly wind down, and their arms went slack. _Wow… that was good timing._ "Whoa!" We fell into the ball pit under us, and sighed in relief. "I… hated… this!" I panted. "No wonder… Mark had… such a painful time all four games."

"Who's Mark?" Mabel asked as we climbed out to sit along the edge of the entrance. Melody walked away from us, and sat down next to Soos on one of the fallen games. The screen was smashed to pieces, making them sit in a way that they didn't let their legs get scratched up.

"No one important." Sitting on the edge of the ball pit, we watched the two young adults. Melody and Soos talked for a few minutes, and I grinned as the two made a date for the engagement party, and to continue their relationship over the computer. "Ship it."

"Spirit of Love, we did it!" Mabel cried happily, raising her arms in the air.

"Brought Soos and a girl together," Dipper added. "Never thought I'd live to see the day."

"Yes. Yes, I am so happy." We stared at Abuelita in confusion, who had popped out of the pit beside Mabel.

"Have you been following us all day?" Dipper asked as I hugged the twins close to me in surprise.

"Soos' life is my soap opera," she smiled, as if that answered everything.

"Ignoring that." I let go of Dipper and Mabel. "I think there's one thing I can fully admit at the end of the day." Sitting straight, I threw my arms in the air in victory.

"I am the QUEEN, Of FIVE NIGHT'S AT HOO-HA OWL'S!"

3rd POV

"Ha ha ha ha! That was the most fun I've had in a while!" Axel landed behind Wendy's house, and the teens slid off her back, giggling. Wendy bounced on her heels, turning to smile at Asger. "How much trouble do you think we'll get into?"

"All we did was soap bomb your principal's car," Asger shrugged, smirking. It wasn't as if they could get into trouble. It was summer, after all, and he didn't even live there. "I just can't believe you talked me into it."

"Dude, I've been wanting to do something like that for years. That, and glue a plunger to his glowing melon!" His head was brighter than her most of her friends' futures! Asger snorted at the idea, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"If you ever get a chance to do that, get someone to take a picture for me. That would be profile pic worthy. And wallpaper." They walked over to the front door, and Asger's muscles tensed. "So…?"

"Asger, are you still afraid of my dad?" Wendy asked, looking at him in amusement. "You know he's alright with you."

"I know that. It's just, he's so… huge. Have you seen his hands, and how huge his arms are? The man could snap me like a toothpick!" Unfortunately for Wendy, her dad probably could. "Don't deny it!"

"I'm not," she chuckled. "At least my family is accepting."

 _Ouch._ "My parents are actually extremely happy for me. They wouldn't mind having you up one day." They stopped on the doorstep, and smiled at each other. _As for the other thing, I'm keeping this from Aunt Priscilla and Uncle Preston for as long as I can._

"I'd like that. This was, not gonna lie, one of my better dates, Asger." The couple smiled, and Wendy closed her eyes. Asger blinked in surprise as the redhead stood up on her toes to try and reach his height, and leaned in to kiss him. __Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!__ All of those painstaking years of waiting has finally led up to this moment!

"C'mon, guys! It's just getting juicy!" The two broke apart, inches from their lips touching, and looked behind them. A flash of bright blue appeared in the trees, and Kat grinned mischievously down at them.

"Kat!?" Asger cried in shock and anger. _She just ruined-!?_ "What the-what are you doing here!?"

"Well, Elaine went with the twins to spy on Soos' date. Gave me the idea to make sure you guys got home safely. Now, what are we waitin' for? Get to it, Romeo! Chop chop!"

Groaning, the dark skinned teen slapped a hand to his face in annoyance. __Why, Kat? Why!?__ Wendy laughed, and patted his shoulder. "Better luck next time, Asger." She opened the door, the smell of smoked meat drifting through the opening. She held onto the door frame, and winked back at Asger. "Night." Closing the door, Asger walked forward, and thumped his head against the wood.

"So close, man. So. Close."

"Sorry, hehe, couldn't resist."

Asger twitched, and glared back up at her. "I'm quoting Elaine when I say this: you are in for a bad time when we meet up later!"

The younger teen usually was the more calm female in their group, with Elaine taking the lead in all of their crazy activities. She was certain that the brunette was rubbing off on her just as Mabel did to Elaine. Kat hummed at Asger's warning, and laughed anyway, swinging her legs from the branch. "I'll be waiting!"

Elaine's POV

This was a… weird day.

Kat had somehow broken into the Mystery Shack, and was eating a bowl of soup in the living room watching TV when we got back. Stan was confused, but shrugged it off as many people come in here with or without our knowledge. I think he was referring to the body swapping carpet fiasco I ended up missing. Dipper and Mabel didn't seem as freaked out either, as they had grown use to my own brand of silliness. _I am so changing her into my way of doing stuff._ _Got to say, I like it._ Stan had also told her she had to buy him a new thing of soup, but... he'd probably forget about that within a few days.

Giggling, I walked back into the bedroom, looking to the sides at the sleeping twins. Lifting up my comforter, I crawled into bed and put my glasses on the table beside me. Tomorrow was essentially a break. If this dimension reflected the show just enough, then Stan would end up talking to a tourist all night before locking them in a box as a display. I wasn't sure what Dipper and Mabel had planned, but there was something that I had to do. Something that I had put off far too long.

It's time to finish reading the journal.

It's time to finally finish the story of Ford's descent into madness.

* * *

 ** **I need a shipping name for Wendy and Asger. Wenger really sounds… wrong.****

 ** **The next chapter is going to be entirely focused on journal 3, so be ready for some… interesting content. Black light included**** ** **too**** ** **. This stuff blew my mind when I first read it.****

 ** **On another note, I have a question. Creative writing requires me to do a final project instead of an exam, and I am planning on writing a story. Thing is… all I know is Fanfiction. Does anyone have any idea about what I could write? I have a few ideas, but seeing how you're the ones who read my stuff, I'd figure you'd know what sort of topics and genres suit me best.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	44. Little Gift Shop of Horrors

****Disclaimer: This is a HUGE chapter, people! HUGE! So many things happen, so many changes! I! CAN'T! EVEN!****

 ** **LumpyApples: I would say Wendy and Asger, and Soos and Melody are cute couples, but not Bill and Elaine. Never those two.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: You bet!****

 ** **xForeverGamerx: That means a lot. I still find it hard to believe people love this story so much.****

 ** **Guest: AMEN! And, uh… maybe? I plan on using that at the end of the chapter.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: 1. Thanks! 2. Knew it. 3. You just gave me an interesting idea. How about this? A girl living a depressing life, finding no enjoyment in it ends up befriending a weird boy (or gender neutral kid. I'm still figuring it out.) obsessed with the supernatural. She ends up getting pulled into one of his adventures, where despite her persistence that the paranormal doesn't exist, she's forced to admit otherwise. They slowly build a weird love-hate friendship from that point.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: That would sound too much like How To Train Your Dragon.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: A lot of people liked the reference. Weirdly, I'd have thought it'd be all the Markiplier references that people would enjoy.****

 ** **Himawari-no-Ichizoku: I like it. Wonder why I never thought of it earlier.****

 ** **the Stargazer: I think we've settled on Andy. I like Undertale (shrugs). If you've been enjoying those references, might I recommend reading my two Undertale stories. You might get a kick out of them. Also… YES! FORD TIME!****

 ** **RillFipher: I don't really do mutants, but that's an interesting idea. Glad you liked all of those references!****

 ** **I own Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited:**** ** **Sept. 20**** ** **/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

One large glass of tomato juice, a locked attic with both journals, a pen, and my UV flashlight. I wasn't leaving this room unless I needed food or the washroom. Dipper and Mabel had asked what I was doing, when I dragged my blanket and the author's journal from our shared room, but I gave a quick and simple answer that I was doing serious research.

Taking a sip from my drink, I narrowed my eyes at the six fingered hand on the cover. "Serious," I whispered, holding it close to my face.

Before I continued where I last left off in the normal writing, I had wanted to finish checking the older parts of the journal I'd already gone through with my flashlight. " ** **Bill's Secret History****." This was where I left off before, on the town's history page. __So the Egyptians were a large group he tricked. The portal they tried building only released a jackal-headed man from the Nightmare Realm. The pyramids were actually tributes to him in an attempt to stop him from the constant nightmare plague. Who knew the ancient structures used to have arms and hats?__ My thoughts came off short and random, repeating the different lines as I scanned over them.

George Washington's wooden teeth were the cause of bad nightmares as his portal sank in a swamp. He appeased Bill by putting him on the dollar bill. Stanley Kubrick's film success was the result of bizarre nightmares caused by Bill because his portal plan was rejected by NASA.

Then there was the shaman Bill had mentioned weeks ago. The one who inscribed the incantation in the cave that led Ford to summoning him. _Moving on._ "Page flip, page flip, page flip. What?" I halted on the introduction page of McGucket under the UV light, and the image of the laptop lit up… with the password. " ** **Stanford****." Ho-how did I not see that coming? How did Dipper not see that?" It looked like he didn't read other the journal as thoroughly as I'd have originally thought.

The giant head in the lake. Apparently, that was a father head. There was also a wife and a child, deep under the murky water, and their marriage was reportedly very unhappy. _I wonder how Ford found out about that._ McGucket's mind began to crumble when he almost was killed by the gremloblin, but I had already figured that out. But it was definitely a shocker when I read about him building the memory gun, and used it on Ford. _No wonder he d_ _id_ _n't recall if Fiddleford destroyed it or not! He had innocent people help him build the portal, and then erased their memories. Wh-what else had he done with this before the society!?_

Ignoring the hand witch pages, of which I only looked at enough to know that she was talented enough in her skill to know when someone is heading down a dark path, I found that Ford had written about the terrifying idea of what could happen if Bill won. _Unusual-tastrophe? Gee, he liked wordplay._ But right now, I was finally done replaying the old chapters. Now it was time to really get down to work. With, and without black light.

" ** **An Encounter**** " was the title of the passage I started on next. It talked of how Ford found sleep a mortal curse. How a person would spend one-third of their entire life asleep. Bill was non-corporeal in the Mindscape, and with his longer lifespan, he didn't need sleep. I'd seen the bed in Bill's study in the Nightmare Realm. Why he had it I still didn't really know. Apparently, he could sleep if he wanted to, but he didn't. Mentally exhausted, I fully understand.

"Whoa." " ** **It was at this moment that my Muse appeared before me with a tantalizing offer! He said he took pity on my frail human body, and offered to take it over for a while to help me finish my calculations while I slept****." Dang, Ford, even I was smart enough to see how wrong of a deal that was. Were you really that naive when you were young? " ** **To put your hand in fire and not get burned… this is a feeling like no other****."

"Didn't Ford shake his hand before?" I drew my knees closer to my chest, and reached down to write in my book as I had Ford's propped up with my legs. Ford wrote of the success of his deal, and how Cipher wrote six long hours of calculations for him. "Imaginary friend," I scoffed at the sentence. "Ignorance isn't bliss, that's for sure." I read the bottom paragraph, frowning. "So that's how Ford's eye bleeding started."

" ** **UPDATE: several hours after the experience with my Muse, I experienced a burning pain in my right eye. Probably just a headache. I have attached a monocle to this book to help me rad with one eye until it goes away. I hope it doesn't bleed… very odd**** …"

I reached to pick up the golden monocle attached at the top of the binding, rolling it in my fingers. I haven't let Bill possess me as much as Ford had, but I've been around him much more consistently than Ford had. Bleeding eyes… will this happen to me, if I keep hanging around Bill? Shivering, I flipped the page. "I hope not." The portal testing. Gauges, schematics, all of it filled the pages. "Ford… they short-circuited the entire town?" Giggling, I tried to imagine how confused every townsfolk was. "I have got to talk to him about that down the road."

January 17. So, the portal testing happened in winter. That made sense. Dipper, Mabel, and I ended up in the past during the time travel incident, in front of the Shack. "Probability of failure?" This… was new. McGucket had done final calculations that had revealed severe errors in the design, errors that could lead to disaster. __Like the destruction of their world…__ I frowned, reading the rest of the passage. Fiddleford had also written a thesis paper with Ford's name on it over the past few nights, wanting him to publish that and give up on the Grand Unified Theory of Weirdness. He wanted Ford to give up the search, and move on with his life.

" ** **It was just as my muse had warned me. How could someone I trusted for so long actually suggest giving up now, when victory was nearly in our grasp? Was he planning on leaving me the scraps while he discovered the Grand Unified Theory of Weirdness himself? Was I to be a forgotten Tesla to his backstabbing Edison****?" _Good lord, Ford's gone off his rocker!_

I read the bottom of the page, not believing the ink scrawls on the parchment. The ring that the 'Palm Reader', also known as the Hand Witch, had given him weeks earlier had turned black. _She said that b_ _lue he could pull through, black he couldn't go back._ He's dug himself his own grave. " ** **I tossed the ring into the lake. Superstitions are for the weak. I am a scientist. And after tomorrow, I'll be a great one****."

"Oh, Stanford." I sat his journal down, and sat my own in my lap. "When I finally reveal my knowledge, I'm so gonna give you an earful for all of this. Idiot," I mumbled, shaking my head. " ** **Ford Pines… is a man with an over-sized ego who can miss the warnings when they're shoved down your throat**** **.** " Okay, I was not being gentle. Did I even have a reason to be easy in my rant? " ** **How could he have been so ignorant in seeing Bill for what he truly was, for how twisted his plan for answers was? It's so horrible, I can't even believe how distorted his past is. When I've watched the show back in my dimension, one would never have seen the cruel reality of the town for what it really is.****

 ** **Gravity Falls… is a horror show****."

This town was so much more ****real**** than what I had grown up thinking. It had been the reason I had sometimes cried myself to sleep, and had horrible panicking thoughts race through my head. Plunging off of cliffs due to a crazed child psycho, demonic healing; all of it had driven me to tears on multiple occasions. It hurt, but… I still loved this place. How could I not? Dipper and Mabel and Stan… they all loved me. And I loved them.

" ** **But! It is MY horror show. I wouldn't replace where I ended up with anything. I love each and every person I've met. Except Robbie and Gideon. I've got a special place for those two.****

 ** **But Bill Cipher? I… I am still trying to sort out what I feel towards him. I don't hate him as much as I did before, but love****?" I… I wasn't sure of the answer to that yet.

"Switch!" Back to Ford's we go. I was so close to finishing his part of the journal. I had to do it today. Things would only get more intense the further into the summer, and Ford would no doubt take back his book once he came back through the portal. "Oh… well, good feelings gone."

" ** **NO! CURSE THE WORLD, CURSE THE TOWN, CURSE THE FATE THAT BROUGHT ME HERE****!"

Ford had called Fiddleford a fool for not telling him what he saw in the Nightmare Realm. For keeping what he saw to himself, and for quitting the project in a huff. I would be acting the same way, actually, if I had been introduced to Bill in that manner. Removing his exoskeleton to feed… I shivered at the idea. I still wasn't sure what that looked like, but my idea of turning himself inside out or having his insides come outside must have been close.

McGucket though, he had already gone through the gremloblin incident and the shape shifter scenario. I had developed a good sense for the weird and abnormal. He had not.

" ** **Something is not right. I am used to hearing the Muse's voice in my head on occasion. But now suddenly I hear whispers. The murmuring voices of beasts. The echoing howls of lost souls. This is not right at all. It is almost as though my Muse is contacting others. Ghouls from another world. The more I listen, the more I am convinced it is NOT my imagination. My head throbs. My right eye burns. I heard my Muse say something…****

' ** **The door is open'…****

 ** **What have I done****?"

"What have you done, Ford?" Echoing of lost souls? Hearing Bill's voice in his head? Head throbbing? "Bill, what have you done to him?" __Is that… black?__ I tilted my head, spotting black ink dripping over the edge of a few of the sheets, with… small splatters of deep red. "Blood," I murmured, and quickly turned to look back at the book. Bill's page was a terrifying disaster, as I had already seen. So… what was on the other side of this?

"For all that is sweet and pure in the world. ****MY MUSE WAS A MONSTER! I WAS A PUPPET! F WAS RIGHT****!" Thick black lines scratched over everything, with bright red ink mixed in. The scratches in some places were shaped to mimic eyes. Eyes with a single slit pupil. The biggest eye, on the top right page had a long streak of red ink in the middle of the pupil. Red ciphers were scrawled alongside the other sentences. Tracing a hand over the large eyeball, I could feel the invisible ink on the paper, no doubt illuminating the eyes under the UV light. And I was ****really**** not feeling up to having glowing green eyes staring back at me.

Bill's page came next. __Wh-why must there be so much__ _ _blood__ _ _?__ Thank goodness I was now partially immune to seeing the bodily fluid. I didn't want to read over it anymore though. Just looking at it, well… it brought back too many memories.

 _But… what did it show… under my light?_ Clicking it on, I scanned over the chapter. Under the blackened image, a muscle and fleshed form of Bill stood, with a crooked jagged toothed mouth below his tie. Grimacing, I stuck out my tongue in disgust. "Why," I started, "would Bill look like that in our dimension?" Scanning over more parts about how Ford felt violated at having his thoughts opened to the triangular beast, I blinked at the changed writing below his own. It… wasn't Ford's at all.

" ** **Wanna know what I did last time I was in your mind, Sixer? I deleted the word 'burden' from your vocabulary and replaced it with 'sea otter'! Good luck next time you try to sound ominous, smart guy****!"

Scanning over the page that gave the spell to enter someone's mind, I moved to the right page. Ford… swore. There was an actual swear word in a dimension that mimicked a cartoon. _Funny, I would have sworn I'd hear a lot of foul language when I went to that bar with the twins._ " ** **I'll be**** " _uhh… skipping the word in my quoting._ " ** **If I let that demon deceive me again. The portal was never meant for my research at all. I was tricked into creating a doorway to his nightmare dimension-to let him into our world! I must shut down the portal at once, and come up with a plan to destroy Bill altogether****." Rough sketches of pots of coffee, and a man with his eyelids taped open were around the words. "Yeah, Ford. You should have listened to McGucket at the start!" I said aloud, reading the paragraph in the corner. The country man had warned him so many times, even if he didn't know the extent of Bill's powers.

"What's next?" Turning the page, I frowned at the sketch. Blind Eye. _That's… the next_ _adventure_ _… oh no._

The Society of the Blind Eye made me anxious to no end. Dipper and Mabel were going to find out about McGucket's history, and the man would begin to recover his memory. McGucket… it killed me to see him like that in the video, when they watched his memories on that device. His decent into madness was as tragic and scary as Ford's.

I wanted to fix that. I wanted to see what I could do to help him heal. I knew not everything about Ford, but I knew enough to maybe jog some memories, possibly without revealing my own knowledge. I need-no. I **wanted** to help. If I could help anyone right now, it'd be him.

The next page was only Ford introducing the concept of the invisible ink, so I flipped to the next section. Ford had gone to a diner, and was clearly showing the lack of sleep as he began to get played by Bill. " ** **Everyone in the diner turned towards me, and perhaps it was just the sunrise coming in through the window, but at that moment I swear that all their eyes were GLOWING YELLOW****."

Bill was playing him due to his lack of sleep. __How I wish that this wasn't where Ford made his plan to get Stan involved.__ But it was. Stan was the only other person he could trust with his research, as he no longer trusted anyone in the town. "Does he really have to give the people in the image Bill eyes?"

" ** **Hiding Places**** " was the next part, but the outlines of the two pages made me shudder. Little violently drawn Bills lined the sides, some crossed out quickly. Clicking on the flashlight, I looked at the rest of the information. The journal hiding locations were described, and a brief explanation about each of them. Journal one was his first three years, and journal two was so horrifying due to its knowledge of the amulet that Gideon had. Apparently, it turned hair white… that explained so much. "That's the machine he made in high school." I leaned closer to the book, pushing my glasses back up as they started sliding from looking over the book. In thick lines, the contraption was crossed out, but it was clear what it was. " ** **What might have been**** …" was written under the drawing. "Yeah, wh-what might have been."

There was only two more page flips left. But I HAD to continue. I had to finish. " ** **He is taking advantage while I sleep****." So many ciphers. I had no clue what the weird symbols meant, and I copied the characters into my journal as fast as I could. I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop. I was so close to finishing this, and I needed to know the full story.

The last two pages. The last chapter. " ** **He's trying to control me. Trying to write in my journal during the few minutes I'm asleep. I have gambled with my future and perhaps humanity's future as well. No more writing. The time has come to bury this tome. After that, all there is left to do is wait for S and save the world. Or lose my life in the effort.****

 ** **CAN'T SLEEP! CAN'T SLEEP! CAN'T SLEEP! CAN'T SLEEP****!"

Over. And Over. And over ** **.**** I-I didn't know how to react. Bill and… Ford. The two of them used to be what I now had, minus the relationship part. H-how could Stanford have fallen so low? How could he have been so stupid!? Why!? Why did he continue down this path, even though it was so **painfully** obvious that it would end horribly wrong?

And Cipher? Did he have to keep tormenting Ford, even when he already was so far gone? Was this just sick sadistic enjoyment now? To keep taking over his body, leaving messages in his journal? Ford and Bill… why? Just… just why?

Sighing, I reached to close the book, and my hand flipped behind the sheet and I blinked in shock. __Was that… more invisible ink?__ It had a strange texture on the parchment, and I was by now familiar as to what it felt like. Turning it over cautiously, I clicked the UV light.

The empty pages between where Ford stopped and Dipper began… they weren't empty. Ford had listed all of the ways to keep Bill out of one's mind, and the next part Bill had written after possessing an exhausted Ford. He made himself in the book sound so much better than Ford ever did, like he could solve anyone's problem.

Snapping the journal shut, I leaned against the window, staring emptily ahead of me. "This changes everything." It really, really did. Oh, I was so going to have a talk with Bill when I see him. And Ford too. Oh-ho, yes. Ford was gonna get it. _You know, if I don't chicken out in fear of revealing my deal._

Speaking of Bill… where was he?

I moved onto the edge of the window seat, and turned around to look at the triangular shape in the window. I'd been alone for almost all day, and he hadn't shown up once. That was weird. And seeing how I'd be pretty wiped tomorrow, why not… try and contact him myself?

Bill had said my so-called sixth sense was much stronger than a normal human's, all because of the discharge of energy he input into my body in healing it, and being around him and the Nightmare Realm for much longer than any normal human. Was it possible to center that energy into bringing my subconscious into the crawlspace of the multiverse?

I didn't want to do magic. Far, far from it. Bill and me both had come to the conclusion that my overcharged fire spell was for extreme emergencies. Fire was really all I could do. But I had a feeling, Bill had had the same idea in using my sense for this too.

"Now then, how do I do this?" Setting Ford's journal off to the side, I stood up to hide my book back behind the boxes. "Focus seems to play a part of this. So then, if I allow my mind to blank and use my energy to open a window in my mind, then will my subconscious move from here to there?" Wow, I was even thinking like Ford now. "Better sit down then," I shrugged, and sat cross legged on the floor, back against the window seat. If this worked, I didn't need myself falling face first.

Learned that from when I woke up in a shrub during the camping trip with Kat and Asger.

"Alright, Elaine. Just… close your eyes… and focus." The room went dark, and I tuned out the minor noise around me. __Listen to your breathing… imagine your entire being, going through a… door. A… rip, like what Bill uses to take me across dimensions.__ My body felt heavier, and I barely was able to register myself slumping against the wood behind me. Even with my concentration, I could feel my nails digging into my palms. __I want to wake up in the Nightmare Realm. I have my destination in mind… now… take me there.__

How to describe it… imagine yourself as a bullet. Focusing all of the energy into something like a barrel, and then once that choice of destination was made, you released the trigger. The feeling of weightlessness kicked in the moment the words were spoken in my head, along with a strong feeling of whiplash as I was forcing myself from one universe to another. I slowly opened one of my eyelids, and sighed in relief. "It worked!" I moved one of the floating strands of hair out of my face, feeling my shoulders move up and down as I tried to bring my heart rate back to normal levels. "Now! To find Cipher!"

Leaning forward, I moved my arms ahead of me as if I was swimming in water. The motion moved me through the zero gravity, passing various meteors. "Where is everyone?" This was… too quiet. Usually, the crawlspace was quite noisy, and I couldn't believe I hadn't bumped into at least one monster yet. Pyronica, Teeth; heck, even an eyeball bat! Where was everybody?

"Did I misjudge my entry point?" I mumbled, and paused to hold onto one of the space rocks. Maybe I ended up too far from where everyone else was.

I was about to continue moving, until I felt the meteor shake ferociously. "Wh-what was that!?" Gripping its side for dear life, I heard a loud shrieking, making my head pound. It sounded like a demonic howling mixed with claws on a chalkboard. __My ears are__ _ _bleeding!__ Thankfully, it stopped as fast as it started, and I raised my free hand to see of there was any blood running down the sides of my head. None. That's… good.

Now then… what the heck was that!? I've seen almost every demon in here, and I knew for a fact none of them made that type of noise! And what was able to shake an entire asteroid!? Whatever it was… it was still here. I could hear it growling, and the muffled screams of something else. A predator and its prey. And I was very obviously prey.

"I gotta move, now!" Moving around the rock, I kept myself pinned to its side. If I kept myself as small as I could, then maybe it wouldn't notice me. Carefully, I reached the end of the rock, and griped it tightly, knuckles turning white. Poking my head around it would give me clear sighing of the creature. I-I got this. I-I could do this.

"One… two… three!" Throwing my head around the rock, I was pretty much prepared for almost anything. This beast, this… ****demon**** , was not one of those things.

A massive monster made of cleaned raw muscle, the stuff that was supposed to be ****under**** your skin, was swarming around a smaller monster that obviously didn't belong in the Nightmare Realm. Its entire body radiated a glowing yellow aura, and it got bigger and bigger towards the front like a snake. The monster's tail-end connected to something behind it I couldn't see from my angle. Inky black arms branched off its body, supporting itself on other meteors due to its sheer size. Shiny, slimy arms, like tentacles. At the front though… enormous, jagged yellow fangs the size of a full grown man, lined where its mouth might've been, if it had one. I counted at least two long slippery black tongues wagging around it on either side of its face, and it sickly grinned at its victim.

Its eye… it was like it was looking through my soul, even if I was out of the way. It was at least as big as Bill's eye when he was his larger size, maybe even bigger. Black veins ran out of the eye, and back into the muscle around it. A shining slit yellow pupil, surrounded by a sea of empty black.

Nightmare fuel. This, was absolute nightmare fuel.

I wouldn't be sleeping good tonight, I could tell ya that!

The beast growled, and one of its arms lashed out at the monster, tossing it up in the air before snapping its head forward, biting it in half. I could hear the snap of the bones from where I floated, and bits of loose flesh and bone fell free into the air around it. __Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke, don't puke!__ Blood dripped from its maw, and the two tongues happily licked up what remained of the smaller monster. Satisfied, it closed its eye happily.

This… this topped Bill Cipher in every way. H-how had he never told me about this-huh!? "Is that…?" Narrowing my eyes, I leaned in to look at the bloodthirsty demon, and froze in sick realization. Bill's top hat… floated right above the head. __You gotta be kidding me.__

This was Bill's true form under his exoskeleton.

 _ _I… wasn't that far off after all.__ But… would he even recognize me in that form? _Or would I… end up like that other creature?_ "Oh, I'm gonna hate myself for this." Pushing myself off the meteor, I moved away from my shelter and into direct line of Bill. "B-Bill?"

The huge eyeball snapped open, and the pupil narrowed in on me. You ever been in front of something 12 times your size? It is not a pleasant experience. Shifting, it slithered forward, and stopped about a dozen feet from where I floated. Rumbling, he stared down at me, tongues flicking. __Please don't see me as a next meal!__ "B-Bill, i-it's me. A-Angel. Y-your… partner and favorite human, remember?"

The pupil dilated, and Bill's growling stopped. __****Angel?****__ D-did he just… that was in my head. He couldn't speak in that form. __****How are you here? I didn't send for you today, did I?****__ His voice was stuck in that demonic tone he used to scare me and the others. It wasn't the higher pitched version I was used to. This voice… it made my skin crawl.

"I, uh, brought myself here!" I scratched the back of my head nervously. "Used that weird sense you were talking about, and, well, here I am!" He tilted his head for a moment, before giving a grumble; his mouth curled up in a smile. __Is he… laughing?__

 _ _ ** **Ah ha ha ha ha! Angel, you truly are somethin' else! I'm impressed, kid. You're the first fleshbag to bring themselves here on purpose.****__ Bill moved even closer, until his giant eyeball was a few feet away. **_**_Are you not scared?_**_**

 _Am I?_ I… I wasn't. When I first saw him, I was close to screaming my poor head off. But for some weird reason, once I realized it was Bill… I wasn't scared anymore-no, that's a lie. I was still terrified. But I knew he wouldn't hurt me. I trusted Cipher. Even in this… nightmare fueled monstrosity, he was still the strange triangle I'd grown accustomed to. "I am, Bill," I began, moving myself closer. "I'm always scared of you. But I know you wouldn't willingly hurt me." I stopped, inches from him, and reached out my hand. __Easy, Elaine.__ I rested my palm against the muscle below his eyeball, and grinned up at him. Bill closed his eye again, and I felt his form… vibrate. __He's… purring?__ Oh my gosh, he's like a twisted kitty cat!

Giggling, I patted him, and moved my arm back. __****You're enjoying this, aren't you, Angel?****__ Bill asked. His maw mouthed a little, but no sound came out. __****You were petting me. Hehe. Wow. Who knew that all I had to do to get you to warm up to me was show you my true form?****__

"It's not just that, Bill. I… finished reading Ford's journal." Bill froze, and before I could react, the demon began grabbing the meteors around him and started crawling backwards. As he got farther back, his form kept shrinking, until I could see what he was attached to.

An empty yellow triangle bobbed in the distance, and where his eye socket was was where Bill was moving back into. Once he was far enough back, the last few sets of arms grabbed the husk, and Bill pushed himself back into it. The eye blinked multiple times as he reset himself, and he reopened it. The black and yellow eye was back to normal, and the pupil zoomed in on me. "You finished reading it already?" He flew towards me, and I nodded. It was so much easier to speak to him when he was my size. "Did you read the invisible parts too?"

"Yep. I've read everything, Bill." Bill hummed in thought, and I noticed how… worried he was? Did he think I was gonna hate him for it?

"Did you like what you read?" He asked. Laughing, I shook my head and put an arm on what shoulder I could find on him.

"What do you think, you idiot? You went over the top in driving Ford insane, and it really hurt finally seeing the truth to this world. How… dark this place really is. But did you really think I did not expect the end to be all sunshine and rainbows and happiness?" I smiled at Bill, eyes showing knowledge far beyond my years. "I know, that it wouldn't be a happy ending. No matter if I ended up here or not. You're insane, Bill." I paused as he chuckled at the word, my bright smile still hanging in there. "It was no surprise, Cipher. Yeah, I enjoyed reading it."

"Glad you thought so, toots." He ruffled my hair, 'grinning'. "Also, it looks like my promise to show you my true form came through, huh?"

"Looks like it." I looked around, still only seeing us. "Where is everyone, Bill?" Bill slipped his arm around my waist, and a very quick sensation of being yanked forward led us back into his study in the Quadrangle of Qonfusion. Stumbling forward, I glared at him as I tried to regain my bearings. "Really? No warning?"

"You managed to find me, Angel. Guess that was what you were aiming for, huh? Not ending up in the Nightmare Realm, but specifically straight to me. Y'see, kid, anyone smart enough knows to be as far away as possible when I go to feed. We were at the edge of the dimension, away from the Henchmaniacs. Of course, it doesn't really matter if I eat one of them or not. They're capable of regeneration." Since when is eating someone not a big deal? "There's always the idiotic person who fell into a wormhole or built a portal that broke in mid-run. They all end up here; in turn, they all end up in me."

"You're a cannibal," I leaned back nervously. Bill… ate living sentient things. No wonder he had tasted of… blood… when we kissed.

"You okay, kid? You look a little pale."

"Blood and wine. That's what you tasted like. After seeing… that… it explains so much." _Oh, I need to invest in mouthwash when I get ba-_

"… peaches."

"Wh-huh?" I looked at Bill, seeing the dream demon drift over and sit beside me on the bed. He seemed to be deep in thought, trying to figure something out. Once he came to a conclusion, he snapped his fingers, nodding.

"Peaches. That's what you tasted like." Bill looked ahead, and I could tell he wasn't done his train of thought. "You're sweet."

I was... sweet? __Guess this is what I get for drinking Pitt Cola__ _ _a lot of the time__ _ _. It was peach flavored, after all.__ "Thanks, Bill." Holding back a yawn, I leaned backwards and flopped onto my back beside him. "Hmmm… huh?" The bed moved, and Bill had fallen beside me. His arms were behind the upper part of his body where his head was, and I grinned. Moving an arm behind my own head, I rested the other over my chest. The two of us stared up at the ceiling silently, but it was calming. Mutual.

"Hey, Angel? Mind answerin' something?"

"Sure thing, Bill. You, uh, can call that surprise earlier my question of the day."

"Uh-huh. How come you're so freaked out over getting close to people? Why don't you like relationships?"

Well, that wasn't what I was expecting him to ask. I looked at him, puzzled. "Why are you asking me that, Cipher? I thought you already knew the answer."

"I know it's not just about the eye kissing, Angel. I watched what happened with Pine Tree in the woods." Oops. "And the dating advice you've given on more than one occasion that you weren't into looks, and more into personality. I get why you don't want to get close to people in your current situation, me being the exception, but I'm curious." Bill's pupil moved to the corner of his face to look at me. "What are ya, Angel?"

 _ _Busted.__ I slapped a hand to my forehead, groaning. "Why do you have to see everything?" Bill chuckled, and I ran over the question over and over in my head. __I… I've never really told anyone about this before. I… guess it wouldn't hurt to tell__ _ _him.__ _Besides_ , there didn't seem to be any arm in saying it. Okay, _ _girl. Here we go.__ "I… I'm pan."

"… what?" Bill blinked in confusion. "Kid, what does that mean?"

"It means I'm open to all relationships, not just with the opposite gender," I explained. "For example, there's you. You tell me to call you a guy, but you identify as practically anything, possibly because you're dimension has so many genders it's hard to keep track. After my first relationship, I had tried to figure out what went wrong. Why I lost interest, and I concluded it was because it wasn't a more deeper relationship that I wanted. I wanted an emotional connection."

I paused, letting myself try and come up with more to my answer. "It's not that I ever give much thought to who I like, but that I don't look too much on the surface. It's just who I am. Then, after coming to Gravity Falls, talking to Dipper about his crush on Wendy at the start of the summer, and meeting you… everything sort of became clear. I was always looking for someone who clicked with me. Who… was alright with my quirky outlook on life, and didn't mind my wacky antics now and then." __I also just admitted that I'm warming up to him.__ Bill, despite all his flaws... I liked having him around, just as he liked having me around too. I rolled onto my side, tugging on my ponytail anxiously. "I think I finally realized this when you came to comfort me in Stan's mind. Yeah, nothing huge had happened yet, but I think that was the point for me when I realized who I was. I was afraid that if I ever said this to the twins, or the others, they'd... I'd rather tell them at a time I'm more prepared for. And... I was already so close to losing them with my last secret. I can't go through that again. Bill... you're not gonna judge me, are you?"

Bill rolled his eye, and patted my head. "Angel, like I said weeks ago, gender and sex doesn't matter to me… neither is age, now that I think about it." My concern faded a little at that line, replacing with confusion. He seemed to sense that, and continued on with his explanation. "Kid, you understand that the Nightmare Realm doesn't follow time, right? Why do you think spending time here in what feels like an hour or so equals almost to an entire day in the other dimension? When I said I'm a trillion years old, that's in the time span of all the other universes. Here though, I'm still about the same age I entered it. Maybe a little older though, with the times I've visited other dimensions and all."

I wanted him to get to the point, but… I also wanted to know this. "So… how old are, really?"

Bill's eye was almost fond now, reflecting and... hurtful. "Angel… I can't recall every detail, such as my exact number, but… I wasn't that much older than you when I arrived here."

I… I think my brain froze for a moment. Bill Cipher was-he was around my age when he arrived in this horrible place?

"I don't care less what you're attracted to," he kept speaking, not even seeing my stunned face. "That's all up to you. Nobody can change what you are and who you are. Same for me." Bill laughed. "Sixer, from what I've noticed over the few times I've seen him in a window over the last few decades, has been attracted to some people not of his species too. Shooting Star's been interested in vampires and a merman. And you, sweetheart, are bonded to me. All that matters is what you think."

I registered the rest of the conversation, and… I appreciated it. I never expected something so wise from him, and with the added information I found out through this was just… wow. "That's… the most intelligent and touching thing you've ever said to me. Thanks, Bill." I patted his arm, and paused as an idea popped into my head. __I'm… gonna do something.__

"Wha-hey!" Grabbing the demon, I lifted him off the bed and rested him on top of me, wrapping my arms around where his tie was. His 'head' was right between my breasts, earning myself a flustered and panicking Bill. "Angel!"

"C'mon, Billy!" I teased, the childish nickname rolling off my tongue before I could stop it. I gripped him tighter, keeping him in place so he wouldn't fly off.

Grumbling, Bill gave a defeated sigh. I couldn't see his eye though, so his reaction was hard to tell. "You're a pain, kid. You know that, right? Dealing with me is gonna get you killed or worse."

I glanced at my covered arms, sighing. "Maybe. But you'll be there to keep me safe. You have been so far." I closed my eyes, and snuggled further into the comforter underneath me. __Heh… comfy.__ "You'll be there…"

"… heh… you bet, Angel." I felt his thumb rub the top of my hand, directly where my burn was. "I'll always be there."

(Time Skip)

"Hey, Dippin' Dots! I finished reading the journal!" I bounded down the stairs, loudly announcing my presence. "Where you at?"

"We're in the gift shop!" Dipper yelled. Perfect. I walked through the door, and handed the book back to him. "There you go… huh?" I looked over to Mabel, and saw the girl tracing her finger on the dirty glass of a box labeled " ** **THE CHEAPSKATE**** ". A guy several years older than me, with dark brown hair, mustache, and black glasses was writing out " ** **help me**** " on the glass from his side, looking at her hopefully. "Stan."

"Of course." I walked over to Mabel, and nudged her aside. "Hold still, sir. You'll be out in a second." Pulling out the pocket knife from my bag-I still never gave it back-I picked at the lock on the box. "There we go!" Swinging the door open, he stumbled out, gasping for air.

"Thank… you!" He panted, refilling his lungs after being trapped in there for who knows how long. Standing back up, he gripped my shoulders, smiling. Now that I had a better look at him, he stood a few inches taller than me with a gray shirt, dark blue shorts, and worn brown sandals. "I've been in there since last night! H-how do you put up with that man?"

"Go with the flow, and don't question what he does. That's what I've learned." He didn't seem pleased with my answer, but let go of me anyway.

"FREEDOM!" He ran towards the open window, and jumped through it head first.

"Well… that was a thing that happened." I looked from where the weird man went, to the box. "Should we tell Stan?"

"I don't think so," Dipper said from the counter, opening the book. "If he asks, we can just say he found a piece of the shrinking crystal in there."

I ran over the idea in my head, and threw my arms in the air. "Fair enough!"

* * *

 ** **One of the most interesting chapters I've written, that's for sure. The ending was random, but it was definitely a funny way to wrap this up.****

 ** **Also, that age bit was added in the updates!****

 ** **Special thanks to StoriesUnleashed for helping me out with this chapter! I hope you liked your little cameo at the end!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	45. Society of the Blind Eye

****Disclaimer: Well, my**** ** **little**** ** **rocker heart had died a little on the inside today. RIP Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Go with both. Bill's inner form is**** _ _ ** **really****__ ** **messed up.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: Nothing much. Just that the girl who broke you out of the box had gone and painted Stan's face after he fell asleep in the chair in the living room. Guy looks like a duck now.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: I guess it was seen coming. I'm not great about being secretive.****

 ** **LumpyApple: Glad you're enjoying the show!****

 ** **ThGoldenDragwolf: I know. That's what the demon was posing as for Bill all those months.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: What Markiplier reference? Bill is Bill. He's open about everything, and isn't afraid to share what he thinks. Elaine is happy he doesn't make a big deal over it, and for that brings them a little closer.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy relating to Elaine.****

 ** **xForeverGamerx (twice): I fixed my inbox. Never knew there was a limit. The two are intense, but they have their moments.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Yes! Tears!****

 ** **Guest: I'm glad I made your day!****

 ** **FormerEMObillc: Bill's form was no doubt one of the greatest bits I've written for this story so far. The amount of twisted description I put into it… wow. Why shouldn't you eat ice while reading a Bill story? Also, it's the second largest BillxOC story on here. Which really shocked me.****

 ** **Emma: Still more to come!****

 ** **Totally-Not-Emma: Elaine has referenced so many games in this story. I really didn't plan on doing that, but it's hard to stop at this point.****

 ** **I own Elaine!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited: Sept. 21/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

 _ _Alright. Let's see if we can do this. Bill?__

 _ ** **Right here, Angel. Gotta admit, kid, this****_ _ ** **wa****_ _ ** **s a good idea of yours.****_

I grinned, feeling the buzz in my head rock back and forth in something similar to a nod. I had been thinking since seeing Bill's… nightmare inducing form, how he was able to speak to me in my mind. I wasn't sure if it was just because I was asleep when he did that, but I had wanted to try it when I was awake to. Plus, Ford apparently was able to do this with Bill to. The journal had mentioned he could hear the demon's voice in his head. Why not use this to my advantage? At least he didn't sound as terrifying as he did when he looked like ****that****. It was more of the same tone, except a lot more of an echo and a little deeper.

 _ _So, Bill? May I ask you something?__ I felt the nodding feeling again, and I continued. __Is it just me, or did the possessing thing bring us closer together?__

 ** _ ** _It's not just you, kid._**_** ** _ ** _I see it too_**_** ** _ ** _._**_** Bill chuckled, satisfied with the answer. **_**_B_**_** _ _ ** **ehavior-wise you no longer fear me as much as you should. You, hehehe, you petted me like a giant lapdog when you saw my true form! You were still terrified, as you SHOULD be, but you put that aside because of who I am to you.****__

 _ _What can I say?__ I smirked, remembering a certain quote from the AMA. __Chicks dig psychopaths!__

 ** _ ** _Good point, Angel!_**_** The two of us laughed, and I made my way into the gift shop. Wendy and Soos were the only ones in there, and they gave me weird looks. "What?"

"Why are you laughing?" Wendy asked. "Did Mabel or Dipper do anything funny?"

"No," I shook my head. "I just remembered this joke Bill told me, that's all." _As if I'm explaining that thought-speak thing to her. Besides, it's not like she'll know what I'm talk-_

"Still don't think you should be doing this. Talking to that creature." Wendy tossed the shirt in her hands onto the counter. "Dipper told me about your deal with him, and about your… problem." _He told her?_ "That triangle guy hasn't done anything to hurt you, has he?"

I was still stunned a bit at the fact Dipper told her about my deal, that I took a few seconds to finally respond. "No, he hasn't hurt me. Although, I can't say the same about this music." I glared at the boombox in the corner, and Soos singing along to the song. "For the love of-Soos! Turn that thing off, it's terrible!"

"Yeah!" Wendy agreed. "I can't get that song out of my head." She paused, and threw a glare at me. I wasn't so much angry, as it was concern. "We're not through with this, you know that, right?"

"I didn't think so." _So much for a change of subject._ "I'll say the same thing I told the twins, and that I'll tell you the truth when I'm ready."

"Oh, you mean Straight Blanchin' by Li'l Big Dawg? It's the catchiest song of the summer," Soos replied, once I was done speaking.

"What is 'blanchin''?" Wendy argued. "Rappers can't just make up words!"

"Rappers are visionaries, Wendy," he said wisely. "If they told me to eat my own pants, I would do it."

"Eat your own pants. Eat your own pants, yeah!"

Wendy and I blinked, and I quickly shouted, "don't you dare, Soos!" No way was I seeing him without his pants on anymore this summer! He did stop, but it wasn't because of us. Dipper and Mabel barged in through the door behind us in a rush.

"Wendy, Soos, Elaine, we need to go see Old Man McGucket!" Dipper shouted, and ran out the door of the shop.

"We'll explain on the way!" Mabel added, grabbing Wendy's and my hands and pulling us out behind her. Soos followed, zipping up his pants. We all climbed into Soos' truck and took of towards the junkyard. __Well, that didn't nearly take as long as I'd thought it'd be.__

"Dipper," I spoke up. It only took a few minutes to drive there, and knowing how crazy everything was about to get, I had to say this now. "You told Wendy about… me?"

"Well… yeah. I figured everyone who was important to you, who you saw on a regular basis should know." Dipper turned around to look at me seriously. "She was the only one besides Stan who wasn't in there with us in the Mindscape. Yeah, Stan didn't know about Bill, but he at least knew where you came from. Wendy had every right to this information as the rest of us." The truck came to a stop, and Soos pulled up the metal fence to let us slide underneath. "I'm still not fully ready to talk about why and what I'm doing. Some details I still need to keep to myself. You'll just have to be patient. All of you." I moved to the front of the group, and pointed ahead of me. "Follow the noise."

We maneuvered around the towers of rusted cars, and found McGucket chasing Nate and Lee away from his house after spray painting the side. "Visitors!" He exclaimed, finally noticing us behind him. McGucket rushed back to his shack, and pulled open a ragged curtain he used as a door. "Come, come. Pull up some rusty metal." There were dead possums hanging from the rafters, and lanterns lit around the area. What caught my attention though, were the pictures and articles mounted along the walls. Varying from articles about all of the trouble he'd caused, and a single picture of a younger McGucket and his son. _Oh, McGucket._ "You're just in time for my hourly turf war with the hillbilly what lives in my mirror." McGucket turned to look at his reflection in a washtub. "Quit starin' at me when I bathe!"

There was something about McGucket's personality that I just loved. I was surprised I didn't speak to him any further than when Waddles was kidnapped. __Can I visit him in the future, Bill?__

 ** _ ** _Why would you want to do that?_**_** Bill asked. **_**_He's already lost his sanity, and I only gave him a push in that direction. Honestly, Angel, Sixer would've been much better company for you._**_**

Keeping that in mind for when he returned in a few weeks, I tuned back into the conversation. "Dude, you're the genius Dipper and Elaine have been searching for all summer!" Wendy said. Dipper was holding up the journal, and Soos had pulled out the laptop from a bag Dipper had given him.

"Uh, genius? I'm no genius. I've never done nothin' worthwhile in my life." McGucket turned to look at the article of him trying to eat a raccoon on the wall, face filled with shame and disappointment. "Everyone knows I'm no good to nobody. I can't remember what I used to be, but I must've been a big failure to end up like this."

"But the laptop has your name on it." Soos handed it to Wendy, and the redhead did her best to support the broken circuitry.

"What about this book? Are you sure you didn't write it?" Dipper began to slowly flip through the pages, letting McGucket follow it. "Here, l-look closely."

"I told you, I don't recall. Everything before 1982 is just a blur. Just a hazy… AAHHH!" McGucket shrieked, and stumbled backwards onto the ground in terror. "The Blind Eye! Robes, the men, my mind! They did something!"

"Dipper, the journal!" He turned it around, and the five of us stared at the chapter. The Blind Eye's symbol was on one side, and a sketch of a man in a robe on the other.

"A society?" Dipper mumbled, and turned to look at McGucket as he closed the book. "Who did?"

"I… oh, I don't recall." McGucket rubbed his temples, visibly in pain.

"Oh, you poor old man! No wonder your mind's all… pffft!" Mabel gave a raspberry and a thumbs down. "You've been through something intense."

Soos put the laptop away, and Dipper put a hand to his chin. "What if McGucket learned something he wasn't supposed to know, and someone, or something, messed with his mind? We've got to get to the bottom of this."

"Think, dude." Wendy directed her attention towards the elder man. "What is the earliest thing you can remember?"

"Uh, this is, I think." McGucket pulled down an article, and showed it to us. A black and white image showed him dizzily waking up in the museum.

"The history museum!" Wendy shouted.

"Then that's where we're heading." With McGucket now in our group, we went back to the truck and headed further into town. McGucket road in the trunk, and I occasionally looked behind me to make sure he didn't fall off.

 _ ** **You worry too much.****_

 _ _Shut it, Bill. Are you gonna respond to every thought I have?__

 ** _ ** _Only until I know that this isn't going to be_**_** ** _ ** _a_**_** ** _ ** _temporary_**_** ** _ ** _thing_**_** ** _ ** _. Besides, it's fun to mess with you._**_** Screw him to all four corners of the Nightmare Realm. Sighing, I turned around, only to hear Straight Blanchin' start playing on Soos' CD player.

"Ugh, Soos!" Wendy punched the eject button, grabbed the CD, and hurled it out of the car window. Soos frowned at her, while the twins and I held back grins. She paused, realizing what she just did. "I'll… buy you a new one."

"Smooth, Wendy," I snickered as the we pulled up at the museum. "Real smooth. So, Dipper? How are we gonna get in? Door's probably already locked."

Dipper grinned, and pointed at a window left halfway open. "Here." Soos, McGucket, and Wendy climbed through first, while I helped the twins through the opening. Soos was checking to see if anyone was around while the girls were chatting, so Dipper and I walked over to McGucket. "So your last memory was here. Anything coming back?"

"Guys, look!" Soos pointed down the hall, and we saw a shadowy figure freeze and run down the hall.

"Hey, who's there!?" Dipper yelled as we took off towards where the person ran. Turning the corner, we entered a-okay, WHY does a museum have a room dedicated to nothing but different styles of eyeballs? I mean, come on!

"Well kettle my corn. He vanish-ified!" McGucket said in shock, moving closer to the wall.

"It doesn't make sense. Where did he go?" Dipper asked.

McGucket squirmed uncomfortably, looking around the room at all of the eyes. I can feel his discomfort. Yeah. with no triangles around them, Bill can't see us, but the sensation is still there. "I feel like all these eyeballs are a-watchin' me."

"You and me both, pal," I muttered, moving closer to Mabel. The younger girl must have seen how twitchy I was, as she grabbed my hand in comfort. "Huh? Oh, uh, hehe… thanks, kid."

"Wait… they are!" Dipper looked around, seeing each pupil looking at the man. "Move aside!" McGucket sidestepped, and right behind him was a central eye. "Bingo!" He pressed the ruin piece, and the lit fireplace beside Soos moved to the side, revealing a staircase. "A secret passageway."

"We'll have to be stealthy. I'll hambone a message if there's trouble." McGucket slapped his arms and legs in a beat, earning a confused look from the boy. __Translation: coyotes are coming for our sweetbreads… great, now I'm craving bread.__ Out of everything I knew of the show and the things that were similar enough with this world, why did I remember that?

 _ _ ** **You can eat later, Angel.****__ He found my random thoughts amusing. I could tell.

 _ _Yeah, yeah.__ We could hear the chanting of the society as we descended the stairs, and Dipper pulled the curtain at the bottom to let us see in. "Novus ordo seclorum." I think I had looked up the phrase back in my dimension out of curiosity. It was Latin for " ** **a new order of the ages****."

The circle parted, and let Blind Ivan enter through to the chest where the ray was. "Who is the subject of our meeting?" Two men from the dark walked forward, with Lazy Susan held by her arms on either side with a bag over her head.

"This woman." They pulled it off, revealing her confused and nervous face.

"Lazy Susan?" Mabel whispered.

The men cuffed her to the chair, with leather straps binding her wrists. "What is it you have seen?" Ivan asked, fingers drumming together.

"Speak!"

"Uh, well, uh, I was leaving the diner, and I saw these-these little bearded doodads, and I was, like, "bwaaa'?" She said as panic started to set in.

"There, there." Ivan apathetically said, pulling at the memory gun. The order members pulled down their hoods, blocking their faces even further. "You won't be like 'bwaaa' for much longer."

"What is that gizmo?" Susan said, trying to keep herself from freaking out. Ivan turned the dial, but we couldn't see the input from our location. "It looks like a hair dryer. Are you guys barbers?" Ivan zapped her, making the elderly woman scream out in horror. "AAAAH!" Her eyes were wide open, pupils dilated before shrinking to normal and lazy eye returning.

"Lazy Susan, what do you know of little bearded men?" Ivan asked, turning away from her.

"My mind is cleared, thanks to the Society of the Blind Eye." Her voice… it was so robotic.

"It is unseen!" They declared, raising their arms in praise.

"Oh my gosh. They erased Lazy Susan's memory!" Dipper said in horror. McGucket hamboned again, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Gonna go out on a limb here, and judging by what happened and the speed of the message, that was a swear?" McGucket nodded, and I gave a small sigh. "At least it wasn't said out loud."

"Guys, are you seeing this? They just wiped lazy Susan's memory!" Dipper said to Soos and Wendy, who couldn't get as good a view as the rest of us.

"Heh, they should've wiped off that awful mascara," Soos said jokingly.

"I think she looks beautiful!" Mabel shouted angrily.

"She's doing the best she can, Soos!" Wendy added.

"Whoa, touched a nerve there." Soos, one thing you should know about girls was that you never insulted their looks. Ever.

We focused back on the society, and watched as Susan was carted off and Ivan putting her memory tube into the dispense machine. Watching the tube fly over our heads, we ducked back as the group left the room. Once Dipper checked to see if the coast was clear, we walked down the stairs and over to the ray. "Amazing." He took the gun and examined it. "A secret society of evil mind erasers." He put it away, and looked at McGucket. "I'll bet they erased your memory a long time ago. If we could find where your memories have been hidden, it could be the key to unlocking all the mysteries of Gravity Falls. All right, Mabel, Wendy, you two stay here and make sure those robe guys don't come back."

"Whoo!" Wendy ruffled Mabel's hair. "Girl's club."

"So, I'm with the guys then." I shrugged. "I'm fine with that. That means the rest of us are gonna go hunt down that Hall of the Forgotten." Soos turned to look at me, but ended up getting his hat too close to one of the tubes, having it sucked up and shot out of the room. "After it!"

McGucket, Dipper, Soos, and I ran back into the museum from the basement, and chased the tube only for a shout to startle us enough to halt. "Halt! Is someone there!?"

"Aah! What do we do? Where do we go?" McGucket panicked as we ran.

"Uh, uh, diorama!" I exclaimed, pointing at a settler's display. McGucket grabbed an ax, and stood as still as he could while Soos threw on a lady's dress and dropped a blanket on Dipper. He picked the boy up, and cradled him like he was an infant. Dipper looked extremely uncomfortable, making me giggle as I climbed into the band wagon beside them. Lying on my stomach, I heard the two men talk outside of my hiding spot.

"Man, these are really poorly made. I could've sworn I heard someone."

"Probably just the janitor kissing that wax settler woman again."

"Whoof! Remind me to erase that from my memory."

"Are they gone?" I poked my head out, watching Dipper push himself out of Soos' arms.

"Yep. There it is." The hat flew over our heads, and the guys dropped their disguises. "Hurry!" Running down a hallway, we found a small opening in the wall with the tube going downward. Grabbing it, we slid down fireman-style, and ended up in front of a large decorative door with the society's symbol painted on the front. Dipper pushed the doors open, and we gasped at the sight that greeted us.

The hat had landed on a statue of a robed man, arms held open with the symbol on his chest. Pipes ran all over the ceiling, with several tables and crates holding multiple tubes. But… the room itself… there were hundreds, if not thousands of memories stored down there. Forgetting the tables, massive piles held discarded tubes of the town's memories. The torches on either side of the statue only gave us a glimpse of what could be an entire towns-worth of remembrance down here.

"Honey fogelin', saltlickin' skullduggery," McGucket said in shock.

"Man, you have to to teach me some of those old-man swear words," Soos said. We waked into the room, looking around. The guys began shuffling through memories, as I slid my book out from my bag. Clicking my pen, I began writing about the room. Dipper and the others should be fine without my help, but I really wanted to write about this before the exact description faded away. __Bill, why exactly did McGucket choose the eye symbol for the society?__

Dipper had started to play a tube of Robbie's memories, and I could see the teen discuss the events with Rumble to the society. _****It probably had to do with seeing my form. Beware the beast with just one eye sound familiar? Out of anything this fleshbag could remember, I'm the one thing that NO ONE could ever forget.****_

 _ _You have such an ego, Cipher.__ Leaving the demon to mutter about the remark, I watched McGucket notice the tube by the statue's head. "Did you find something?"

"Looky, fellers. It's those words what people call me." Dipper and Soos ran over, and the man-child grabbed his hat.

"Oh, dude, your memories. We did it!" He cheered.

"Grabby grabby." A loud buzzer began going off, and the room began to flicker red. "The alarm in my brain is a-ringin' again." He turned around seeing a large stone eye with the society's symbol on it moving to his direction from the wall, creating the alarm and light. "Ah!"

"Run for it!" I shouted. Chucking my book back in the bag, I threw it back onto my shoulders and ran. Dipper and Soos followed me out of the room, as McGucket ducked behind the statue. Hiding behind several statues, we watched the men run by.

"Okay, I think we're safe." I felt a pair of hands wrap around my glasses, and I frowned.

"We playing 'guess who'? Dude, I know it's you, Dipper. Such big… strong hands… aah!" The men dragged us backwards, and we were led back to the main room. They threw us against a large poll, and held us against it as another guy tied multiple ropes around us. Mabel and Wendy were a few ropes under us, and they looked at us worriedly.

"You shouldn't have come here," Ivan said. "We do not give up our secrets lightly."

"Says the guy who's hiding out under a library?" I couldn't help but snap back. "Dude, you really got to get a better secret entrance."

"Who are you bathrobe-wearing freaks?" Wendy asked.

"Why are you doing this?" Dipper joined in our questioning.

"What's with your creepy British accent?" _Mabel, there is_ _nothing_ _creepy about a British accent! How many times do I have to make that clear?_

"Well, I suppose we are going to erase your minds anyway." One by one, the members lowered their hoods.

"Toby Determined?"

"Bud Gleeful?"

"That farmer guy?" _Sprott, actually._

"Creepy dude who married a woodpecker? You too?" Soos quieted his voice. "How's that marriage goin', by the way?"

"Oh, great, great." Woodpecker guy whispered something to Soos, and I turned my attention back to Ivan.

"And you've never met me before. And if you had, you wouldn't remember." He lowered his hood, revealing his bald tattooed head and the red scar through his left eye. "I am Blind Ivan, and we are the Society of the Blind Eye." The members did a weird motion behind him, lifting a hand to their faces and bringing it far way from themselves. __Guess it has to do with the eye thing and erasing memories.__ "Formed many years ago by our founder… our founder… does anyone remember who he was?"

"We've been usin' that way on our own brains an awful lot," Bud answered sheepishly.

"Who would you do all this?" Dipper pressured. "What do you have to gain?"

"As you have no doubt discovered, Gravity Falls is a town plagued with supernatural strangeness. No one knew how to stop the things that went bump in the night, so our founder invented the next best thing: a way to forget. We took it upon ourselves to help the troubled townsfolk by erasing the memories of the strange things they've seen. Now the people of Gravity Falls go about their lives ignorant and happy, thanks to us."

 _ _Ignorance may be bliss. But bliss can be a huge bore.__ _ _How can one be prepared for anything if you go about life so easily?__

 _ ** **Got that right, kid.****_ _ ** **It's dangerous, what they're doing.****_

"And as a perk, we help ourselves forget things that trouble us. Everyone has something they'd rather forget. In fact, your own sister was about to use that ray on herself. Isn't that right?" Ivan taunted the girl, making Mabel bury her face into my shoulder.

"You leave her alone," I seethed, "or I swear I'll break every bone in your face. You self-righteous circus reject!" Ivan narrowed his eyes, looking the faintest bit taken aback, while Dipper stared at me in shock. __Ah, the pluses of knowing bits of this guy's past from the journal.__ _ _Can't believe Dipper never saw the similarities__ _ _.__ I'd been known to only either snap at Bill or Gideon, and only physically harmed Gideon due to him threatening the twins. Bill did so too, but my hands were literally tied and prevented me from helping. At least in the Mindscape. At the performance, I took a stand against him, and helped bring Dipper his body back. Ivan was an adult, so while I may have been overstepping a few boundaries… like I really cared at this point.

"What did you say?" Ivan marched forward, and I narrowed my eyes back at his angered face. "You dare to speak at me like that?" I didn't reply back, but the hatred I had for him was clear as day, written on my face. Anything else I could speak of would either put my friends in more trouble, or I'd say something I shouldn't have. When he saw I wasn't going to reply back… I wasn't expecting the next part.

I cried out as his hand slapped me across the face. Glasses clattered to the floor by Wendy, and I winced as the burning was fresh on my skin. _He slapped me!_ "I would learn to watch that mouth of yours, girl." Standing upright, he backed up and pulled out the memory gun. "But no matter. You won't be telling anyone else what you've learned here. Say goodbye to your summer."

"Guys, if we're gonna forget everything, I got some stuff I wanna get off my chest," Soos said quickly. "Mabel, for half the summer, I thought your name was Maple, like the syrup. No one corrected me!"

"I only love some of my stuffed animals, and the guilt is killing me!" Mabel yelled.

"Sometimes I use big words, and I don't actually know what they mean. I mean, I'm supposed to be the smart guy. If I'm not the smart guy, who am I!?" Dipper freaked at the end, tugging on his hat.

"Okay, I'm not actually laid back. I'm stressed, like, 24/7. Have you ****met**** my family!?" Wendy had the most terrified expression.

When I first arrived in this dimension, I always thought of it as an exact mirror to the show I loved to watch. But this… this wasn't anything like that. This world was unpredictable, and ever-changing. I didn't know what would happen next. I didn't know if McGucket would make it to us in time, and knock that cursed machine away before it blasted away our memories. Our identities. So, with heart racing and blinking back the tears still in my eyes, I blurted out a secret that I had been holding since the start of the summer that wasn't the one involving Bill. "Guys, you know all of those silly references I keep making? I don't do it for fun, alright? I use my humor to hide my fear that I might never return back to my family and so I can relate back to the reality I grew up in!"

"Oh, stop being a bunch of babies." Before Ivan could fire, a metal gold panning disk flew into his hand, knocking the gun to the floor and incapacitating him. "Owie!" McGucket chased by him as the society members gasped in alarm. With a precise swing of the ax in his hands, the ropes binding us flew away, and we scrambled to our feet.

"McGucket!?"

"I raided the mining display for weapons." He dropped the trash can in front of him, with multiple tools sticking out at the top. "Now fight like a hillbilly, fellers!" He ran off to fight, and we reached in randomly and grabbed an item. Wendy had a banjo, Dipper had a stuffed raccoon on a log, and Soos had a display about dysentery. Mabel pulled her grappling hook out from her sweater pocket, while I yanked out a shovel from the can.

"Oh, nobody better miss!" Soos yelled.

"They know too much. Don't let them escape!" Ivan ordered, and the Blind Eye surrounded us. Two men tried to attack Wendy, but the redhead bashed them on the head with the banjo. Smirking, I followed her lead and brought it down on someone's head. The metallic clang echoed around the room.

"Get this song outta your head!" She cried, as we grinned at each other.

"McGucket's memory tube." Dipper tossed the raccoon to Mabel and ran for it. Stuffing the grappling hook back in her pocket, we watched Dipper duck a punch from the bouncer guy, and put the tube into a transport tube. "Mabel, catch!"

She threw the raccoon to the ground and went to grab it, only for Sprott to beat her to it. "I'll take that, thank you." He turned around, only to see Soos with the dysentery display. "Give it up, boy. You're no match for the unstoppable power of-" Mabel directed the air flow of the tube towards his outfit, sucking it in. I-I don't mean like, part of it. His entire robe went through the tube. Leaving him in his… underwear… oh, my eyes. "That's right, I don't wear nothin' under my robe. Not gonna apologize for that. Maybe y'all should apologize for bein' a bunch of prudes."

"Ew!" Wendy, Dipper, Mabel, and I exclaimed.

"Well, time to erase that forever." Soos held the memory gun jokingly to his head, only to be rammed to the side by Ivan. Taking the machine as it fell out of the man-child's hands, he turned to Dipper threateningly.

"Give me that tube!"

"Never!" Dipper threw the memory up in the air, letting a tube held by McGucket take it away. The two chased after it, and after helping Soos to his feet, I chased after them. Dipper, to my horror, was tripped feet away from the tube. Ivan grabbed it just as it came out, and whirled around to point the memory gun at us. I was just mere feet behind him, and had frozen at the sight of the charging ray aimed right at the young boy.

"End of the line. By tomorrow, this will all seem like a bad dream. Say goodbye to your precious memories." He squeezed the trigger, and a bright blue blast fired at Dipper.

"NO!" I found I was screaming alongside Dipper, legs finally reworking as I tried to bolt to him to rip him out of harm's way. But, instead of myself reaching him, McGucket instead had jumped in front the twin, taking the hit square-on. "McGucket, you… took a bullet for me," Dipper said in amazement. Ivan fired again, snapping his head back. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay!?"

McGucket paused, before swinging his arms happily. "Okay as I'll ever be!" He laughed, and began slowly walking towards a now panic-stricken Ivan.

"What?" Dipper asked, confused as to why his memory was still… normal-weird.

Ivan repeatedly fired at the man, but each blast didn't seem to faze McGucket in the slightest. 'Why… isn't… this… working!?"

"Hit me with your best shot, Baldy. But my mind's been gone for thirty-odd years. You can't break what's already broken!" McGucket held his head to emphasize his point. Stopping just in front of Ivan, he slapped the gun out of his hands, letting it slide across the room. Ivan, turned to where it went, but McGucket quickly grabbed the bald man by the robe. "Say goodnight, Sally!" He headbutt him, and let go of the robe. Ivan collapsed onto a pile of memories behind him in a daze, and McGucket's memories rolled to Dipper's feet.

"Holy cow!" I breathed, giving a small amazed chuckle at the end. "McGucket, you have just earned the title of coolest old man, right after Stan!" McGucket laughed at that, and we looked at Ivan. _Serves you right._ _That's what you get for hurting my twins._ "We should probably do something about this, huh?"

"I got an idea," Wendy smirked. Rounding up all of the defeated or exhausted Blind Eye members, we bound them against the same pole we were tied to. Giggling, I made sure the knot was done extra tight, and leaned back in satisfaction.

"Unhand us!" Ivan shouted, fighting against the bonds.

"It isn't so fun being tied up, is it?" Mabel taunted. "Hey, wanna draw on their faces?"

"What?" Mabel pulled out a black marker, and crossed out the knowledge tattoo on Ivan's head. The guys and me laughed as Mabel then wrote " ** **butts**** " underneath before attaching the cap again. "That's not funny!"

"It's pretty funny," Dipper said as Wendy smothered a snort behind her hand.

"It's like, objectively funny," Soos added.

"We'll have our revenge. We'll never forget what you've done." _Really?_ I pulled out the memory gun, and input " ** **the society of the blind eye**** " into the dial.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Ivan." I felt the gun warm up in my hands, and I aimed at the order. "Say cheese, suckers!" The group cried out in protest, and fought even harder against the ropes as I pulled the trigger.

 _Geeeeettt DUNKED on!_

(Time Skip)

"Frames are a little bent." Wendy picked up my glasses, and frowned. "You might want to get Stan to help you fix those when we get back." McGucket, Dipper, and Mabel walked back into the room, and I slid the damaged blue glasses back on my face. _Good thing erasing the society eliminated that little secret about my reality. Don't need that getting out._

"Alright, McGucket." Dipper turned on the memory machine so we could see what the tube held. "Are you ready to see your memories? Find out who you really are?"

"I'm not so sure. What if I don't like what I see?" McGucket said, tapping his index fingers together.

I rested a hand on his shoulder, smiling gently. "We're already here, McGucket. We've come al this way. Go ahead." McGucket nodded hesitantly, and walked towards the screen. Inputting the tube, he stepped back as the TV lit up with an image of a younger McGucket. Glasses, long light brown hair that bore a resemblance to my own, and a business suit. Schematics from the portal were drawn on a chalkboard behind him, along with a graph of probability of failure. __Just like the journal had said.__ " ** **Day 1**** " was timed in the corner, proving this was going to be the first of many trials.

"My name is Fiddleford Hadron McGucket, and I wish to unsee what I have seen." Everyone besides me gasped in shock. __Dramatic, much?__

"Sweet sarsaparilla," McGucket murmured in front of us.

"For the past year, I have been working as an assistant for a visiting researcher. He has been cataloging his finding about Gravity Falls in a series of journals." Dipper pulled out the journal, and Mabel and him exchanged a look before turning to the screen again. "I helped him build a machine which he believed had the potential to benefit all mankind, but something went wrong." Dipper flipped to the blueprint page, and I glanced from him to young McGucket. "I decided to quit the project. But I lie awake at night, haunted by the thoughts of what I've done. I believe I have invented a machine that can permanently erase these memories from my mind." He pulled out the memory gun, and input something into it. "Test subject one: Fiddleford." He fired it, and the screen cut to static.

When it returned, the counter read it had been four days since the first film. "It worked! I can't recall a thing!" It cut again. " ** **Day 22****." The room had changed now, and I felt my heart drop a little. Besides the now dying plant on the table, the picture fram was shattered, and the Blind Eye symbol was painted all over the walls and the graph. McGucket had drawn the symbol onto a black notebook excitedly. "I call it the Society of the Blind Eye. We will help those who want to forget by erasing their bad memories!"

His room was now in shambles. Papers upon papers were pinned to the walls with the symbol painted on top of them, including a giant black one. " ** **HELP ME****!" was written in red behind his head. His clothes were disheveled, his beard had slowly started to come in, and his hair was an uncombed mess. " ** **Day 47****." "Today, I came across a colony of little men, very disturbing. I would like to forget seeing this." McGucket blasted himself with the gun, and it cut to static.

" ** **Day 189****." His hair was now beginning to gray, and his arm was stuck in a cast. The glasses were cracked, and he had a band aid stuck to his face. McGucket's mouth showed he had several teeth missing now. __Oh my…__ "I accidentally hit another car in town today. I feel teri-bibble! Terrible. I've been forgetting words lately. I wonder if there are any negative side effects..."

" ** **Day 273****." McGucket's hair was falling out either from age, or from him ripping it out. He still wore the cast around his arm, and his white beard had begun to grow in. Judging from the band aid on it, it might have been the one he had before. He had never taken it off. The background showed he was now at a motel in winter. "I saw something in lake, something big!" With a painful tug, he ripped out the hair on the sides of his head, and his glasses fell to the floor.

" ** **Day 618****." Beard was longer, still in the motel. His shirt was ripped in several places, and I could see the false tooth in his mouth. McGucket's eyes were crossed, and he had the giant hat on his head. "My hair's been a-fallin' out, so I got this hat from a scarecrow. Hey, are my pants on backwards?"

" ** **Day****?" McGucket looked exactly as he did now, and had a wild look in his eyes. Maniacal giggling filled the room, as the old man sprouted gibberish. "Yroo Xrksvi! Girzmtov!" He leaned in close to the camera, and made a triangle around his eye as the screen finally cut to a permanent static screen.

 _ _Bill Cipher. Triangle. That was__ _ _what he said, wasn't it?__ Bill remained silent, and I could understand why. Right now… this wasn't the time for any witty or truthful remark.

"Oh, McGucket, I'm so sorry." Mabel said, holding a hand to her mouth.

McGucket took the tube out from the machine, holding it in his hands. "Aw, hush. You kids helped me get my memories back, just like you said."

"But did you want those memories back?" Mabel continued.

"After all these years, I finally know who I am. Maybe I messed up in the past, but now that I seen what happened, I can begin to put myself together again." Sticking the tube into a pocket under his long beard, he hamboned another message.

""Still don't know what that means," Dipper said, smiling. "So, wait. You weren't the author, but you worked with him. Do you remember who he was?"

"It's beginning to come back, but I need more time. And reading glasses. Heck!" He picked up the unusual looking glasses from on top of a pot, and one of the green lenses fell to the floor. He spat into the bucket, and smiled. "I got some rememberin' to do."

"So Mabel, you still wanna erase those failed summer romances?" Wendy asked, shaking the memory gun.

Mabel looked from her to McGucket, and smiled. "You know, no one likes having bad memories, but maybe it's better to remember the bad things and learn from them than to go all denial crazy trying to forget."

"That's pretty mature of you, kid," I commented, ruffling her hair. "Good on you."

"Yep. Miss Mature. That's me. Hey, you wanna help me vandalize this picture of my jerky ex-crush?" She pulled out the Gabe poster from her sweater, and handed out a marker to me and to Wendy. The three of us giggled as we mocked the blonde boy, before we finally left the museum altogether.

McGucket climbed through the window, and sat in the back. "Hey, you know what?" Wendy asked. "Going on this big adventure actually made me get that stupid song out of my head."

"Nice," Soos commented. As he turned on the car, the radio began playing. Straight Blanchin'!?

"Oh, come on!" Wendy and me exclaimed.

Soos drove towards the junkyard, and I tuned into McGucket flipping through the journal beside Dipper. "It's all so familiar. It's almost like I can remember…" Soos slowed the truck down, and we pulled up alongside the entrance to the junkyard. McGucket climbed out the window, and I paused.

After all I had done… I had the opportunity to change things, right? To make a difference, be it big or small. _I think it's time I put that to good use._ "Hey, Dipper, shove over." Dipper blinked, but complied. I climbed over him, and opened the truck's door. "Hey, McGucket?" He turned back to look at me, and I asked the question before I could chicken out. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Really?" McGucket looked back at the guys in the car, wondering if they knew what I was talking about as well.

"Elaine, what are you doing?" Mabel asked curiously, speaking for all of them.

"I need to speak to him about some stuff I found out in my research Don't worry, it won't be long." She went to open her mouth, but Dipper beat her too.

"You're okay walking back to the Shack alone?" He verified.

"Dippin Dots, hehe, I'm never alone." I'd tried. It failed. Nodding, he let me go. I hopped out of the car, and closed the door. Soos drove out again, and McGucket walked up to me, just as confused as the others were.

"Somethin' bothering you, kid?" He asked.

"Nah, McGucket. It's just… unlike Dipper, I've got a lot more understanding of what the journal's about. I-can we go inside to talk? It feels weird standing out here." We headed back to his shack, and I sat down on a tipped over milk crate. McGucket sat on an oil drum, resting his hands on his lap. "Thank you. As I was previously saying, I have… connections, that help me piece together what I've read in the book." No way was I going to tell him I was semi-dating the guy who helped ruin his mind. Along with the dimension-cartoon thing, that's still to remain a secret. "I've gone over every chapter, every paragraph, with a fine-toothed comb. McGucket, I know much more than what is just written on the surface."

"Eh?" McGucket's face began to turn into one of nervousness. "What d'ya mean?"

"McGucket… I know about the portal. I know about the events that led to you quitting the project, how you ended up leaving your family because of your mental state. All because of F… of Ford." McGucket stared at me in shock. Whether he had regained any pieces of his time with Ford, I didn't know, but the name sparked something.

"That name… h-he made sure to never write that in his book," McGucket whispered to himself, and had a split look of surprise when he had said that. "H-how do you know-?"

"Under the UV light, his name was written as the password for the laptop. The laptop you specially made for his hands. Oh! I almost forgot about this." I slid my bag to the floor, and unzipped it. __Knew there was another reason I chose to come here.__ Pulling out the red tissue-wrapped object, I closed the bag and held the item out to him. "I bought you this. He'd written that you loved these things." I had occasionally taken trips to the mall, as it was a good time to just rewind from everything else.

McGucket, now with trembling hands, undid the wrapping. A Rubik's cube, or in this world, a Cubic's cube. An 8 by 8 by 8 cube. "A Cubic's cube…"

"Heard you loved those things. Couldn't stand to leave one unsolved for long." McGucket sat it down beside him, and looked at me, eyes almost watering. _How long has it been since someone showed him any true kindness?_

"Why are ya doin' this for me, kiddo? Why're you bein' so kind?" Smiling sadly, I stood up and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I know what it's like; to lose your family, to end up in a place you don't know entirely how. I've lost everything except my name. I don't want to see people miserable, McGucket. If… I have the knowledge to do something, then shouldn't I?" I backed up, still maintaining a sad smile. McGucket stood up, and gently wrapped his arms around me in a hug.

"You didn't have ta do tha', Elaine, ya know that, right?" He said. Nodding, I let myself hug him back. We released, his almost hesitantly, and I picked up my bag again.

"I know." Sliding it back on, I headed toward the exit of his house. "Oh, one more thing." I looked over my shoulder, grinning. "Hope you don't mind having me drop by every now and then. You're gonna need all the help you can get in recovering those memories." I left the stunned McGucket alone, and began my trek back to the Mystery Shack. With the streetlights and the moon lighting my way, I decided to see if he would respond again.

 _ _What do you think?__

 _ ** **I think you're digging a pretty deep grave for yourself, Angel. You're already wrapped up with dealing with the twins and working****_ _ ** **with****_ _ ** **yours truly. You aren't planning on making this a regular thing, are you?****_

 _ _No. I'm already busy enough as it is. That won't stop me from trying to help though.__ I looked down on the sidewalk beside me, and saw Bill's shadowy form bob along beside me. __Following me now, huh?__

 _ ** **Got a problem with that? Face it, toots, you're right about earlier. You're****_ _ ** **never alone.****_

And… maybe that's a good thing. __So you were listening to everything then?__

 _ ** **Just enough to know that you're really beginning to warm up to me more than you did before.****_ _ ** **Yo****_ _ ** **ur comment to Baldy? Wow, never thought you were the one to bring up childhood trauma!****_

 _ _Not gonna lie, that felt really good__ _ _to take him down a notch__ _ _. Cheek still hurts though. Pretty sure it's swollen.__

 _ _ ** **Hold still.****__ Bill crept up my body, shrinking his form until he fit perfectly onto my cheek. I felt the magic for a brief moment, but as it was just a surface injury, it wasn't that bad. __****Better?****__

I placed a hand there, and felt the bump had decreased. __Better. Hey, we aren't gonna do this mental chat thing all the time, are we?__

 _ ** _Relax, kid. This was just a test run. It'll be in case we need to get a hold of each other in a rush. Now let's get you home, kid. Danger lurks in this town at night._**_

 _ _I know, I'm hanging with it.__ Shaking my head fondly, I watched Bill move back to the sidewalk. __Let's move, Bill. I've got__ _ _to fix these glasses.__

3rd POV

McGucket stared at the door, amazed. That teen that had appeared out of the blue, who had proven to be a mystery that no one had yet to figure out, knew more about his past than he did. She was willing to help him, even though she barely knew him.

Everyone in this town always passed him off as the crazy old kook. Even his own son thought that. But those few kids… they wanted to help him regain his memories. And if that weren't enough, the brown haired one wanted to go the extra distance with stuff she had figured out all on her own.

When she handed him that toy… it stirred something, deep in the recesses of his mind. He did love those, didn't he? Way, way back in the day. It was something only people clever and patient enough would do; developed the skills to shuffle around the rainbow of colors to extract the exact pattern that was required to win.

McGucket turned to look at the large cube, and smiled. He hadn't felt this happy, ignoring the other event from this night, in a long time. "Next time, call me Fiddleford, kid," he mumbled. Placing his fingers strategically, Fiddleford began to solve the cube, a childish grin stretching over his face.

* * *

 ** **I had the idea for this ending pop into my head during class last week. Never was going to finish this chapter like this, but I found it really touching.****

 ** **Until next time! We get to meet a baby overlord!****

 ** **Angel****


	46. Author's Note

****I never mentioned this last update, but 300 REVIEWS! Thank you! This is huge! Much, much larger than I had ever thought this story**** ** **woul**** ** **d get. Huge thanks to every one of you for taking the time to check out Gravity's Fallen Angel, and for all of your comments on how you think of it.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: I KNOW!****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: I loved the reference I threw in. Elaine was in such a panic, her brief knowledge of fire powers wasn't in the front of her mind. She only had one experience with them so far, and just as most of her dealings with Bill go, she plans to keep it all secret.****

 ** **CrazyPuzzle: Third season? Well, I'm not so sure yet. GFA is a really big story, and after it's down I'll probably take a break from Gravity Falls for a while. But there are some ideas I have for when the kids return to the town next summer.****

 ** **Guest:**** ** **I know for a fact you know which character I'm talking about when I**** ** **said baby overlord.****

 ** **Guest**** ** **(number 2)**** ** **: Thanks!****

 ** **Zephyr169: Me too!****

 ** **LumpyApple: I wasn't going to have Elaine reveal any important secrets like the cartoon thing and her increased bond with Bill, but then this idea came up. It sort of makes sense, when you think about it.****

 ** **1-18-9-5-19: Aren't we all looking forward to Weirdmageddon?****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: Elaine's pretty open to everything, so she wouldn't back away so easily after seeing his true form. McGucket was so emotinal in that episode, I had to make it up to him. He needed support.****

 ** **RillFipher: It is a good ending, isn't it?****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: So touching!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Man, lots of people are wondering about Weirdmageddon!****

 ** **Seriously, lots of people are asking about the series finale! It'll still be a while until we get there though, but we're almost halfway through the season so far. 8 episodes in, and a few away from bringing Ford into the scene. Oh, Elaine is going to be stressed...****

 ** **This, unfortunately, isn't a chapter. I've been swarmed with so much homework and midterms that I haven't had time to write. All of this is right before November's study break, so I'm trying to get everything and everything done before then. I probably won't have anything up until next weekend at best when I return home from school. It hurts, but university comes before the story. That doesn't mean that there's a huge hiatus. Just a little longer of a wait.****

 ** **Before I leave you all for today, I want to do something special for our 300 review mark. Ask me anything; about the show, theories, journal information. Anything! What I have in store for some chapters, to how the OC's came into play, to questions about old chapters. Basically, if there's something you're curious about, let me know. I don't have time to write a chapter, but this is the next best thing.****

 ** **Have a great week, everyone!****

 ** **Angel****


	47. Author's Note 2: Round 1 of Questions

**Still don't have time to write. Assignments keep stacking up, computer science midterm is tomorrow, and I'm slowly losing my mind. BUT! I did have time to review all of your questions, and have decided to answer them now.**

 **DannyPhantom619: It has only been three episodes since Elaine has learned the fire spell. It's not powers, but a spell that anyone could use. In the heat of the moment, she forgot about them. Bill will probably help her control it later on. I don't plan on having it be a one time thing.**

 **FormerEMObillc: Closer: yes. Ford showing up: uh… I don't want to spoil anything. But it won't be long until he makes his appearance. Bill already has a feeling Ford will return, and Elaine keeps hinting at it herself. Not sure what the demon's reaction will be yet. Bill and Elaine do end up fighting at one point though, after Ford tells her about his past with him in person. It is much different than reading it from a book.**

 **PippyTheBest: I've already written several midterms, so it's not that huge of a jump. It's finals I'll be freaking over. Ford and Elaine's interaction? Well… he's interested in her, as Stan tells him about her situation, and he can relate to her the most. Both have ended up in places that they're not used to, and don't know what to do. The amount they relate with, dimensions to dealing with Cipher… she tells him the full story of why she made her deal. It's not fully written in stone, but I'm thinking of having Ford be the one to learn about the cartoon world first.**

 **Megan: Oh, I so want to sleep.**

 **FrostyAngelWings: That's not… I did say ask anything, didn't I?**

 **Guest: Unless I can figure out a good solution, it shall remain a mystery. I think I have a good idea, but it might be in an alternate ending. I have a 'what if' scenario for Weirdmageddon, and it doesn't end well.**

 **RainbowCelin: Thanks for being patient. Elaine seeing her family? I… am not answering that yet. That's to be found out at the end.**

 **DomesticatedPiggy: The supernatural does exist in Elaine's world, but in sparing amounts. It's not as strong as Gravity Falls' dimension. We all know how Bill ends up in Weirdmageddon, and we also learn that even he doesn't know how she got there. Their relationship will take a turn in the finale, but that's all I'll say about that. Same as if she'll return to her home world, or remain in Gravity Falls. Cartoon logic, despite appearing as if it's real life, does exist in that world. Such as the power of subspace.**

 **GravityFallsisdabest: AAAHHHHHHH!**

 **Nameless: About 700 pounds. ;)**

 **Guest: POSSESSION!**

 **Guest (a second one): Funny you should say that. I stumbled across images on Tumblr of what he looked like. Taking the creepiness of No-Face from Spirited Away, I used that into what I thought his form looked like. With all of the arms, and drooling tongues.**

 **Guest (another one): This story shall not slow down at any point. Even if I'm doing stuff like this.**

 **So that's all there is right now. I'm still accepting questions if you have any.**

 **Happy Halloween!**

 **Angel**


	48. Blendin's Game

****Disclaimer: STUDY BREAK! No university for almost two weeks, and man, am I close to screaming. Still have work to do, but I'm ready to post another chapter.****

 ** **Draconian Master: I'm glad I got you interested in the series. Welcome, new Faller!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: She isn't gonna tell them. You saw how they reacted-well, how Dipper reacted-when they heard about her deal. Your really think they're gonna like hearing Bill has enforced his control over her? That they're getting too close?****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: Thanks.****

 ** **RememberTheGoodTimes (two reviews): Are you sure? Because let me tell you, if people thought a realistic Gravity Falls was scary, Weirdmageddon is gonna be a nightmare. I'm flipping on the horror genre switch for the series finale, and I don't blame anyone for wondering what I've got planned.****

 ** **Guest (FormerEMObillcipher89): She lived through Weirdmageddon. That's enough to mess anyone up mentally and emotionally. Mabel and Dipper have scars from that week too, but not as bad as hers. Bill possibly gone? Hehehe. Well, I can't say anything about that yet either. What happens to our favorite**** ** **triangle**** ** **won't be found out until the end. As for why my username is Angel…**** ** **I had this shirt that I loved to death with stylized angel wings on the front and the back**** ** **.**** ** **Plus, it didn't help that I renamed myself around Christmas time. I occasionally think of renaming myself on here, but the Angel nickname kind of stuck.****

 ** **I own Elaine. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 22/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Alright, Elaine. That should do it." Stan handed me back the glasses, and I ran my fingers over the frame. _No bents. Perfect._ Stan sat down on the chair beside the desk with a sigh. "What'd you do to mess up your glasses like that? And why did you and the kids come home so late?" At least he wasn't asking why I walked home instead of having Soos drive me. That's a plus.

"I insulted a guy for scaring Mabel, and he slapped me across the face." The whirl of the portal on the other side of the glass filled the awkward moment, and I kept glancing at the glowing lights lining the edges. "Then Fiddleford knocked him out with a headbutt. Guy had it coming."

"He slapped you?" Stan looked at my face carefully, before nodding in satisfaction. "Well, it looks like your face is okay. You must've said something he really didn't like." He chuckled, and leaned forward to ruffle the top of my head. "Not bad, kid." I smiled as his hand retracted, and thought over the way he said it.

The Pines family considered me family now, and I myself saw that too. It surprised me when I first realized this, but I guessed I knew it was coming. Where I began thinking that way, I couldn't recall, but I did remember beginning to think of Dipper and Mabel as my twins. I'd started calling the Mystery Shack home. They're my family, just as much as Gail and my parents were. "Hey, kid?" Stan snapped his fingers in front of my face. "You still here?"

"Sorry. I was just thinking. What I'd said to him was just me piecing stuff together from what I've read from the third journal. Knew a little about his background and used it against him." I leaned against the table, and shrugged. "I happen to look through that thing far more thoroughly than Dipper had. How's the portal coming?" My eyes trailed to the bloodied bandage on his hand. I doubted there were any breaks, but it must have taken a fair amount of skin off the top.

"We're getting closer now. Every day the thing's getting stronger." Grunkle Stan smiled, clear nostalgia on his face. "He'll be home soon. After three long decades, Sixer'll be back home."

"Stanford sounded like a great brother." Stan's head snapped up, staring at me in shock. "Don't be so surprised, Stan. Your license plate says ****Stanley Mobile****. I sorta put the clues together. Plus, with how much emotion you put into that explanation, it had to have been a family member." Not gonna say I already knew everything, as per the norm.

"Why didn't I ever fix that?" Stan mumbled to himself. "Add this to the list of what you're not tellin' Dipper and Mabel, got it?"

"Crystal. Hey, do you even know what they're up to right now? They weren't in the gift shop this morning, and Wendy and Soos were missing too." If my days were right, then today he turned 22. __Wait a second.__ I paled, and my heart twisted uncomfortably. __Blendin's Game. We're gonna see… Time Baby.__

The massive giant toddler knew of Bill, and Bill knew him. Both had obvious dislike for each other, but what made me nervous was if Time Baby knew about me. I had appeared in this dimension without any reason. I was an anomaly. Highly unlikely Time Baby knew why I was there too. Would he judge me for my choice to be neutral in this growing battle? Would he have any knowledge that could help me get home?

"Dunno." Stan stood up, and tucked the two journals back into the cupboard on the desk. "C'mon. Let's go check in on them." Heading back to the gift shop wasn't hard, with the room still remaining empty. That is, until Stan closed the door, and Wendy and Asger walked in through the front door.

"Hey Mr. Pines, Elaine. Have you you seen the others?" Wendy asked.

"We haven't seen them come in here yet. And it's getting a little annoying waiting on the front deck," Asger added.

"Maybe they're in the back," I suggested. The four of us went back out the way the younger teens came, and went around the house. Hearing the kids' voices, we watched Soos walk stiffly past us, head down. __Oh no.__ "Hey guys, what's wrong with Soos-oh no."

We stared in horror at the birthday setup, and Wendy carried on my realization at what they were doing. By they, I meant the twins, Kat, Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica. "Oh no. Oh no, no." Wendy held her head, before walking up to them. "Okay, you guys didn't know so it's not your fault, but Soos hates his birthday."

"What?" Dipper and Mabel asked in shock.

"It's a complete mystery," Asger said. "He's been like this for as long as we can remember. Probably it has to do with something in his childhood. Personal family stuff, I believe."

"There's gotta be something we can do!" Mabel cried.

"We've tried everything," Wendy pressured.

"I even petitioned the government to have this day removed from calendars." Stan pulled a mug shot from his jacket with the words " ** **BANNED**** " and " ** **DANGER FLIGHT RISK**** " on it. "Now I'm not allowed on airplanes."

"Okay, first you keep a calendar on you, and now that?" I blinked, and watched him put it away. "Why?"

"Elaine, don't ask questions you don't want the answer to," Stan deadpanned. We all gathered together, and peered around the corner of the house. Frowning at the sight of Soos looking at a postcard in his hand while sitting on the deck steps, we all looked at each other.

"I don't know, guys. Maybe we should just leave him alone, you know?" Wendy said.

"No one needs to be alone on their birthday," Kat argued. "Why spend a day moping around, when you can spend it with people who care about you? We just have to think harder about this."

"You're right, Kat!" Mabel grinned. "It's time for us to bring out the big guns!"

(Time Skip)

It had taken some motivation to get Soos into the car and to the laser game business, but we all eventually made it there. Kat, Wendy, Asger and I walked behind the others as they led Soos through the doors, chatting to each other.

"So you're from the country," Wendy summarized. "Not the city." We approached the front desk after Stan paid for us, and began to load up.

"Yep. Lots of corn crops, potatoes, and cows all over the province. No city life for me." I frowned, and slid the equipment onto my body. "I'm glad I ended up in Gravity Falls. I don't think I could handle being in such a large place." I grew up in the east, and a fair distance from any busy places. Not that my home town didn't have any activity. Oh man, did I have stories. What I was used to was fishing, boating, farming, and… the occasional freak incident involving intense school rivalry. Boy, could things go nuts. Honestly, I'd probably rather attend school in Gravity Falls than back home.

"I'm sure it has some benefits," Kat suggested, and blinked as she pressed her hand against the wall. "Are these just bed mattresses painted purple?"

"Think this place used to be a mattress store," Stan said from behind us, taking his gun.

"Weird. I think I can actually remember that," Asger mused. "Oh well. You guys ready?" Wendy, and Kat hoisted their weapons, as I slung mine over my shoulder. "I'm going to take your expressions as a yes."

"Prepare for laser battle! In three, two, GO!" The announcer shouted over the speakers. The doors slid open and everyone but the twins and I dashed in. Why I was holding back, instead of joining my squadron, was because I had-no-needed to be with the kids. I needed to see Time Baby. I didn't know what the giant child could do to me, but he might provide insight into my situation.

Grinning, Dipper and Mabel ran into the room, only for the entrance to change into a portal to the future as the passed through the arch. Taking my cue, I ran in after them before it could close. Glancing behind me, I watched the glowing jail bars appear, and tightened my grip on my gun. _Not like this is gonna prove helpful._ "Whoa, this is even cooler than I imagined!" Mabel said in aw. "Look how real these laser guys are!" She walked up to Lolph and Dundgren who were in front of them, and kicked Lolph twice in… why would you kick someone you thought was a projection in the crotch? _Seriously, Mabel?_

"Kick deflected! Thank you for buying Digi-cod: the smart codpiece!" The metal piece spoke, flashing a light gray.

"Wait, what?" Mabel squinted.

"Oh no! Soos!" Dipper cried, and watched as the window close behind him, preventing us from escaping. Dashing over, we watched Mabel start kicking the wall as hard as she could.

"Nice try. But that's solid time-tanium, kid! There's only one way out of here!" Lolph stated.

"Through me!" We spun to see Blendin's floating hands and head. "Oh, uh, sorry… c-come on." He fiddled with his watch, and the uniform circled through several scenes before stopping on the normal gray. "Through me! And that's, what it would be like if I'd just… gotten it right the very first chance, but it's still effective."

The twins gasped in shock, not expecting to see him again. "The time traveler guy! What did you say your name was again?" Mabel put a hand to her chin. "Blendo… Blondin…"

Dipper snapped his fingers, and grinned. "Blar-blar!"

"There it is!" Mabel agreed, and I smothered my mouth with a hand as I tried not to laugh at the goofy attempts.

"It's Blendin! Blendin Blenjamin Blandin!" Blendin cried. "How could you not know my name after you ruined my life!?" Seeing only confused faces, Blendin huffed, and brought up a projection on his watch. "Initiate flashback! It was after you stole my time device to win your stupid pig! I was cast out of the Time Anomaly Removal Crew; my whole life's purpose. And then I was given ten squared life sentences in time prison. I spent every day since then planning my vengeance. And now finally, it has come!" He ended the flashback, smiling in sick victory.

"Look, we're sorry about all that, but we're in the middle of something really important right now," Dipper said urgently.

"It's our friend's birthday today, and we promised we wouldn't leave his side!" Mabel added.

"What? You think some dumb birthday matters right now? Do you know where you are? Welcome… to Globnar!" The far side of the room where the guards stood opened to reveal the arena, and the various time-related events taking place.

"Is this a reality show?" Mabel gasped. "Are we in Japan?"

"It's gladiatorial time combat," I answered. I never really paid much attention, but looking at this in real life was intense.

"She's right!" Blendin said beside me. We watched a man in a green suit collapse to the ground as a man in a bright blue suit get lifted up by a stone pillar with " ** **winner**** " carved into it. A glowing golden orb with an hourglass on it floated down into his open hand. "The winner gets a precious time wish, and then decides the loser's fate!"

"N-n-no! Please!" The man shook in fear, and watched as the winner gave a sadistic smile and gave a thumbs down. The man screamed in pain as a purple beam of light appeared around him, and vaporized him. _Because, for some weird reason, that moment made it into the cartoon in my world!_ Kid's show!

"And the two of you are officially challenged," Blendin said, seeing their horrified faces. "Dundgren! Get me my war-paint." He walked off to the side, and the dark skinned officer began rummaging through his uniform for neon paint.

"Wait, two of you?" Did I hear that right? "I thought I was being challenged too?"

"Your being here is not because of Blendin's anger towards the children," Lolph answered, giving me a sideways glance. "You have been summoned by Time Baby."

"He knows about your deal," Dipper whispered. Only Mabel and I could hear him. "But how?"

"Time Baby knows a lot of things, kid. Not as much as Bill does, but enough to know that things have changed in his plan for our dimension." __I used our instead of yours… huh.__ "O-okay then," I answered Lolph. "I accept his invitation for a meeting."

"But Dipper, we need a way out of here!" Mabel whispered to Dipper, tugging on his shirt. "Elaine's safe, but what about us?"

"I have an idea." His eyes narrowed at the time device on the officer's belt.

Mabel followed his direction, and grinned. "Hang in there Soos, we're coming for you." The two walked over to Lolph, setting down their laser guns, while I moved over to Blendin and Dundgren after putting my own down. __This is really not how I planned on having this day go.__ I scrunched up my face as a random idea popped into my head. __Bill, are you there? Bill?__ No answer. Not shocking. I was stuck in the far future. Cipher would be more focused on the present Gravity Falls, and wouldn't look for me there.

"Yeah, neon green is good, this is a good color for me," Blendin said as a sideways hourglass was painted on his face. "It's fierce-who? What!?" We turned to see Dipper holding the time device, and the boy gave them a nervous look. "No! You can't let them escape! Stop them!" He dove at Dipper, just as he and Mabel took off running. Blendin unfortunately tripped Dundgren who also tried to jump for them.

"Run, you dorks!" I yelled.

"Gam Gam! How could you!?" Lolph cried in disbelief.

"I ain't no one's Gam Gam, sucka! You just got time-tricked!" Mabel shouted back. Dundgren and Blendin shouted at them, but it was too late; the twins vanished in a flash, leaving us in the cell.

"Hurry! After them!" Dundgren shouted. He pulled out his time device, and Lolph moved closer to him. After attaching laser handcuffs to Blendin's wrists, Lolph grabbed my shoulder, and we vanished from the room. The area around us reappeared as a mattress store, and we landed on one of the beds. Well, Blendin landed on his butt and the officers kept their balance. Lolph still had a hold of me, keeping me from falling. "It looks like they overshot their destination by ten years."

"I don't see them." Blendin wiped the paint off his face, and looked up at the taller men. "You better find those kids!"

"You'll get your justice, Blendin," Lolph told him.

"I'm gonna keep stammering until you find them! I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I…!" Blendin walked out the door, and we stared at where he went.

"I really hate that guy," I deadpanned, earning nods from the two of them. Jumping down, I followed after, only to see Dipper and Mabel peer out from under a bed. __Good luck,__ I thought, and left the store.

Ten years showed a difference around the town. Younger population, fresher looking buildings, and a little of a personality change. Lolph, Dundgren, and Blendin walked ahead of me, and I took the time to look around. A piece of graffiti mocking Gideon's birth with little demon horns and a tail, the tattoo bouncer in a shop receiving his very first one, and Blubs with a full head of hair. I turned a corner around the dance studio with Toby inside, only to bump into three kids, maybe around five year old kids, on tricycles. The dark skinned girl wore mainly pink and purple, with streamers on the handles of her bike and flowers on her helmet. The red headed girl was in less vibrant colors, with a white t-shirt, green overalls, and an orange bike and helmet. The lone boy, also dark skinned, had a red helmet and blue bike. His black hair stuck out at funny angles under the helmet, and he wore a baggy black shirt and light blue shorts. "Oops. Sorry," the boy said sheepishly.

"It's no problem," I grinned. Children were always a soft spot for me, especially at a young age like they were. "Just be more careful next time, alright?"

"Okay," the redhead answered. "Come on, Tambry and Asger!" The kids biked past me, laughing as they went.

Wendy, Tambry, and Asger. Well, he did say he knew Wendy since childhood. __Oh, I can't wait to mention this to them when I get back!__ Wonder if they'd remember this moment. "This way," Lolph spoke up. I jogged to catch up, and we walked past a series of houses in a suburb. The relaxing setting I was in, with all the quaint normal houses, flowering shrubs… this was home. I never really paid much attention to the town itself except for the woods, but the more I stayed, the more that word meant to me. Catching my reflection in one of the windows, I smiled softly. _It'd be a great home, wouldn't it… Gail?_

"Th-this way!" Blendin interrupted my thought train, and I watched as we stopped in front of Soos' house. I stretched my back, watching Blendin look around anxiously. "They've gotta be around here somewhere. I-I-I think I heard them!" He turned to look at the tree in the backyard, and Lolph whipped out his laser gun.

"Freeze!" He blasted the tree to ashes, and we saw a younger Robbie holding a water gun. The terrified boy burst into tears, and ran off in a panic. "Trace their chrono-signatures." He walked away, playing with a device in his hand.

"Man, the sooner I defeat those kids in Globnar, the sooner I can win my time wish," Blendin said wistfully. He and me sat down on a picnic bench, and Dundgren looked down at us from his device.

"Tell you what I'd do if I had a time wish. Retire early. Spend more time with the kids," he smiled.

"Naing naing naing naing naing, with the kids! Don't you know a time wish can do literally anything? Any impossible problem solved just like that?" Blendin snapped his fingers. "I mean, imagine the possibilities."

"Like regrowing your hair," I smirked. Dundgren also bit back a small chuckle at my smart remark, and Blendin's face flushed red.

"Here we are Blendin. We surrender." Whirling around from our seats, we sprung up to see Dipper and Mabel walk out from behind another tree, hands behind their heads.

"It's them!" Blendin shouted.

"Freeze!" Dundgren pulled out his gun, aiming at them. Lolph followed his example, and glanced at this partner.

"Careful, they're from the past. They might have powder muskets or slap bracelets." Not sure about the first thing, but slap bracelets aren't really weapons.

"Look guys, no tricks this time. We're ready to challenge you, okay?" Dipper told him. The guards lowered their guns, and pulled out more laser cuffs. They snapped them on their wrists, and Dipper looked to me. "Sorry for ditching you, Elaine."

"It's fine. Hope you two are ready though," I grinned.

"Yes! Let the Globnar begin! Prepare… for… GLOBNAAA-!" Blendin's screech was cut off as a hologram symbol of a mute button appeared on his mouth. Gee, he really was like Lemongrab. __UNACCEPTABLE!__

"Hey, turns out I can mute him," Lolph said, as the kids and I snickered at Blendin's face.

"Man, I wish we'd known that earlier," Dundgren added.

"Initializing!" In a bright flash, we vanished from the backyard, and reappeared in the center of the Globnar arena. Green, pink, and blue glows came from the ravaged citizens in the stands. I assumed that only if you're well-off, then you didn't look like that. Goggles, armor, and laser eyes. Glancing around me, I surveyed the huge monitor with our faces on it. Dipper and Mabel were stunned, just as much as Blendin was. Whether you invoked this or not, it was intimidating.

Pebbles on the ground began to tremble, and we turned around slowly. A huge gap in between the rows of people, and Time Baby rose out of a hole in the stand. Forget the brief time I saw him weeks ago, this was even more intense! Casting a giant shadow over us. The neon hourglass symbol on his forehead glowed a bright blue, and the carrier he sat in resembled the earth. Although, he had baby toys attached to the front like plastic rings and blocks on a string.

"SILENCE!" He boomed, holding up his chubby arms. Wow, his voice is deep. A lone person continued to cheer, only for him to be zapped into dust by Time Baby.

"That is one big baby," Mabel stated, earning nods from Dipper and me.

"Welcome Globnar tributes! I have a very important nap to get to so let's make this quick. You each have a chance to settle your time-feud through gladiatorial combat." Pink holographic weaponry appeared behind us, and we turned back to Time Baby.

A robot holding a massive hourglass filled with cosmic sand moved towards Time Baby. "You will have until Time Baby finishes drinking the cosmic sand in this hourglass."

"No!" Time Baby protested, as the robot kept poking him with the bottle.

"Come on."

"Ow!"

"It's good for you."

"Wah!"

"This way." Lolph took me by the shoulder, and he and Dundgren guided me to a door at the edge of the arena. I spotted the kids out of the corner of my eye watching me, but they must have been more focused on their own safety than whatever I was about to do as they started speaking once again. "This shall lead you to Time Baby." His hard gaze softened for a moment. "Good luck."

"Thank you." Going up the stairs, I watched the door close behind me, trapping me in the pitch black. "Nowhere to go but up." Keeping one hand on the wall, I walked upwards, hearing the crowd's muffled roaring all around me. What would happen, what he'd say to me I wasn't certain. But… I wasn't the same girl I was when I first arrived there. I'd grown. I wasn't as scared as I'd been before. Whatever he'd tell me, I'd accept it head-on. Light appeared ahead of me, and I walked out onto a balcony that stood right below Time Baby's head on the left. Inhaling, I announced, my presence. "You wanted to speak to me?"

The bottle was lowered from his mouth, and he turned to look down at me. Not as intimidating as Bill in his larger size, or in his demonic form, but still. "How unusual, that Cipher has found favor in a human." Time Baby narrowed his eyes, and I sensed a throbbing where the burn was on my hand. "You have been marked, I see."

"Yeah. But besides that, and answering his questions, I hadn't assisted him in any other way," I responded, keeping my tone steady.

"But yet you know of the consequences that will befall that dimension if he continues," he retorted. "You know know what he is planning yet you refuse to prevent it from occurring. Bill might appear intriguing, but he is still just as dangerous as your reality made him out to be. You know very well of the few humans I speak off." _He means all those people listed in the black light and… Ford._ His powerful gaze softened, seeing that I had started tightened my hands into fists at the words. "Even though he may seem to care for you, child, he could still kill you once he is tired with you." Once he's… tired of me? Di-did he really say that?

"N-no! Bill may be insane, but at least he's not a dictator monster controlling humanity with a chubby iron fist!" Time Baby's eyes widened at my insult. "Sure, I know to an extent of what he's planning, but it's ****me**** who knows it. I'm going to tip the balance. I'm going to change what will happen. I don't know what he'll eventually do to the world, but I know my mere presence is changing what he's doing." _I_ _was_ _different._ _I would tip the balance._

"I don't want this world to suffer because of me, Time Baby." He nodded silently, before taking another drink from the bottle. I glanced at the kids, seeing them all playing with a giant Jenga. "You know, I can recall, from a code from a book in my home world, that something will involve you being released from an icy prison and destroying humanity."

"I may not be as near omniscient as Bill, but I know of what you speak of. An event that could possibly change the fate of the multiverse. 1000 years frozen and having my molecules reform makes one very angry." 3012. The year the mailbox said the world would end. "Listen well, Milton. Even our brief conversation may have tipped the balance in how the future plays out. What you may fear, may have already been quelled. Maybe not. Every minute, every second, is essential to your supposed mission." He looked ahead in thought over the playing field. "Along with Cipher, I had also sensed your arrival in this dimension. Sadly, I cannot answer as to how you arrived here."

"Great." I frowned, and looked as the group pushed the Cyclocks into a door in the wall. "More questions."

"Very good. You have escaped the Cyclocks." He brought his foot to his mouth, numbing on his toes. "There is only one final challenge for Globnar. An ancient game, thousands of years old, chosen for its exemplification of pure strategy: the ancient art… of laser tag!" A pink hologram course appeared, complete with guns and armor. The time wish orb appeared on a pedestal at the far end. "The one who touches the victory orb first will win!" Time Baby brought the rest of the cosmic sand to his mouth, and just as a bright light came from the arena, he finished the drink.

"Well… that was quicker than I'd thought it'd be," I remarked.

"It is finished!" One robot held the bottle, while another one patted his back, making him burp.

The arena shook as he did so. _Tha_ _t could've measured on the Richter scale, it was that powerful._ Time Baby lowered his hand, and I hopped into it. He lowered me onto his floating carrier, and we moved down to the arena. "You have made victory in Globnar. Before I give you your time wish, tell us; what fate have you decided for the loser?"

I was unable to hear the three from my height, but I did hear Mabel scream "DEATH!"

"Mabel!" Dipper criticized her, as I struggled to stay on the stand in my laughter.

"Sorry. Got carried away…" Mabel and Dipper huddled up, and I sat down. Legs swinging off the edge, I watched as they turned to face Time Baby again.

"Okay. As long as you keep an eye on him, we'd like to set Blendin free, and restore his position at the Time Anomaly Correction Unit," Dipper stated.

"And give him pretty hair!" Mabel added.

"So be it." His hand glowed a pale blue, and Blendin's cuffs fell from his wrists.

"Wh-what? You'd do that for me?" Mustache-shaped hair grew on top of his head, and his face brightened. "I got my job back!" He placed a hand on Lolph's chest. "I feel like hugging somebody."

"I can kill you in eight different ways," Lolph said without looking down at Blendin.

"Yes, sir," he said, taking his hand away quickly.

"Now, children. What is it that you want for your time wish?" Time Baby said, rubbing his cheeks. The golden orb floated down in between the kids.

"Thank you, but the wish… isn't for us," Mabel told the time god.

"Not you? But then who? Who is worthy to receive such power?"

(Time Skip)

"So, the idiot Time Baby tried to sway you in our deal, huh?" I stared up at the ceiling of the master suite, Bill drifting back and forth at the foot of the bed. Hands behind my head as it rested on the pillow, I nodded mutely. "And you told him off? Ha ha, wow, Angel. Most fleshbags would be zapped for that behavior. Burnt to a crisp."

I didn't stick around for Soos' time wish. I immediately raced back to the Shack to fall asleep. I needed to speak to Bill about this. "He deserved it," I grumbled. I sat up a little, watching the triangle pace. "You said you'd never hurt me, and I know that, but… I hate being put in the middle of two opposing sides."

Bill froze in place, and turned to face me. His eye showed his anger, but softened. He knew how scared I was at the answer, at that idea. But besides that, I was also scared he'd get wise at my new mission. I… I could change things. I didn't know the ending of the summer, but I could try and prevent it from happening. I would prevent it from happening. "Nah, kiddo. You choose where your loyalties lie. Pine Tree can't change that, and neither can I. You've seen me try. Even if that deal of yours falls through, I ain't giving you up just yet." He moved over to me, and sat beside me. "Don't fear what that Time Twerp says, okay? You're safe here."

"And how do I know you're not lying. You've lied before." We looked at each other, and he chuckled. Running his claws through my undone hair, twirling the light brown strands, I got my answer.

"That's the thing, toots. You don't know if I'm lying. You just gotta trust me on this one." He leaned back against a pillow propped up against the headboard, eye scrunched up as it closed. "And that diaper-wearing brat isn't gonna change your mind."

I… I sure hoped not.

* * *

 ** **I have this really random chapter planned down the road which has nothing to do with the story at all. Yet it has everything to do with it too. To give you an idea… four girls chat about their adventures regarding the supernatural and important people in their lives. If anyone has read any of my other stories, you're gonna enjoy this.****

 ** **Also, I can't believe I was missing some many quotations in this chapter! Wow!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	49. Love God

****Disclaimer: You ever just sit down, relax into your chair and realize… you are one chapter away from reaching 50… and this story is almost a year old? Just… wow. It really doesn't feel like I've been doing this for so long. I have something fun planned for that, so just read and enjoy the show.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Yay, nostalgia!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Remaining neutral is really freakin' hard. Elaine is torn between the sadistic demon and his pals, and Dipper and the others. She's not sure who to trust, and who to believe anymore. Hurting one side hurts the other.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: They're the OC girls. Andy from Player 2, Hope from All Else Fails, Kate from Bending, and Elaine. Me and my pal StoriesUnleashed came up with a small chapter idea, and I figured it'd be nice to have a non-canon way to show how Elaine's feeling about all… this.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Not that much. This is why I stopped writing it for a while. Ford hadn't entered the picture yet, so writing a chapter about him would be cause for spoilers. Surprised you liked Andy so much. Most people really enjoyed Hope's story because of how different it was. It's my second most reviewed on here.****

 ** **Draconian Master: Why thank you!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Yes, yes she did. Why am I reading your comment in that demon's voice, like seriously, I'm having Weirdmageddon flashbacks.****

 ** **RillFipher: Well, how would YOU describe his legs?****

 ** **1-18-9-5-19: No spoilers!****

 ** **Guest ((Former)EMObillcipher89): Mushiness is going to happen in the next episode. I hope you like demon balls! We got a crossover chapter coming. Not What He Seems plus Bill and Elaine's telepathic link… oh boy.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): Unless the twins find out she's 'dating' Bill, it won't come up. Bill says a lot of things, so it's hard to tell if it's the truth or not.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: He's so protective and clingy it's adorable.****

 ** **I own Elaine and Gail and Josh, Kat belongs to RillFipher, and Asger belongs to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Sept. 26/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"So… what's your family like?" I glanced over at Wendy, surprised at the random question. The teens, meaning every member of Wendy's gang plus my squad, and the twins, watched me in interest. __Really want to know more about me, huh?__

"I thought we were watching clouds, not discussing my life," I remarked. We were all laying on a hill in the graveyard, tombstones lining the field above our heads. Warm sunshine, fluffy clouds… and relaxing over people's resting places.

"Dude, only the kids know about your life," Nate spoke up. "And even they don't have much to go on." Mabel and Dipper nodded. The girl leaned in closer to hear better, despite the fact she was right beside me.

"Nate's right," Dipper added. "We know some things about what your home was like, and your sister, but that's it."

"Alright. Well, um, Gail is their age," I pointed at the Pines, "and looks like a mini me. Longer hair, dazzling brown eyes. Her hair was a few shades darker, but that's because my hair bleaches every summer due to the sun. She's actually the one who first got me into all of the supernatural and fantasy stuff, actually. She loved it when she was younger, and it never really went away. And since we were not that far apart in age, I grew into it as well. Hehe. I came to the conclusion that that's why I'm so attached to you, Mabel. You reminded me so much like her."

"Aw, thanks, Ellie!" Mabel smiled. Dipper already knew that, since we had discussed it after Mabel went running after Stan when she won the bet, but the few details I was saying now he didn't know. "But what about your parents? Don't you miss them too?"

"I do, but I was always closer to Gail than them. I told Gail everything, and vice versa. That doesn't mean I don't have fond memories of them though. The smell of my dad's home-cooked meals, especially since the barbecue was right below my bedroom window. I could smell those smoked ribs from there." I was getting nostalgic, but I didn't feel like stopping. "Mom? Her hugs were the best. She always would like one. I… I miss them. Seriously, what daughter would I be if I didn't miss my family. Yet… I've been here for a month and a half, and… I wonder how well I can adjust when I get home."

"Elaine, you're making it sound like you don't want to go home," Asger chuckled, before realizing what he said. "You ****do**** want to go… right?" He asked slowly, as if he wasn't sure he heard himself correctly.

I felt myself tense up, and looked from the teens on one side, to Dipper and Mabel. "I… I gotta go. I got something I need to think about." Standing up, I quickly walked off towards the exit.

Yesterday, ever since my conversation with Bill, I'd been thinking. I'd grown close to him; going on outings, confiding in him, and the occasional kiss. But besides all that, I couldn't get past what was said to me yesterday. Baby's words worried me. I didn't like the reminder of the danger I was in. I knew fully well how powerful he was, how dangerous and twisted Cipher could get. But I meant what I had replied back with. I wanted to change how this could play out. I wanted to avoid whatever the series finale in my dimension showed, if it bore any similarity to what could possibly happen there in this world. Things were constantly changing. With every minute I was there, the swirling flow of this dimension altered bit by bit.

Pyronica even mentioned how his personality's changed since I began working with him. I was different than most humans. "Oh… what am I doing?" I sighed, burying my head into my hands as I finally stopped walking. __I'm doomed.__

 _ ** **You alright, kid?****_

Bill. __I'm… I'm fine. I… I just don't want to talk to anyone right now.__

 _ ** **What?****_ _ ** **Angel?****_

 _ _Not now, Cipher. Please?__

… **_**_fine._**_** Bill relented, and I felt his presence shrink. **_**_But we're not through with this._**_** ** _ ** _I want to know what's bothering you._**_**

"Didn't think so," I mumbled, crossing my arms. I watched the group walk towards me by the exit, and heard them complaining about Robbie. "We're never through, Bill."

(Time Skip)

3rd POV

"Hey, Mabel?" Dipper watched Wendy head out of the gift shop, seeing the rainbow sweater-clad girl plot eagerly. She really had to try and set up Robbie? Nothing good would come from that! "You have any idea what's bothering Elaine? She seemed really confused and upset this morning."

"I'm not sure, Dipper. But I can't really help right now. I got to go pay Robbie's parents a visit." She headed towards the door, and cast her twin a look. "You're the closest to her besides Bill. You try and figure something out." She closed the door, and Dipper rubbed the back of his neck.

Elaine sometimes had these small periods of emotional slumps, which usually was because of her deal with Bill, or not seeing her family. They never were this bad though, and it was a concern. Grunkle Stan tried cheering her up at supper, but she had barely touched her meal and went to bed early. When he and Mabel came up for to sleep themselves, they could make out tears staining her face as it was halfway buried in her pillow.

He wanted to help her. He did! But how do you help someone… like Elaine? Who in this town, other than himself, Mabel, and Stan, knew Elaine well eno-wait. H-he couldn't possibly-? But he still has a grudge against him. Then again, Mabel had talked to him about watching over Elaine, and how her behavior had improved since then.

Dipper headed to the attic, and checked around for the older girl. Elaine wasn't anywhere around. More than likely, she had gone on one of her walks in the woods. She'd started those ever since the camping trip with Asger and Kat. There was a view of the lake from a hill she reportedly enjoyed, and found it the only place she could go to be alone with her thoughts. "Alright, Dipper. You can do this." He cleared his throat. "Hey, Bill! I got something to say to you!"

"You called, Pine Tree?" The triangle 'smirked', popping into the room. "Where's your clone? Finally got tired of you?"

"Leave Mabel out of this," Dipper snapped. "I want to know what's going on with Elaine. She's more out of it than normal."

Bill rolled his eye, and summoned his cane. "Sorry, kid, but that's none of your concern. What happens between Angel and myself is strictly business. Though, this behavior of hers is disturbing me too, I'll admit. Don't know why, but whatever Time Baby told her is throwing her mind and emotional state in a loop."

"What does he have to do with it?" Dipper asked, only for the demon to flare red for a second. "Okay, okay. Can't talk about that. But do you have any idea what's wrong?"

"She wouldn't talk to me earlier. Did Angel say anything to you that triggered this?" Bill asked, twirling the cane in his hand. Dipper glanced at the demon's hand, and the claws digging into the polished surface. How had he not noticed those before?

"It was after talking about her family, and Asger mentioned that it sounded like she didn't want to go home to her world." He laughed uneasily, and looked at the demon. "That's silly, right? I mean, she made that deal with you to return home. Why would she regret all of that to stay here in a dimension she doesn't belong in?"

"She's getting in too deep, Pine Tree. Angel misses her dimension, but she also likes hanging with all of you fleshbags too. You think I'm happy about the idea of sending my favorite puppet outside of my jurisdiction? I want to maintain my partnership with her, but I don't back out of my deals." Bill stopped playing with his cane, and glared at the boy. "I know what you're thinking, boy. I didn't back out of our deal."

"You said you'd give me the password to the laptop!" Dipper shouted. "Destroying it under my-our-your foot doesn't count as helping!"

"I gave you a hint in your search. Breaking it showed Glasses name, and in turn led you to the history of his partnership with the 'author'," Bill mocked. The kid really thought Glasses was the 'genius' behind the book. Wow, how stupid could he be? "I helped you, Pine Tree. Stop thinking otherwise."

"I hate you, Bill. I do."

"Pine Tree, I am insulted! After all of the hard work I've done to help you!"

The preteen huffed, annoyed at how the monster was behaving. This was getting him nowhere. "You know what? This isn't worth it. I came here for answers as to how to cheer Elaine up, not get stuff I didn't already know." Dipper walked to the window, and sat down on the seat. Arms crossed, he glared daggers at the yellow triangle. "So why don't you just leave me alone?"

Bill breathed deeply, trying to keep himself from lashing out at the child. Angel wouldn't like it if he did. She was already on edge since their last meet up. He didn't need to explain why she found Pine Tree's dead body in the attic. "Fortunately, for your sake, I want Angel to be happy, just like you. Shooting Star already had me do a favor by keeping an eye on Angel more than normal."

Bottling up her emotions until she exploded. He could think of a few examples of her doing that. "Tell her that if something's bothering her, to just come clean with it. She seems to have stuff she's not ready to tell me or Mabel yet, but she seems to be open to you." He kicked the floor, and looked away in displeasure. "Why? Why does she find you so… not **horrible**? She tells you everything about herself. Why won't she tell me anything?"

"Simple, kid. I know all about her, or at least her thoughts and memories close to the surface. She's my favorite puppet and human, and with that comes some special bonuses." Bill zoomed in close to Dipper, and sat down beside him. Swinging an arm around the boy's shoulders, Dipper gave an uneasy look at him. How did Elaine even stand his company? "One of them being that I don't judge for what she has to say." Well, to an extent. He actually did care about what she had to say, but Pine Tree didn't need to know that. "You think I liked hearing what old puppets of mine prattled on about? Your author pal is a prime example of that. I only cared enough to give them what they wanted and in turn they helped me. Only Angel's been the best of maintaining her word."

"Pine Tree, you know as much as I do that Angel is special. You, to your puny weak-minded disappointment, aren't able to help her." To his anger, it seemed that Fez was also trying to pull something too. Sixer was able to hide all of his windows in the lab, and he couldn't see inside there anymore. That didn't mean he couldn't hear things from other places. He and Angel had something hidden from him, and he didn't like it.

"I know," Dipper muttered. He stayed silent for a moment, processing the demon's words. He hated that he had a point. Why couldn't Elaine come to him for help, instead of going to Bill? Now, because of whatever the triangle did, she was out in the woods depressed. __Wait.__ "She's out in the woods depressed, lost in thought… crud!"

Dipper sprang to his feet, and raced towards the door, only for something to roughly yank him backwards. "Aah!" One of those red arms from the Mindscape had latched onto his ankle, holding him in place. "Bill, let me go!"

"What's the hurry, Pine Tree? Angel's not going anywhere." The hand tightened, and Dipper's knee buckled with the lack of support. Falling over, he flipped around to stare up at Bill in terrified anger. "And neither are you."

"Look, I get you hate me for upsetting Elaine, alright? But we've made up! She's not mad at me anymore, and you know that!" Dipper shouted, prying at the hand with his nails. "But if she doesn't have other people besides you and sometimes Kat and Asger to speak to, she'll break more than she already has! She needs someone she sees all the time too! I don't want her to get hurt, and I know you don't either! So let me help her!"

Bill flashed red, and the room suddenly felt much, much hotter for the human. Bill hated Pine Tree. That earlier idea… about the intestine scarf seemed ****so**** much more satisfying right now. All he had to do was slip his soul out, head to the kitchen, and find a nice carving knife. Shooting Star's shrieks when she found the body in a sweet pool of blood… Fez's anguish for not 'being there' for him… how delicious.

 _But w_ _ould Angel mind?_ Bill groaned, and rubbed his eyelid in annoyance. She would. After the sock opera, she showed just how much anger she could hold for him. Things had returned to a semi normal, but part of her still didn't forgive him. He knew that. If he ever hurt Pine Tree… he could kiss his partnership with the quirky human goodbye.

Bill growled darkly, and snapped his fingers. The fingers unfurled from his now swollen ankle, and Dipper painfully got to his feet. "Go then. But get this, Pine Tree. She's MINE. No magnitude of begging and pleading from you will alter what she chooses to do and who she sides with. Even if she stubbornly tries to remain neutral in this fight, she'll see which is the winning side in the end."

"She won't even be here for it. You said you'd send her back home once you're through with her." He backed towards the door, keeping a steady eye on the triangle. "I don't know what Time Baby said to her that made her act like this, and I don't want to know what you two talked about. But get ****this**** this through your angles. She won't like you if you keep trying to control her like a doll. That's not in Elaine's personality." With that, before letting the boy get another word in, he forced Pine Tree from the Mindscape.

Hearing the footsteps echo around him, and glancing out the window as he vanished into the treeline, Bill slipped back into the Nightmare Realm just as easily as he arrived in the small room. The destination of the realm was along the edges, which meant there were no Henchmaniacs around. That was good. Then no one was going to mind him doing this.

" ** **AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH****!" The monster gave a loud roar, finally releasing the rage built up inside him from that chat, and rammed an enlarged fist through a passing meteor. The large rock splintered into fragments, spiraling through the shifting colors like toy tops. That… helped a little.

"Wow, boss. What's got your hat in a knot?"

" ** **Not now, Pyronica****." Bill glared at the succubus, finding her resting her arms atop one of the small pieces of the rock he just destroyed. She rolled her eye at his behavior, giving a small shake of her head. Still in her smaller height, she drifted towards the furious red demon. Most of the crew would be hiding from him when he got this mad, but not her. No. She was one of the few who could get some information from him. One of the few... less insane monsters.

"Ya sure? Because it looks like some snot nosed human rubbed you the wrong way," she teased. Bill's color faded back to yellow, and the pink monster crossed her arms. "You're getting pretty cozy with her, aren't you?"

"You gonna give me a lecturing like Pine Tree did? Because I'll **gladly** rip your massive mouth off if you do." He was not in the mood for this, and it would be wise for her to get it through her head. _For her sake, she better get smart soon._

"No. But you ought to make up for everything you've put her through recently. I'll admit, the kid wasn't entirely wrong." Was she really giving relational advice to Cipher? __Apparently._ My, how the tables have turned._ "We all like having that fleshy around, boss. We don't want to see her leave anytime soon too. So DO something about it!" She zoomed up into his face, pink flames flaring up. "Give her flowers, or jewelry, or anything!"

"I am not a 'romantic', if you haven't already noticed, Ron." Bill settled on top of a larger piece of rock, and sighed. "Neither is Angel. She hates anything prissy. Hmmm… isn't there some sort of event happening in that magical medieval dimension soon?" They had all sorts of different types of monsters, with a huge racial divide between them and the magical human-like population. Lots of building conflict. Different types of kingdoms. And… one of them was a demon kingdom. Their literal underworld. __Perfect.__ "Actually, Ron," Bill snickered, the gears already beginning to turn in his head. "I think I have an idea."

(Time Skip)

Elaine's POV

"This is much better." I rested my head on my knees, arms wrapped around myself. Nature was, well, always something I enjoyed. I grew up around the forest, so a sight like this wasn't new to me. But this… this took the prize. "Sorry, Gail. But our forest won't be able to beat this o-"

"ELAAAIIIINE!"

"Dipper?" I let my arms fall, and lifted my head in confusion. Shouldn't he already be getting ready for the concert tonight, or suggesting the duct-taped food thing to the teens? Turning to where the path was, I found a brown, red, and blue blur come running at me and tackle me to the ground. "Ack! D-Dipper!?"

"Elaine, I'm sorry that you've been out of it. I don't know what Bill's been telling you or Time Baby, but please, just talk to me, okay!? I don't want you not to vent over stuff and doing that so often is going to get you into more trouble than you already are!" He ended his panic in a shout, making my hears ring.

"Talk… more than I already am? Dipper, would you get off of me!" He got off, resting on his knees, but it was clear he wasn't anywhere near done. "Dipper, I understand you're worried about me, but you got to trust me to do this on my own-"

"But that's the thing! You can't just, keep hiding stuff from me and Mabel! How are we, your best friends, supposed to help you if you won't trust us?" Dipper exclaimed. "What is it that you're willing to tell Asger and Kat and ****B**** ** **ill**** , but you won't mention to us!? To… to me?" His voice came out so desperate at the end, my heart shattered.

"Dipper… Mason… please, just listen for a moment, alright?" He nodded, and I turned to look at the setting sun. The golden light danced off the water, showcasing a breathtaking display. Listen for a moment, huh? Well, now I had to say something… but what? What could I say that would calm him… down. _I… I think I know what to say._ "I… can't say why I can't tell you, but it has to do with my dimension and its rules. You see… Gravity Falls bears a strong resemblance to something in my world, like a-a book or a show." Holy cow, I was doing this. Not all the way, but I was saying enough to reveal something. "What it's been said, across the fandom era whenever someone writes about someone entering another world, is that you never mention the truth about the status of their world."

Dipper seemed to understand, nodding slowly. "So, say, if this world was like a book in your world, then you can't mention anything about what might happen in the future?"

"Yeah, exactly like that. Even if there's enough to differentiate from the world you're from, there's enough to tell it's similar. Saying too much might alter the future, and cause problems. That's why I can tell the squad. Asger and Kat are way too different than what my world made them out to be. Bill knows about the entire multiverse, so there's no use hiding things from him."

I pulled the boy closer to me, having his head fall onto my shoulder. The birds chirped in the trees, and the breeze rustled the branches of the pines around us. "Elaine, you're… still not saying the whole story, are you?"

"I never am, kid. But… that's as much to the truth as you're going to get for a while," I grinned pitifully. "I can say though, I'm getting closer to finally saying why I'm like this. But I'm not going to do anything drastic like… hurting myself, over my situation. I'm depressed, but I wouldn't ever try to leave this dimension like… I wouldn't." With the hand wrapped around him, I began patting his back in comfort. "I'd never do anything to leave you guys without telling you first." The portal… I don't even know if that would work. It's wishful thinking at this point in time. "You know that, right?"

"Hehe… yeah," Dipper looked at me, and unwrapped himself from my arm. "Thanks, Elaine. I needed that."

"No problem, Dippin' Dots. Gotta look out for my number one fan, right?" I winked, earning a blush and a stammering Dipper. "You know I love you!" Pushing him teasingly, we got up, and began heading through the woods.

"I know. Still, you sure nothing's going to change between us?"

"Don't worry, kid. I'm sure."

(Time Skip)

Every member of the gang sans Mabel was decked out in weird… hippy concert gear. Kat went straight to the dreadlocks again, and a sleeveless version of her black shirt with ripped jeans. Her jacket was tied around her waist, probably in case it got cold out. Asger exchanged his hat for a red and blue bandanna, and had dark red shorts on too instead of jeans. Dipper had his concert outfit from the cartoon's episode, while I pulled out my party gear again from at the start of the summer. I liked the blue and black look, and pigtails looked cute on me.

"Alright. Who's ready for the best and overpriced day of our summer!?" Wendy cried, earning cheers from the rest of us.

"I am so pumped for this!" Asger said as Wendy walked over to him. "I've always wanted to attend this concert, but Pacifica's parents think it's too 'uncivilized'." The two laughed as he mocked Preston's voice, and Thompson held up a bag of trail mix and whistles.

"I brought a baggie of trail mix and safety whistles, in case we get separated," he advised.

Dipper coughed into his elbow, but it was clear he said was making fun of the older teen. Nate and Lee laughed, and Nate looked around. "We're just waiting on Tambry. Can't leave without Tambry."

"Sorry, guys, but Tambry's a little busy at the moment. Wink wink." Mabel walked in, holding her happiness chart.

"What does that mean? Why are you winking?" Nate asked nervously.

"Let's just say she and Robbie took a trip to Smoochville. Now everyone's happy," she announced, not seeing his worried confusion over her words.

"Wait, wait. Robbie and Tambry!? This can't be happening," Nate cried. Mabel mumbled something, watching the teen begin to break down. "He knew I liked her! How could he do this?"

"Whoa, hold it. You like Tambry and you told Robbie but not me?" Lee asked, anger and hurt in his voice.

"You always make fun of my crushes, man," Nate argued.

"That's what we do, genius." Lee whacked him in the head.

"Oh, oh! This is so like Tambry to do this. Date my ex behind my back. I'm gonna tear her highlights out!" Wendy tugged angrily at her hair, and Asger grabbed her arms to lower them back down.

"Easy, Wendy. Your hair did nothing to you," he said.

"Guys, guys. Calm down. We're gonna be late for the concert," Dipper spoke up.

"Uh, news flash, kid. I'm not going to the concert. Not with him," Nate added at the end, pointing a finger at Lee.

"Hey, that won't be a problem 'cus I'm out," Lee growled.

"Me too!" Wendy finished. The three teens stormed out of the garage, to Thompson's horror. Asger and Kat looked at me, and I gave a quick shooing motion. The two chased after Wendy, as the larger teen shouted for them to come back. Asger and Kat would try to calm her down. But that still wouldn't help with the others.

Crying out, Thompson turned to Dipper and Mabel, specifically the girl twin. "What did you do!? I've let these guys pick on me for years to keep this group together. And now they've totally fallen apart." He grabbed the bear hat on his head, throwing to the ground at their feet.

"But we were all starting to finally hang out together," Dipper said beside his sister. "I was one of the gang."

"Well, unless you can break up Robbie and Tambry immediately, there is no gang. I have no friends! And neither do you!" He pulled a chip bag off his shirt, and stormed off. "I'm gonna eat this."

"Mabel, what did I tell you about staying out of Robbie's personal life?" Dipper asked Mabel, who groaned in response. She sat down on a milk crate, looking down at her feet.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to be a good matchmaker. I never should have gotten that love potion from the Love God," she said, not bothering to face us to respond.

"Wait, love potion?" Dipper and I looked at each other in surprise. "If you did a spell, then can't you like, undo it?"

"That's it!" Mabel gasped. "If I undo the spell then everyone will be friends again! But I'm gonna need your help. Also, bro, you are not pulling off that v-neck."

"I know," Dipper admitted dejectedly.

"Burn it!"

"Let's roll." Taking their hands, I began taking them towards where the festival was being set up at the edge of town where it was set up. "Hey, Mabel. Even though this has literally nothing to do with our mission, may I know why you're wearing a rainbow sweater today?"

"I was wondering what today's sweater was going to be," Mabel began. "And I got to thinking, how can I express love for everyone without being too forward? And what better than a rainbow sweater!"

"Kid, you make me so proud sometimes, you know that?" I laughed, picking up the speed. "First though, let's get Dipper out of those clothes. Really, Dipper, that color may look nice, but the collar is just not working for you."

(Time Skip)

Sneaking into the backstage area was actually really easy. The guards were more focused on the building crowd, and the gang was still arguing just outside by the sales booths. Though, the hug walking thing Robbie and Tambry were doing… ew. Couple walks were weird. Thank goodness Wendy and Asger didn't do that. Hiding along the edge of the stage, we saw the Love God's hippie van. "Love God. Sound check for Love God," a technician called before heading backstage again.

The trunk opened, and Love God tumbled out, followed by a few cans of Pitt Cola. "Ow. Let's make some miracles happen. Groupies, bed-head me." Tilting his head down, Tyler and some random girl began ruffling his head.

"Groupies? Is this… a threesome?" I whispered, eyes wide. _He's acting all drunk-like… and out of it. Plus, why would they be in the van except… oh,_ _block it out!_ Mabel paled, and Dipper grimaced. "Ignoring that! C'mon!" We ran to the van after the three walked away, and Mabel grabbed the rope belt with the potion bottles on it.

"Let's see. Puppy-love. Interspecies love. Love of country music. Ew." I lightly tapped her on the back of her head, frowning at the comment.

"Hey, I like country!" I defended. _There's a vial for interspecies love? Why'd he need that one?_

"Oh! Anti-love!" Mabel looked at the label, and read the description. " ** **To reverse the effects of love potion simply spray on your victim and watch their heart die on the inside****." She undid the loop around the bottle, and hopped out of the vehicle.

"Sounds good to me," Dipper grinned. We turned to leave, only for Love God to stand in our way.

"Hey! You're the one who's been stealing my stuff. I am not loving this," he complained.

"I'm sorry, but I made a mistake and I have to fix it," Mabel reasoned.

"Kid, I tried to tell you. This stuff is way too dangerous. On my oath as a god I cannot let you-oh hey, where'd you just go?"

"Away from here!" I called over my shoulder. The three of us took off towards another stage, as Mabel yelled an apology to the cherub. I heard Mabel then shout for Dipper to catch something, and he quickly caught the potion. Rushing up the stairs to where The Handlebar Brothers were preforming, we watched Mabel and Love God catch up to us.

"Get those kids!" Love God shouted.

The brothers jumped in front of us, but before they could say anything I grabbed where their mustaches connected and pulled down, throwing their heads together and to their knees. "Whoops. Might have overdone that." We dashed to the crowd, and jumped into it. Mabel laughed as the crowd carried us over to the back, while I tried not to think about all of the random hands touching everywhere and everything.

Running around the corner, we watched Love God fall behind us. "Guys, look." We spotted the couple on top of a small hill on a blanket, and picked up our pace. Mabel grabbed a spray bottle from a stand as she ran, and attached the nozzle from it to the vial. "Just one clean shot to the back of their heads and everything's fixed." We almost reached them, only to come to a halt as we were cut off.

"Sorry, kids, but you've left me no choice. Visions of heartbreak past!" Summoning a pink smoke, I found myself getting cut off from the kids. In a fog, I darted around for where they went.

"Mabel? Dipper? Guys?"

"Hey, Elaine." A voice too deep to be mistaken for Dipper's answered me, full of faux bravado. Something, or someone, who sounded like they were full of themselves. It was like a voice I knew all too well, and at the same time, didn't know at all. Why? Because that owner to that voice shouldn't even be in this dimension. "It has been a while hasn't it? My, don't you look as beautiful as the day I last saw you?"

Joshua. __Oh, right. Heartbreaks.__ He was made of pink mist, as the cloud vanished around me and made up his body. But the details were still there. Tall, short buzzed hair, and a smile that used to make me melt in a heartbeat. But… those eyes. They were empty. Hollow. True, I had dated the guy the mist represented, but this figment was not my ex. "Josh," I stated bluntly.

"Elaine, don't trust him! He's not real!" Dipper shouted somewhere behind me.

"Just let Mabel give us the bottle, Elaine. You can do that, right?" His hand cupped my cheek, smiling cheekily. Smirking, I reached up to grab his face, and slid my hand behind his neck. _He wasn't real, so any harm I do to him wouldn't be considered murder, right? Right!_

"How 'bout no, you sleazeball of an illusion!" Keeping my hand in place, I brought my knee up and rammed it between his legs. Josh vanished in a puff, but not before giving a pained high pitch cry. "Man, that felt good." Lot of bent-stress went away from that.

"Curse my over-sized heart," Mabel shouted. I watched her visions disappear, and saw the bottle in Love God's hands.

"Sorry, kids, but that's what happens when you mess with a god. Only a greater being from the heavens themselves could possibly stop-"

A series of screams cut him off, and we all looked up. A giant flaming Stan balloon was heading right for us, bearing the title of " ** **I EAT KIDS****." _Why, Stan? Wh-what made you think this would make you more lovable?_ Crying out in alarm, the balloon finally landed, swallowing him up. The bottle fell out of his hand, rolling to Mabel's feet. "What the heck was going through your uncle's mind when he made this?"

"Love God? Are you okay?" Dipper asked. We stepped out of the way as half a dozen people ran up with a fire hose to douse out the flames.

"Please be immortal. Please be immortal," Mabel whispered, crossing her fingers.

"Dude," Love God gasped, emerging from under the balloon. "I am so over this." He paused, hearing his name get called. Getting to his feet, he glared down at Mabel. "Agh, look kid. Take it, okay. Spray everyone for all I care. You wanna mess with peoples' lives? You wanna play god? Do it. 'cus I'm sick of it." Walking away in a sway calling out for onion rings, I rested a hand on Mabel's head.

"Don't listen to him, Mabel. He doesn't know the full story. Let's hurry before Stan does something else." Holding back a giggle, we ran up the hill, and behind a row of bushes where Tambry and Robbie were sitting.

"Okay, Mabel. Now's our chance. They break up and the whole friend group gets back together," Dipper said. Mabel held up the bottle, preparing to fire.

"Mabel!" Nope. Taking Dipper, I shoved ourselves into the bush, hiding as Robbie walked over to the girl. She tossed the bottle over to us, and I hid it in my arms. "Mabel, I just wanted to thank you. I've been so miserable since Wendy broke up with me that I thought my life was over, but you were right. I just needed to move on. I'm… happy? Weird, huh?"

"Robbie, people are commenting on our picture!" Tambry called from her seat. Robbie winked at Mabel, and walked back over to her.

"Dipper, maybe we shouldn't do this. I mean, every time we play with peoples' fates it's only made things worse." Standing up, we watched the two paint each others eyes.

"They are kinda perfect for each other in a gross kinda way," Dipper sighed. "But what about our friend group?"

"Well, maybe it'll sort itself out. I mean, there's gotta be something that could bring everyone back together." I heard some shouting from down the hill, and we-including Tambry and Robbie-all walked down to find Lee, Nate, and Wendy cheering on Thompson as he was attacked by security guards from sneaking in outside food. One kept blowing a whistle while the other was batting him with a broom. The gang began chanting the teen's name, as Thompson ended up hanging from a rope like a pinata. As we continued to cheer, Nate and Lee stopped chanting to playfully punch each other in the shoulder. When they picked up again, Tambry and Wendy smiled apologetically at each other. What really made my night, was seeing Robbie get the same look. Robbie then nodded at Asger, who's arm was around Wendy's shoulder. He grinned, and nodded back.

No more harsh feelings towards anybody. No more fighting. _That's how it should be._ "I think everything just might be alright," Dipper concluded. We stood beside Kat at the end of the line, watching the scene.

"Maybe someone up there really is a genius matchmaker," Mabel smiled.

"Not sure exactly what you guys did, but good work," Kat giggled.

"Just doing what comes naturally, I guess," I shrugged. Naturally being the strange gift to mess things, and yet, have them somewhat come out alright in the end. _A few things are hard to change... but not impossible._ "You guys know something?" Dipper and Mabel looked at me, and I brought an arm around each of them, and noogied Dipper's head with a small laugh. "Hope isn't for suckers after all."

(Time Skip)

The concert was great. I even got to try some of that hippie tea I saw Sprott drinking… it was alcohol. _Still, better than time punch._ Now though, Dipper and Mabel were downstairs talking to Stan. I didn't know why, because Dipper said it was private, but I think it might be because of the new information I disclosed about my world.

Laying down in my bed, I opened the dresser between the kids' beds to bring out my night gown. "Huh?" I reached in, and pulled out a black cloth bag. "What's this?" No one was home all day, so… where did this come from? "There's a note too." A red paper was stuck on the front with a black pin, with the same writing I had seen twice before. In the black light in Ford's journal… and the note we found written by Bill.

" ** **Wear this tomorrow, toots. You're gonna need it****."

* * *

 ** **The next update is chapter 50. A bit of a milestone in how this story has progressed. I have a special thing planned for this, featuring a group of OC's and two special guests from a project I'm working on.****

 ** **Elaine (Gravity's Fallen Angel)****

 ** **Andy/Andrea (Welcome Player 2)****

 ** **Kate (Bending Reality)****

 ** **Hope (All Else Fails: HOPE)****

 ** **I also have a new OC joining my crew. Anyone like Cuphead? Because I am the first ever official Cuphead story! Sent in the email, and they agreed to put it in! First ever!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	50. Intermission

Elaine kicked the dirt in front of the door anxiously. Why was there dirt anyway? It wasn't like they were out in the woods or anything. "Come on, people. Are we starting soon?" It was almost half an hour later than they said they were going to start. The invite said noon-it was clearly written as noon. It was one now, and still no one had opened the door. "Maybe this was a mista-"

"Is this the right place?" A young woman jogged up to her, soaked in black ink. "I was wondering if I was late."

"You are, I think. We were supposed to start at noon." Elaine glanced over at her, guessing she was a few years older than her. "Black and white, huh? Nice color scheme."

"It's more black, gray, and more black now. I'm Kate." She held out a hand, and the two shook. Elaine grimaced, watching the ink stain her palm. "Yeah, sorry about that. There's no clean running water in the building I'm in. At least, as far as I know," the newly named Kate mumbled.

The door creaked, and the two turned to see another girl poke her head out. "We… locked the door by accident, didn't we?" Elaine nodded, and the darker brunette sighed. "Sorry. I should have checked after Andy came in." Opening it fully, the gray clothed girl smiled patiently. "I'm Hope. You too must be Elaine and Kate, right?"

"Yep."

"Last time I checked."

"Come on. We're just waiting on the boss." The three walked into the office room, and two other girls were sitting around the polished wooden table. A teen in a bright blue sweater was busy shuffling through items in a brown bag, while another black haired girl drummed her fingers on the top in boredom. She stood at the most, out of everyone else. Either due to her more bored attitude, or because unlike the others, she had an actual animated cloak wrapped around her.

 _It's… how?_ Elaine stared at her in confusion. Even Gravity Falls was live action, not animated like she was used to. What was going on with her?

The frizzy haired girl looked around, sensing someone watching her, and glared at Elaine. "Something wrong?"

"Uh, no," Elaine said quickly. She moved into a seat on the other side of the table, and Kate joined her. Hope sat beside Moody, and the still silent girl spoke up from her spot on Moody's other side.

"I'm Andy. I'm the second," she smiled. "What about you two?"

"Second?" Kate asked, clear confusion written on her face.

"It means what order you came in," Hope clarified. "I'm the third. You're fourth, Nicky here is fifth, and Elaine's the first." Nicky. So that's Moody's name. "There's more of us, but sadly, they were unable to attend the meeting. Where you guys when she called you?" Called. It was… weird, when it happened. All Elaine remembered was heading up to the washroom to brush her teeth before changing into her night gown, and finding a sticky note on the mirror about a meeting.

How she ended up in some strange, blank-white dimension with a single door was beyond her.

At least she wasn't alone. Explaining her story, Kate gave a small laugh. "Better than me. I ended up here after… after Boris was kidnapped by Alice." Her cheerful demeanor dropped, and she looked down at her lap, lost in thought. "Fell unconscious after she made the elevator plummet several stories."

"That explains the head wound," Nicky noted. Elaine noticed what she was talking about, seeing a large scab on the side of her head without any proper sign of being bandaged. "Me? Ended up here while going through a plot hole. Literally, a plot hole. Idiot thought I could handle the transportation."

"Who threw you in a hole?" Kate asked, touching the wound as if she had forgotten it was there.

"Dice. Ended up making a deal with the cartoon Devil to pay him back after creating a stir in his casino, and to go on my way and find a method to get back home. You ever done anything stupid like that?" _Man, this girl is bitter._

"I made a deal with one of the most dangerous beings in the multiverse to try and get home," Elaine replied. "Ended up in a weird relationship with him instead. Possessiveness and all." The four gave her a disturbed and pitied look, and Andy grimaced.

"Gross. Looks like me and Hope have the better story out of the rest of you then." Hope nodded in agreement. "Fell down a giant hole with my unofficial-now official little sister, found out she can reset timelines, went back in time to bring me with her to the end, and… I have a half-life."

"Meaning… what exactly?" Nicky asked.

"Meaning I ripped my soul in half and gave to the spirit of a monster kid to bring him back to his goat parents." _Uh… wait._ Elaine looked at her in surprise. _She's from Undertale?_ "End of the story is me and Frisk ended up getting adopted by the goat mom, goat child is my younger brother, and I am… kinda dating a skeleton?" She blushed at the end, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Oh my… you're from Undertale?" Elaine finally blurted out.

"If that's what your dimension calls it, then yeah. Same as Hope. There's just a few minor technical differences." Andy turned to her, and Hope picked up where she left off.

"Found out about the complicated workings of how my world manipulated Undertale's. There's a lot of scientific stuff that goes over my head that I'm sure Gaster and Sans are much better at explaining, but pretty much as long as I maintain contact with their world, they can't be forced to reset by another player." Hope's cheeks turned pink for a moment, and coughed. "And despite what I think Grillby thinks, Sans and I don't like each other like Andy and her Sans are. He's just an older brother figure, and he sees me as a little sister."

"Keep telling yourself that," Andy smirked, patting her back. "You two?"

"I believe the name basic name of my dimension is Bendy and the Ink Machine," Kate stated. "I mean, I think it is. It would make a lot of sense."

"You got the ink part down pat," Nicky commented. "I'm Cuphead, according to Hope here."

"Sadly, I don't know anything about your worlds that much," Elaine looked at the black haired girls. "I think, if they are based on something in my dimension, both came out after I ended up in Gravity Falls. Do remember a trailer for Cuphead that came out months ago though, and a trailer for Bendy too."

"Looks like you're all here. Sorry I'm late, but university is a killer."

The five turned to the door, and three girls waltzed in. A girl that bore a strong resemblance to Nicky, except with boyish black hair instead of a poofy mess, a lighter gray long sleeved shirt, and several bruises on her face. A redhead with a long braid falling to her waist had her hand intertwined with the girl, wearing something out of an adventure-fantasy novel. Goggles, leather vest, and hiking boots. _Rest of her might look normal if she didn't have all… that._

The last girl, the shortest of the three, had a black hoodie that was way too large for her, and her brown hair was cut short around her shoulders. It looked nice, but it was too short for her personal tastes-wait. _Is that... are those purple streaks?_ It looked like it, but her hair was too dark to make them out clearly. "Hey, everyone. I'm Angel," she grinned, giving a small wave and making her hair bounce up and down around large brown glasses. "This here's Angie and Amber. Thought they ought to join us on this little meeting of ours."

"Don't mind us," Angie said, pulling a chair out from the table. She and Amber sat down beside Hope, and she pulled the large tray of cookies in the middle of the table towards her. _Aw, how did I miss those?_ Elaine thought, focusing more on the tray than the newcomers. "Just watching the show."

"She's a mirror copy of Nicky," Andy whispered. "It's scary."

"I am sitting right beside you, Andrea. I can hear you."

"Sorry," the auburn flushed.

"Angie and Amber are from my own personal story I'm working on," Angel explained. "They're still a work in progress."

"You do realize we're our own people though, don't you?" Amber asked. "Same as the rest of us. We're not just characters in a story. You give us life; we become our own people, and live our own lives." She laughed, lost in her own little world. "Even if the world you gave me is one that is not quite… suitable for other people."

 _Okay then._ Elaine inched her chair away from where she sat, and reached for a chocolate chip cookie. "So what exactly is the meeting about?"

"To celebrate progress," Angel said, twirling a strand of hair. "You, Elaine Milton, have reached a milestone in my eyes. 50 chapters for a first story is something else. And you're over 350 reviews too." She started clapping, and the others slowly followed suit. Elaine buried her head in her hands, blushing furiously.

"Please, guys, it's embarrassing."

"Well, it's something to celebrate!" Kate clapped her on the back, managing to bring herself out of her previous state. "I'm kind of well known too, but that's pretty impressive right there.

"Which is why I have these for you to answer." Angel slid a stack of papers over to Elaine, and she picked them up. "These are this week's reviews. Thought you ought to answer them yourself. The fans might like it. Just, uh, say the answers out loud. I can make a chapter about this later."

"Answering reviews? Um," she looked through the questions, and shrugged. "Alright. I guess I can do that. Nightmarehunter676… random gibberish to express excitement, I'm gonna guess." She looked up, and smiled. "You're going to like what's coming next. Not sure what Cipher has in store for me with that dress he smuggled into my room, but I hope it's gonna make up for everything he's put me through."

"Doubt it," Nicky coughed.

Elaine shot her a glare, and turned to the next letter. "Nina EverBlade. Well, it's not up to me whether Angel posts more or not, but I'm sure she will. Otherwise, I'm kind of stuck." She picked up the next one. "Guest reviewer-wait. Bracket-former-bracket EMObillcipher89 gives… wow, that's a big review." She scanned it over, and the girls watched her face redden considerably. "What is it with you people and shipping me with Bill? Like, I understand we're together, but it's weird to think about. Plus, you have to remember how I'm kissing him."

"At least he has lips," Andy tried to hold back her giggles. "All I have is teeth."

"Kinky," Kate added, making the girls sans Elaine and Andy erupt into laughter.

"Back onto the topic, please! Angel, what do you say about another OC to the mix?" She asked, turning her head to the short boss.

"Well, it is a little late to add another OC to the gang. But we-meaning me- do take cameo appearances. If she wishes, I might be able to sneak them into Northwest Manor Mystery, sort of like I did for StoriesUnleashed in Gift Shop of Horrors."

"There we go then. RainbowCelin, you are correct about feeling suspicious around Bill. Honestly, even if I'm kinda buddy-buddy with him now, that doesn't change the fact I'm trying to throw off his plans for down the road."

"JDMichelle2626, I'm sure Angel will keep up the story. Galinn… okay, this is a fun review." She grinned at Angel. "Apparently, she's read every chapter, every paragraph, every sentence, every word, and every letter of this story."

"Fun," Angel said, taking a bite from her own cookie.

"DannyPhantom619: thank you. And lastly, 1-18-9-5-19. Oh, my gosh. This review really hits home. I am so torn between my family where I'm from, and the Pines'. I love everyone here, even Bill… kind of, and I don't really know what to do at this point. I think my friends are starting to catch the drift of my worry, but I can't tell them everything. Not while Ford's still in the portal. Once he comes out, and once he tells Dipper about his old friendship with Bill… then I'll do it."

"You better. If I've learned anything from my time in the studio, is that secrets lead to dangerous consequences. Hmm." Kate paused for a moment to think. "Make a note to give Bendy a painful reminder of that when I get back."

"Was there anything else we wanted to do while we were all gathered together?" Angie asked.

"What was it… oh, I had a few words to say. First off, I'd like to say thank you. This is basically my gift to the Gravity Falls fandom, for bringing me on such an amazing journey. I'd like to thank every single one of you viewers, followers, basically everyone for reading this story. Thanks to old and new friends for helping me come up with story ideas when I was stuck, and giving me the courage to post stuff I'd never even think of writing before.

Thanks to RillFipher and the core of justice for giving me use of Kat, Asger, and Axel. Asger helped change this story in a very interesting way, even if I wasn't on board with the dragon at first, I loved how he played into the role of confidant and friend of Elaine." Angel nodded, smiling. "Really, everyone, thank you for everything."

The girls applauded, and even Nicky managed to smile at the scene. "Life is changing, isn't it?"

"Yes," Hope said, and wrapped an arm around her. "But this moment isn't." A familiar ringtone began playing in the room, and Angel pulled out her phone. "Is that-?"

"The Annoying Dog. Don't judge me." Angel read the message, and sighed. "I got homework I need to get done, and Angie and Amber have to go help me. I'll let you five wrap this up." Standing from her seat, she headed for the exit. "Just leave the room, and you'll awaken where you last were before ending up here. Sadly, you all won't remember this meeting."

"Because of how much we're breaking the fourth wall?" Kate grinned. "Not like that's anything new for me." That earned a laugh from the boss, and she opened the door.

"It was nice meeting all of you," Amber waved. "If you like, maybe Angel will post a rough version of the chapter if it's done in time."

"After it's submitted," Angie put her down. "She can't get in trouble with the copyright people at her school, remember?"

"Spoilsport." They vanished through the door, and it closed behind them. The five turned to each other, looking for someone to speak first. Was that it? Was the meeting really over now?

"Well… I guess that's it," Andy finally broke the silence. "I haven't made an appearance since April. It, uh, feels nice to be remembered."

"It does, doesn't it?" Hope stood up, stretching her back. "I know I'll return in the future. While boss says I won't have a sequel, I might appear in some other project in the future. Maybe you'll have something too." Andy stood up, and they smiled at the other girls. "For now, we have some friends we need to go see. Bone boy's waiting for me."

"Hehe. Bone boy. Frisk would die laughing if I started calling my Sans that," Andy giggled. They walked towards the door, and waved back at them. "Nice meeting all of you."

"Then there was three," Kate said, watching them vanish into the white void. "I guess it's-"

"Me." Nicky stood up, and flipped up the hood of the cartoon cloak. "I have a job to do. Whether or not it will work, heh, who knows. But the brothers are waiting for me." Moving to the door, she smirked back at Kate and Elaine. "Seeing how our games are both rubber hose animation, maybe we'll bump into each other down the road." With a mocking salute, Nicky left the room.

"That'd be nice." The two stood up, and Kate took one last bite from her cookie. "It's a shame. This is the first time I've seen light and smiling faces since I ended up in the studio." She sighed, and Elaine rested a hand on her shoulder. "I hope I can save him."

"I'm sure you'll rescue Boris. After all, you've got to have some help in there with you, right? Alice is gonna have to mess with you if you think you're going down without a fight." Kate nodded, and quickly hugged the younger teen. "You'll be alright," Elaine continued into her ink stained vest, trying to avoid having the clothing enter her mouth.

"Thank you." Stepping back, she grinned forcefully. "Elaine, good luck… you're gonna need it." Before Elaine could ask what she meant, Kate slipped through the door.

"And then there's me." Looking around, Elaine sighed. "What did she mean by 'good luck'?" It didn't matter. The summer was almost three-fourths over. She'd fine out soon enough enough. "Time to head out into the unknown." She moved to the door, and went to grab the knob, only to pause at the last minute. "By the way…" Elaine looked behind her, and grinned softly. "I agree with her completely. Thank you all, for helping me though this journey. I wouldn't have gotten this far without your help." She opened the door, letting the bright light move in, overtaking the office. Holding out her hand, she continued to smile. "Now, are you just going to keep standing there, or are we going to get this mission of mine done?"

* * *

 **Northwest Manor Mystery shall come in due time, I just have some work to do. But there is no long break this time, mark my words… typing.**

 **Thanks for helping us reach this point, everyone.**

 **Angel**

 **Edited: Oct. 11/18**

* * *

"This is it." Two girls walked into the room, looking around in confusion. A young woman in her twenties with teal hair in medieval clothes gave a long sigh, and slapped a hand to her forehead. "We've missed it, didn't we?"

The silvery haired Gem nodded in understanding. Patting her shoulder, the snowflake obsidian smiled softly. "Maybe we'll get them next time, Astralia."

"That's what you keep saying, but it hasn't happened yet, Dia." Astralia groaned, and reopened the door. "C'mon." She exhaled sharply, and stepped back out. "There's always the next meeting."


	51. Northwest Mansion Mystery Part 1

****Disclaimer: This is a pretty interesting episode. Not sure why I'm about to have it go like this, but this idea got stuck in my head back in spring, and I wanted to go through with it. Y'know, Bill taking Elaine somewhere.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: You're welcome! Thanks for the review!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Had a feeling people might like how I answered the reviews in the chapter.****

 ** **Kain Vixenheim: Sorry. Probably should have mentioned there might have been spoilers to my other stories. Plus, HOPE was done a while ago, I never thought of it. I was more concerned for Bendy.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Good question. Elaine, Andy, Hope, Kate, and Nicky are all from stories that are posted on here. The two girls you saw at the end of the chapter are from stories I haven't even written yet. The gem one might not happen, but the other girl shall return once GFA is almost over. Angie and Amber are from my creative writing final project.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: It is a mystery.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): You're welcome. It's hard to believe how far we've come. I'm thinking of writing a special chapter (like the drunk Bill thing) for our one year anniversary. Be on the watch when December rolls around!****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks!****

 ** **Galinn: I read every review that comes in, and I respond to each of them too. What better way to answer yours than putting it alongside the rest for Elaine to answer?****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Seeing how you first were introduced to Andy before meeting everyone else, I can agree with you.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings (again): I'm glad you liked my little thank-you chapter.****

 ** **I own Elaine, Kat belongs to RillFipher, and Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Sept. 27/18**

* * *

3rd POV

"What do you think, Asger?" Pacifica walked over to her cousin, seeing him trying to adjust the bow tie around his neck. "Pretty great, isn't it?" She gave a twirl in the dress, and he smiled down at her. The moment she was happy with her dress, and her makeup was applied, she had taken to her cousin's room to see how he was doing. And he was… not doing so well. It appeared as if he was wrestling with his tie.

"It's, ugh, great!" He choked for a second, before finally giving up on the piece of clothing altogether. He stared unhappily at his reflection in the mirror above his dresser, hair slicked down with zero bangs in sight. "Man, I hate wearing this monkey suit. Should've asked Wendy and the girls if they wanted to go bowling or something." Leaving the top button undone, they headed to the door and made their way to the main hall. Preston and Priscilla were setting up for the party, not noticing the children entering until Priscilla turned around.

"Pacifica!" The elder female Northwest shouted. Pacifica curtsied, smiling. She did look rather lovely tonight, didn't she? As far as she could see. However, it faded instantly as her mother stormed up to her, scowling. "What did I tell you about that dress? The theme is sea foam green, not lake foam green! Go change!"

"But, I-I kinda like it," Pacifica stammered, moving back. Theme? No one else was going to notice. Heck, she didn't even notice when she put it on.

"Mind your mother, Pacifica," Preston warned.

"But-" Preston pulled out a bell, ringing it with the handle in between his fingers. Pacifica winced, before sighing with a solemn nod. "Yes, father." Asger rested a hand on her shoulder, glaring at his aunt and uncle as she turned to head back upstairs. He was sick of this. Sick of it! How many times this summer, ever since Pacifica had started breaking out of her shell with Mabel's help, had she been forced to 'recondition' with that object? _I am going to tell my parents, uncle. If this doesn't change, I will do something about it._ He'd put up with it for long enough. This summer… things were going to change. As that as his last thought, he headed after her, only for the entire floor to begin shaking. Slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed. The items scattered on the table, forks, plates, and candles, lifted into the air, and began flying around the room.

"Hit the deck!" Asger grabbed Pacifica off the steps, and dove behind one of the pillars in the room. Preston and Priscilla hid under the table, while the servants scattered out of the room. "Pacifica, um, how good of a mystery hunter do you think Dipper is!?"

"You think he can fix this!?" She shouted, ducking as a plate soared past her head.

"Got any other ideas!?"

Elaine's POV

"So he just dropped this off while you were gone?" Wendy asked. She, Kat, and I were up in my shared room, while Grenda, Candy, and Mabel were ambushing Dipper for the TV. "How'd he even do that?"

"I don't know. But he has a habit of making random things appear. Where do you think my journal came from?" I held up the blue book, having the light bounce off the angel wings on the cover. "I haven't looked it over yet. But I should probably try it on soon." _Does he even know my size?_

"He helps you when you're upset, gives you gifts," Kat tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "He seems to really care about you, huh?"

"He does, yeah. But it's hard to understand if that's a good thing or not." Personally, I liked to see it as a good thing. It would make my mission go so much easier. _"_ He's evil, yeah, but… I wonder if it's possible to-"

"Dude, no offense, but you can't change someone like that," Wendy cut me off. "It's best to just stop, and do as little as you can in your deal to avoid hanging around him." A loud knocking came from downstairs, and we looked at each other. "I thought everyone was here?"

"Guys, Asger's here!" Mabel cried. The three of us got up, and went over to the stairs. Dipper, Pacifica, and Asger were standing in the entry way, and the teen gave a wave.

"Evening, everyone. Hey, Wendy," he smiled at his girlfriend.

"Sup, Asger." Wendy led the way downstairs, and the rest of the girls in the room walked over. "What brings you two here?"

"We have an emergency," Pacifica said, taking off the sunglasses from her face. Her hair was held back with a purple scarf, and they were both wearing brown coats. "There's something haunting Northwest Manor. If you don't help me, the party could be ruined!"

"And why should we help you?" Dipper asked. "Wouldn't think the Northwest family would be desperate enough to come to a commoner for aid." __At least he didn't mention the humiliation thing.__ She had improved a lot since I first met her, and I admired that.

"Dad didn't know who else to get at such short notice. Please, Dipper. I need yours and Elaine's help!" Pacifica pleaded. Dipper turned around, looking at the rest of us for an opinion. _Oh, so I guess I'm an expert too?_

"I think we should do it," I said. "But if we're going to, we need five tickets to the party."

"Five?" Kat repeated.

"You, Wendy, Mabel, Candy, and Grenda. If we're doing this, then we're all going in together." The three girls giggled in excitement, while Wendy looked at Asger.

"Don't expect me to wear a dress often, okay?" She warned him, but a sly smile still hung in place.

"Didn't expect nothing less. Deal." Reaching into his own jacket, he pulled out five envelops with diamond seals.

"Grenda, get the glue guns. We're making dresses!" Mabel cheered. Pacifica smiled, and turned to Dipper.

"We'll come to pick you up in three hours in the limo. See you then." She and Asger exited the Mystery Shack, but not before Asger kissed Wendy on the cheek.

"See you, Wendy," he exited the room, leaving a smiling redhead behind. Wendy blinked, and noticed the others were staring at her. Dipper seemed a little annoyed, while me and everyone other girl was grinning mischievously.

"Shipping!" Kat sang, making me snort into my hands. Wendy groaned, and shoved the blue haired girl playfully.

"I hate you, dorks. You know that, right?"

"Lies!" I sang, rocking on my heels. "Love, love, love!"

Good lord, I WAS turning into Mabel… oh well.

(Time Skip)

I stared back at my reflection, stunned. Actually… stunned.

Bill Cipher was not one for luxuries, I had thought. Guy knew nothing about women, I could tell you that. I only thought he knew more about other high class stuff, giving the decor of his master suite/study. If he did give me something in terms of clothing, then it should've been expected to be frilly and showy. _What can I say? Guy likes to make an entrance._ But MAN! Was this dress good taste, or what!?

The black and yellow scheme reminded me of a fan's version of Bill in a tux. The color was split into two parts. The top was sleeveless, and fit around my chest comfortably. Black ruffled, with a silk black bow around the middle and tied in the back. From the waist down was a dark golden yellow with a lighter see-through fabric over it patterned with triangles. Overall, it went down to just above my knees, with a pair of black flats inside the bag too.

"Oh, this is gonna be good." I twirled in front of the mirror, having the dress puff up at the motion. My hair was pulled out of its ponytail, and I chose not to put it up like I had done for the concert and parties. Borrowing Mabel's curling iron that I had used on Wendy, I had done curls falling around my face. To finish my outfit off, I had applied lip gloss, and painting my nails black to match my outfit. _Dipper is gonna flip when he sees this. I look like a brunette female Cipher._

"Actually, that might have been what he was aiming for." My grin slipped at the idea. Whatever he planed on doing tonight, he'd have to get me at the mansion.

"Elaine, the limo's here!" Kat called. "Time to hustle your bustle!"

"I've really been rubbing off on her." _Only I say those weird phrases._ What happened to the quiet girl from the party? "Coming!" Opening the bathroom door, I headed to the stairs. Dipper, to my surprise, was in a tux already. It was a little like the one Bipper wore, except the coat was shorter, and he was wearing a bow tie. Asger was in one too, but he wasn't wearing a tie like the younger boy. Mabel, Candy, and Grenda were already in their dresses, resembling the ones I saw from my world. Kat's hair was in a braid falling over her shoulder, and she wore a jade green dress with one strap over her right shoulder. Wendy, to my amusement, had a flannel dress. It was autumn colored with short sleeves, matching her red hair quite nicely. She didn't do much to change the style, except it looked as if it was straightened. "Well, how do I look?" I jumped off the last step, and grinned as Dipper managed a blush and an annoyed glare at the same time.

"Yellow and black? Is this his idea?" He asked, somewhat bitterly at the end.

"Yep. Apparently, we're doing something tonight that involves me dressing up. Just a warning, in case I have to leave early." Heading into the limo, we began the drive up to the mansion on the hill. "Hey, Pacifica. Nice dress. That shade of purple looks nice on you."

The blonde wore a dark shade, with magenta gloves, a black shawl, and royal purple ruffles at the bottom. "It was my idea. I'm trying my best to change my… my style."

"Pacifica, it's okay to say the truth," Asger said. "Her mom was trying to enforce her to wear a certain shade of green."

"And you chose purple instead?" Dipper asked. She went completely opposite of what her mother wanted. "Is she mad?"

"Furious. But we left before she and my dad could say anything about it," she answered. "I guess you guys realize by now how… controlling, my parents can get." Dipper patted her shoulder, and smiled apologetically.

"It's not your fault. Haven't you tried to stop it?"

"We've tried," Asger answered for her. "But they don't listen. I've made a point in trying to speak about it, ever since they found out I'd been bringing her out to visit Mabel, but nothing's been working. It'd have to take a miracle for them to change their minds. And… we're here." He looked out the window, seeing them pull through the gates and stop in front of the door.

"Welcome to Northwest Manor, dorks." Pacifica announced, guiding them into the hall as the servants opened the doors. "Try not to touch anything." Mabel, Candy, and Grenda had already run off, leaving me with Dipper, her, and the teens.

"I'll take Wendy and Kat," Asger said. "Be careful, you three. This ghost means business." Wrapping his arm around Wendy's waist, he took the two away. Kat skipped along behind them, giggling.

"She's way too into that," Dipper frowned.

"You think this is bad? Wendy told me that Kat was watching them from a tree when they returned from their first date," I commented.

"Ah, if it isn't the man and woman of the hour!" Preston walked over to us, not even sensing the dislike we held for him. "Hopefully you can help us with our little… situation, before the guests arrive in an hour."

"We'll do our best," Dipper responded calmly, fixing the bag on his back.

"Splendid! Pacifica, take our guests to the 'problem room'." Nodding, Pacifica took the lead in leading us through the manor, and I took the time to look around. I hated her family, I do, but this place really was beautiful. The wood was well polished, and intricate patterns of rugs and old paintings hung everywhere of her family's success. Small tassels hung from the golden framed artwork. __I have to visit Asger more often. Wait a second.__

If I was at the manor… where was Axel?

"Hey, Pacifica?" We walked down a hallway, heading towards the door at the end. "Where's the dragon?"

"Hiding. As much as Axel's protective, she can't really stay inside the house. Mom and dad don't know about her, for obvious reasons. They barely let me keep my chicken. Imagine them finding out about a fire breathing lizard!" _So she did keep the chicken, after all._ She opened the door, and we entered the room in question. __Yikes.__ A hunter's room, no doubt. Stuffed animal heads were mounted all over the walls, paintings, and dark wooden furniture. The room was lit up by the fireplace, giving everything a dark reddish glow. "This is the main room where it's been happening."

"Yep, this looks like the kind of room that would be haunted," Dipper agreed. "I wouldn't worry about it, though. Ghosts fall on a ten-category scale. Floating plates sound like a Category 1." He held up the journal to show her the pages.

"So, how does that help us, exactly?" Pacifica asked, holding her shawl tighter to herself.

"Yeah, Dippin' Dots. This place is creeping me out. And I'm buddies with a dream demon," I added.

"Shh! I'm picking something up." Pulling out a EMF detector, Dipper began walking around the room, making the beeping direct him towards the painting of a lumberjack over the fireplace. "C'mon, stupid thing." The device lost its signal for a moment, and he had to tap it a few times to get it working again. "There we go." Looking up at the painting, Dipper gasped as the man in the picture had vanished. "Uh, Pacifica?"

"Aah!" Pacifica screamed. We turned around, seeing blood began to drip from above. The stuffed heads' mouths began to swell with blood, flowing onto the floor as the fireplace burst out at us, threatening to set us ablaze.

"ANCIENT SINS. ANCIENT SINS. ANCIENTS SINS," the heads chanted. Books, furniture, and medieval weapons flew around us, trapping us in a circle as the chandelier above our heads began to crackle dangerously.

"Dipper, what's happening!?" I screeched.

"It's a Category 10," he murmured. The bottle of anointed water he had brought along with him burst in his hand, making the three of us scream once again. Pacifica latched on Dipper's arm in a panic, while I held the two close to me.

"ANCIENT BLOOD AND BLACKENED SKIES. THE FOREST DARK SHALL ONCE MORE RISE." _And now the blood is pouring out of their eyes, oh, this is just PERFECT!_

"What do we do, what do we do!?" Pacifica yelled, shaking Dipper by the jacket.

"Don't worry. It can't get any worse than this!" _WHY DID YOU HAVE TO SAY THAT!?_ The flames erupted again, and a burning hand of a skeleton emerged, followed by the rest of it. Shrieking, I grabbed the kids and dove under the table. As it came out of the fire, a body began to form around it, but left the hole open in its chest, and the large ax embedded in its head.

Him. It was a him, now that there an actual body to identify with. "I smell… A NORTHWEST!" A blue flaming beard burst from his face, and I flinched at the empty socket where his left eye was supposed to be. Oh, I am so very glad I was hated the idea of Bill having a human form, or else I'd see something like that all the time. A large double-bladed ax appeared in his hand, and he began to drag it around the room. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"

"Dipper, for all that is holy, find something in that journal already!" I whispered to him.

"I'm looking! Don't rush me! Alright here we go. Advice." He brought out that stupidly large black light to check, and I slapped a hand to my forehead as the advice Ford deemed worthy. How did praying for mercy work!? "Aw, seriously!?"

The table chose that moment to float away from us, revealing our hiding place. "YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE COME HERE!" Screaming, we dodged the ax as it landed where Pacifica just stood, splintering the wooden floor.

"This way! Hurry!" Picking up her dress, we booked it through the mansion, having the ghost chase after us. As the building itself was so huge, we had to let Pacifica take the lead. We didn't know where we were going. But what we did know was that the monster was right behind us, judging from the sound of crashing objects being knocked over on the tables. "Hurry! Through the garden!" We passed through a set pf marble pillars, with vines growing upwards on them and purple flowers scattered everywhere. Small shrubs in decorative pots lined the sides, and cobblestone walkways led to both doors behind and in front of us. "Watch out for peacocks!" I winced as Dipper accidentally knocked one over, head still down in the journal before reentering the house.

"Come on, come on-I got it! Haunting paintings can only be trapped in a silver mirror." He looked up, and pointed down the hall at a large mirror. The room itself was primarily in whites, creams, and grays. Curtains hung on the sides, showing that it could also be used for private meetings. "Look! There's a silver mirror right there!" Just as we were about to enter the room, Pacifica grabbed our hands, pulling us back as our feet were inches from entering the room.

"Wait! Don't go in there! This room has my parents' favorite carpet pattern! They'll lose it if we track mud in there!" She cried in alarm.

"What!? Are you serious!?" Dipper tried to force himself in, but the girl wouldn't let him.

"We'll find another way!"

"Come out!" I heard the ghost call.

"Pacifica, we don't have time for this! Let me through!" Dipper cried.

"No, my parents will kill me!" She yelled back. The two tugged on the journal, trying to stop the other one from moving.

"Why are you so afraid of your parents!"

"You wouldn't understand!" Her voice cracked at the end, from fear and desperation. Stumbling backwards, she tripped and sent the three of us falling through a painting and into a dusty and dark storage room. Getting up off the two, I brushed my hair out of my face.

"Where are we, Pacifica?" I asked, giving a small cough from the dust around me.

"That's weird. I don't even know where this room is," she said. Standing up, she walked around curiously. A lot of items were stored in there, covered in drapes and packed into boxes neatly stacked on top of each other.

"Hopefully the ghost doesn't either," Dipper added.

"Yeah, maybe we're safe." I turned around, and shrieked in alarm as the sheet seemed to come alive behind her, reaching out to swallow her whole.

"PACIFICA!"

"Aaaah!" She ran towards me, and I dragged her close to my side. We took off through the secret room, only for my foot to catch on a loose floorboard, sending us crashing to the ground and knocking over a box of silverware behind us. Rolling around to sit up, I found myself face to face with the massive ax, the ghost ready to bring it down on our heads. Pacifica was absolutely shaking, and I pulled her into my arms and shut my eyes. _Hurry, Dipper! Please!_

"PREPARE TO DIE, NORTHWEST!" As he charged, I buried the girl's face into my shoulder, bracing for impact. Dipper though, apparently finding that mirror he was looking for, dove in front of us and it held up in the ghost's direction. The momentum of the spirit entering the mirror knocked the three of us backwards, crashing through a window and being entangled in a drape. Tumbling down a small hill into another garden, I pulled the drape off of us, and Pacifica looked at Dipper.

"Please tell me you got him." Dipper held up the mirror, and we watched the ghost furiously pound the interior, trying to break free.

"Ha ha! Yes!" We cheered. "We did it!" Pacifica launched herself at Dipper, hugging him tightly. Dipper gave me a shocked look, a faint blush on his face. __They'd make a cute couple… I'm shipping them.__ Giggling, I watched Pacifica realize what she was doing, and backed off of him awkwardly. Looking to the side, she pulled out a dollar bill and held it out. "Can I pay you to pretend that never happened?"

"Hey, it's better than me," I laughed. Dipper's blush increased, and I patted him on the shoulder. "Or Wendy." Brushing off the dirt on my dress, I grinned at the kids. "Best we go tell your parents, Pacifica. Something tells me my ride's going to be here soon."

"He's not going to tell you what you're doing?" Dipper asked. We began to head back through the mansion through a door on the side of the garden, and I shook my head.

"Something involving a dress. Either a dinner, or a dance, perhaps. You'd be surprised. For someone who has spindly little legs, and never touches the ground, he's a pretty good dancer," I admitted. "Would you two like to see him when I head off?"

"I wouldn't mind," Pacifica said. "I sort of want to know what you and Dipper got pulled into."

We continued walking, and the suggestion I made about her seeing Bill… got me thinking. How they all thought Bill was using me, when they didn't know the full extent of our partnership. It made me wonder… how much were her parents using her? "Hey, Pacifica? Can I… ask you something?" I had to know. If this messed up what was about to happen, so be it. "Asger, he… told me what happened, when he got here at the start of the summer? The curse?" Halting, she whirled around to look at me. We were still in the hall, but no one was around to here us. _Here goes nothing._ "Dipper, it's probably a good idea for you to know this too. Asger, he's... he's also involved with Bill."

"He's what!?" The two exclaimed. They looked at each other, shocked they said the same thing, but for different reasons. Dipper for he knew Bill's nature, and Pacifica because he was her cousin. "Elaine, why did he-what did he do!?" Dipper asked.

I was hesitant to to say something about my friend, but I couldn't go back now. All I could hope was that Dipper wouldn't hate the older boy at the end of this. "He was threatened into it, guys. I found out after the gremloblin incident. Before Bill made my deal, he went to Asger and had him as a… a watchdog for the anomaly in the town. The thing he wasn't expecting. He was to keep an eye on me when he couldn't. This happened before Bill came to me, on the night I arrived in Gravity Falls. He did it because… Bill threatened Pacifica that she would be harmed during tonight's events. He promised her safety." I growled, and gripped my dress at my sides in tightened fists. "He lied."

"Tonight's… how'd Asger know this was going to happen?" Dipper asked suspiciously, still trying to piece everything together.

"… Dipper," Pacifica spoke up, making us turn to her this time. Besides that little outburst at the start, she had remained silent. Was she thinking about what to say, or was she scared about what we would think about her? "I'm so sorry. What's happening tonight… it's all my family's fault. Years ago, we did something horrible, and my ancestors were the cause of so many deaths." Tears prickled in her eyes, and I was surprised. Was I avoiding the entire confrontation by speaking up? "We were cursed, that on this day, that ghost would return, and harm the entire Northwest family. Dipper, I-I wanted to tell you earlier, but my parents forbade me!"

"They knew this ghostly justice was coming, and they got you to trick me into helping them?" His face darkened, and I saw his grip on the mirror's handle increase. "Elaine, why didn't you say something earlier?"

"Excuse me, but I was having my own crisis at the moment. You know, interdimensional travel and already working with Bill? Bottom line, Asger and Pacifica have been played for fools." I rested a hand on her shoulder, and Pacifica looked up at me. "You're not as bad as your family, Pacifica." She wiped the running mascara off her face, and gave a smile. It was clearly forced, but I appreciated the effort. "Now, as much as I don't want to leave an angry triangle waiting. How about we go talk to your parents, huh?"

Together, we stormed down the stairs to where Preston and Priscilla were. I could see Kat, Asger, and Wendy off to the side, chatting. Sensing our arrival, or just hearing our footsteps, the three looked over at us. Pressing a finger to my lips, I pointed to the adults. Asger's eyes widened, and I think he mouthed me good luck. __Oh, we're gonna need it__ _ _too.__

"Northwest!" Dipper yelled. Preston turned to face us, after ushering one of the servants away with a tray of cocktails. "You've got some explaining to do!"

"How dare you trick your own nephew and daughter into playing us!" I shouted, holding Pacifica close to me. I knew about the bell, but with how terrified she was, I couldn't help but wonder if there something more to it. How much did they try to make her into the 'perfect Northwest'? "All you had to do was let in the townsfolk, but instead you used us for your dirty work! The blood of dozens of innocent lives has stained your ungrateful name!"

Preston walked over to us, sitting down a glass on a passing butler's tray. Thank goodness Mabel and the other girls weren't there to see this, seeing Dipper and myself fighting for Pacifica's sake. The teens though? Kat looked confused and nervous, Wendy looked mortified, and Asger looked as if he was close to tackling his uncle. "Look at who you're talking to, kids. I'm hosting a party for the most powerful people in the world. You think they'd come here if they had to rub elbows with your kind?"

"My kind? Says the family of mud flappers," Dipper retorted. "What kind of parent uses their own child? No wonder she only trusts Elaine and Asger." As much as I'd like to argue with that, he was right. While she had her flaws, Pacifica was almost as close to me as Mabel was. _I wish you came to me when it got worse, kid. I told you when we were done golfing I was there to listen if you needed it._

Preston looked down at his daughter, and I felt her shtruggle to look up at him. "Hmm! Pacifica, we shall deal with this… behavior, after the party." __Oh no.__ Gulping, she nodded, head quickly falling downwards again. "Enjoy the party! It's the last time you and your kind will ever come." Standing upright, he shot a look over at Kat and Wendy. Asger tightened his hold around Wendy's waist, daring him to try something.

"You just told off Preston Northwest, are you insane!?" Wendy said as she and the others dashed over the moment he walked away.

"He was back talking everyone he didn't deem decent in his eyes. You'd be thankful I didn't go any further than that. Are you alright, kid?" Pacifica shook her head, and Asger sighed painfully.

"This could have gone so much better. Did you mention-?"

"Elaine told us about your deal," Dipper cut him off. Kat winced, remembering finding him with Bill in the woods. Wendy turned to look at her boyfriend, and he flinched. "We-I… understand why you had to do it. Same as Elaine, right?"

"Wanted to protect my family. I had no choice." The six of us looked pretty pathetic, I can tell you that much. "You got that ghost still?" Dipper gestured to the mirror in his hand, and Asger nodded. "How about we all step outside for a moment? Try and clear our heads."

It was quiet as we all headed back out into the peacock garden. We all sat down on two stone benches close to each other, listening to the birds chirping, and the music and chatter above our heads. "Thanks, Elaine." Pacifica said. The teens sat on one bench, while Pacifica and Dipper were on either side of me. "You didn't have to do that."

"Well, someone had to do something. You're not a bad kid, Pacifica. You just need some guidance. Hehe. I bet Dippin' Dots would love to do that, huh? Huh?" Blushing, Dipper shoved me in retaliation, while I continued my teasing. "C'mon, Dipper. Admit it, you like her!" Pacifica immediately blushed at that, and Asger began laughing too.

"I'd approve," he voiced.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't my three puppets, all in one place!" The garden turned to gray, and Bill flashed into the area in front of us. The demon himself was perched on the edge of the room, studying us. His eye gazed over me, and with a summoned cane in hand, pointed it at me after twirling it around for a moment. "Looking good, Angel! Yellow and black looks swell on you!"

"I'm more of a black and blue, but alright." _And I don't mean bruises._ Bill switched from me and turned his attention to Asger, eager to taunt him on the day his deal was at its strongest.

"Tell me, Drake, how's that deal of yours going?" He asked, twirling his cane.

"Pacifica was almost killed tonight! You said she'd be safe!" He lashed out. Kat and Wendy held his arms, trying to make sure he didn't do something stupid. No way did we need another fight with Bill already.

"What do you mean? Llama's still breathing, isn't she?" Bill taunted him, poking him in the chest with the cane. "Angel here kept her safe and sound. Little banged up, but I did say she'd be safe. And since your friend there works with me, I fulfilled my end of the deal!"

"… there's no use arguing," Asger relented with a heavy sigh. "You're right, in your weird twisted logic." He was right. Maybe not in the way Bill planned on keeping that deal, but because of my partnership with him, he did keep Pacifica safe. Wendy patted his shoulder, trying to ease him back into regular stress levels. "You're here for her, not me."

"Where are you taking Elaine?" Dipper asked, his hand grabbing mine. "You wouldn't give her a dress for nothing."

"Just something called It Doesn't Concern You!" Bill mocked. He glared at where we were touching, and I gently slipped my hand out of Dipper's, to his disappointment. I wasn't scared for myself, but rather Bill would do to Dipper if I remained there. "What I do with Angel is none your business. Ready to go, kid?" Standing up from my seat, I moved over beside him, but not before casting a look back at Dipper. _I got this, kid._ Though, it seemed he didn't think so. "I'm certain your pals here will move your body to a suitable location until we return."

"I'm sure they will." I wasn't going to be there for when the ghost was freed. I wouldn't be there for that fight, and with… Dipper turning to wood. But I trusted Pacifica. I had friends there that would do the right thing. Asger, I guess, would also count, since he was her cousin. Besides, with all she's been doing so far this summer, she's broken more out of her bonds then she actually thinks. "Dipper, whatever you do, don't let that ghost harm anybody." I should probably say something else too.

"I'll try. Have… fun." He hated I was doing this, but I was interested in seeing what Bill had in store. Besides, it wasn't the first time I did something he didn't like.

A portal appeared beside me at the sound of Bill snapping his fingers, and before I could respond to him, Bill pushed me into the vortex. "Trust me, Pine Tree," Bill's voice echoed behind me. I barely was able to look back before my vision went white, and could just make out the saddened look on Dipper's face holding my physical body in the real world. "We'll gonna have a GREAT time!"

* * *

 ** **This just went west of canon at the end here, didn't it?****

 ** **I have this weird idea… Ford, down the road, tells Dipper and Elaine the story he went on a rant about combustible lemons. If anyone has seen the animatics from YouTube, you'd understand why this is funny. It's silly. It makes me giggle. I feel like I should include combustible lemons burning down a house in a chapter at some point.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	52. Northwest Mansion Mystery Part 2

****Disclaimer: Welcome to what I can call the halfway point of season 2! Be ready for adventure, romance, BLOODSHED!****

… ****too much Mettaton. Sorry!****

 ** **Anyway, before I get on with the story, I'm wondering if any of you heard about net neutrality. Apparently, if it falls through with this vote coming up in December, it's gonna affect a lot of sites. I have no clue how much this is going to affect Canada, but it's going to get bad for America first. I am not very fond of the idea of paying for YouTube.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Good lord, WHY did it sound like I was talking character lemons!? I meant Cave Johnson!****

 ** **Nina Everblade: I didn't think You'll Be Back was so horrible. But yeah, this is gonna be bad.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Personally, I believe Preston deserved what Bill did to his face in Weirdmageddon. Yes, it is a reference. It's too good to not use it. Kind of like how Rick and Morty intertwines with Gravity Falls.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks!****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: You're welcome.****

 ** **JDMichelle2626: Thank you!****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: No one is making out with anyone. Wouldn't you want to yell at the Northwest family for all they've done to Pacifica?****

 ** **1-18-9-5-19: I was inspired by an old dress of mine for Elaine's, of course I changed the colors though. Black and yellow match Bill perfectly. Dipper and Pacifica are cute together, aren't they?****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I'M GONNA BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, WITH THE LEMONS!****

 ** **Guest ((former)EMObillcipher89): LEMONS! I never planned on doing any song requests and stuff like that. If any song appears down the road might be bar-related songs. Sort of a sequel to what happened during that party with the demons. This time though, it'll be Elaine singing.****

 ** **Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, Kat belongs to RillFipher, and I own Elaine and a special guest.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 ** _ **Bill speaking**_**

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited: Sept. 29/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Flying out of the portal could've gone a whole lot better. I'd done it several times before, but at least I went on my own will. Having Bill push me through without a second thought… yeah, that had to stop.

Standing up in the dark red cavern I found myself in, I could see pale light ahead of me, further in a partially open door. "Where are we, Cipher?" Bill floated next to me, adjusting his tie. Torches hung on the walls, and banners were draped about displaying an insignia I wasn't familiar with. "And why is it so hot in here?"

"Welcome to the Lucitor Kingdom, Angel. Located in scenic Underworld of the Mewni dimension," he 'grinned'. __I-I'm sorry, what!? Did he just say what I think he said!?__ My face must've shown my shocked surprise, as he started laughing loudly. "Ah ha ha ha! Wow, Angel. You must've already seen this place before, haven't you? Your face is hilarious!"

"Underw-Mewni!? We're at the Blood Moon Ball!?" I looked around, starting to recognize the entrance to the castle's ballroom. I'd watched a fair bit of Star vs the Forces of Evil back home, and I'd seen theories of the show existing in the same multiverse as Gravity Falls. The same goes for Rick and Morty too, but I never really got into that show. "I-I've seen this world back home, but I didn't know it was real too!"

Bill chuckled, and patted my head. "Shall we, my doll?" __Doll?__ I scrunched up my face at that nickname. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he led the way through the door. There were several dozen different demons and monsters in formal clothes, but none of them rivaled what I was used to in the Nightmare Realm. They were much more tone in comparison, but their species was still clear. Doubted I'd ever get a chance to do this again, visiting a dimension like this one, so I better make the best of-OH MY GOSH! WHAT THE HECK!?

I shivered, and ended up clinging to Bill as two people ****walked straight**** ** **through us.****

"B-Bill?" I whispered, trying to stop myself from collapsing. "What was… that?"

"Oh. Did I forget to mention that you don't exist in other dimensions, basically existing in a state similar to me?" Yes! He did forgot to mention that! "Only your mental state travels, Angel. Thought you'd figure that out already?" I pulled away from him, glaring and trying to make sense of that logic drop.

"I-I did, but everything seemed so real! Pyronica and the others can see me!" I defended. "How come no one else here see us!?"

"Because the rules of mydomain bend differently than the rules of other dimensions. Each place has its own rules and physics, and mine isn't bound by any. You remember how I said time didn't exist there, and it was fated to destroy itself, right?" Bill moved forward, and I walked alongside him. "Welcome to the world of the Mindscape. Just because no one here can see you, doesn't mean you can't have any fun."

"You mean we can't have any fun," I corrected him, frowning.

Bill 'smirked', and released me from his hold. "Why don't you go have a look around? I'll let you get yourself sorted out before we chat more."

I walked through the ballroom, seeing I no choice. "The floor's… pink." I grimaced as the liquid seemed to stick to my feet, marking the bottoms of my shoes. __It's like how Bill can affect some things in the Mindscape, same when I used that fire spell.__ Great. Even if I wasn't physically there, my shoes get ruined. Looking up, I watched a monster couple walk away from a gray platform decorated with monster skulls, and smiled. "There they are."

Star Butterfly and Tom Lucitor stood there, and I watched the dripping vat of unicorn blood sway above their heads. "Classic Carrie moment." At least there was no death, and telekinesis, and explosions. I couldn't hear their conversation, but once I saw Tom petting the pink bunny behind his back, Star had hopped off and walked towards the snack table. The blonde though unfortunately was walking straight into my direction, and before I could move she passed right through me. Flinching, I patted myself over. If this was what it was like for Dipper, when he wasn't in his body… I hated it.

"Hey, are you alright?"

"Huh?" Turning around, I saw a young woman in her twenties standing beside me. Teal hair done in a French braid that draped over her shoulder and falling to her knees, intense golden eyes, and freckles scattering across her cheeks. __Interesting. She's definitely not from Earth, is she?__ She smiled, and I wondered if it was me she was addressing, or someone behind me. "Not likely. No one else can see me."

"Why not?" __Okay, maybe she CAN see me.__ "You don't look like a ghost." She glanced me over curiously. "You look human."

"I am," I replied. "Just… not physically all there. I'm Elaine. Elaine Milton." I held out my hand, but when she went to grab it, it passed harmlessly through. "Oops. Um… what's your name?" I asked, shaking it off.

"Astralia," she stated. She held up her hand in confusion, and shrugged. "Astralia Primrose. My friends address me as Lia. I'm Princess Butterfly's lady-in-waiting." We glanced over at Star, seeing her watch something move around in the punch bowl. "It gets tiresome sometimes." __With a girl like Star, I can imagine.__

"I bet. I have my own friends to keep in line. Can we move to the side so it doesn't stand out so much that you look like you're talking to thin air?" Nodding, we moved to the side of the floor, and I took the time to look over her outfit. She reminded me of a more mature version of Star. A puce colored dress that ended just below her knees with a black ribbon looping around her neck to hold it up. She had small skulls decorating the bottom part of her dress, similar to Star and her hearts, and had black furred boots to top it off.

"Your dress is a lot more… intense, than your friend," I commented. It was probably not her usual outfit. Just like everyone else, she must have dressed for the occasion.

"Yours seems to be trying to fit someone's outfit color scheme," Astralia shot back. "Any invisible guy here you're with?" I looked around, and spotted Bill on the other side of the room, watching us intently.

"Uh, y-yeah." I quickly looked back to her. "You can say that. Don't mind me asking this, but why is it you can see me, when no one else can?" She paused, and brought a finger to her chin in thought.

"I… don't really know. I've seen plenty of abnormal stuff, but… this is the first time anything weird like this has ever happened to me." Astralia looked at me in a stupor, but I could see she was clearly confused… and tired. There were slight bags under her eyes, similar to Dipper's. "I don't even have magic to begin with. How in the name of Mewni is this happening?" I shrugged, and leaned against the wall.

"Dunno. Your idea of magic I'm pretty sure is a lot different than what I'm used to." I chose not to ask about the other thing, deciding that her sleep pattern was not of my concern. A flash of yellow caught my attention, and Bill began moving towards us. "And here he comes now. Speak of the demon."

"You're dating a demon?" Astralia exclaimed, glancing over to Tom. "How are you still in one piece?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but Bill cut me off, resting an arm around me. "Because Angel here is too important to get rid of." Astralia blinked at the triangle, visibly bewildered. What, was she expecting someone like Tom? "We need to chat, kid. You don't have too much longer until Pine Tree comes back to wake you up." Nodding, I smiled at the woman one last time.

"It was nice talking with you. Maybe we'll meet again in the future." She waved goodbye, still appearing the slightest bit confused, and a few monsters around her gave her weird looks. Heh. Forgot that no one else could see... me.

"I wouldn't mind. Have fun." __Oh, that's not gonna happen.__ Bill tightened his hold around my shoulders, and we moved across the floor again. __Bill, I know you can hear me. Tell me, why did you take me here? This another chance to sweet talk me?__

"You wanna know, Angel?" __Yes.__ I didn't trust my voice, so thinking aloud what I wanted to say was the best thing I could do. "You're still scared of me, kid." Why did that sound so... depressed, coming from him? "Y'see, Pine Tree and I had a conversation while you were on your walk." __They what?__ How come Dipper didn't tell me about this? Was this like when he told Wendy about my deal, leaving me out of what he deemed important Was it about information? "This has to do with Time Baby, doesn't it?"

 _ _What do you think?__ I met his eye, frowning. I heard a monster speak into a PA, but I ignored it. __Bill… I-I want to hate you. I want to despise you with my entire being. For trying to kill my friends, for what you've done to Ford, for Asger being played, and Kat's nightmares__ _…_ _ _everything. You have hurt me, insulted me, and threatened me. Even Time Baby knows of your power over me. Even__ ** _ _ **he**__** _ _wants me to leave you.__ "And… yet…" I finally spoke, voice barely above a whisper. "I… don't hate you. Bill, what's… what's wrong with me?" Lifting my face to look at him, he brought my forehead to just below where his tie was. like I was leaning against his 'chest'. My breathing hitched, and I felt tears sting my eyes. "Why… why can't I hate you?"

Bill kept a steady hand on my shoulder, and the other ran through my curls. His claws traced the back of my skull, and he chuckled. But… it wasn't dark. There no evil in his tone, no malice. I couldn't see his eye, but I felt it staring down at the top of my head. "Kid... Angel… you love me."

A bright red light hit the dance floor, entrapping Star with a disguised Marco, and me with Bill. The ball… we were stuck right in the middle of the big dance. As the Blood Moon Waltz began to play from the organist, as Tom had instructed, Bill took my hand in his, placed my other onto his shoulder before taking my hip. As the song sped up, he moved me across the dance floor at a faster pace, and I let my feet guide me along, similar to gliding through the air on a cloud. Star and Marco, completely unaware of us dancing beside them, were mimicking a more modern version of ours. We didn't spin, no, but the same amount of focus was there, all in that heat of the moment. Bill remained silent, and I couldn't even process any sane thought to retort from his claim. My mind, for once, had gone blank. No thoughts, no matter how hard I tried, were silent for longer than they should've been. The demon dipped me as the music slowed down, and the red light was cut off along with the music. But why was it-? __Oh.__ "Oh no." Glancing away, I watched a fallen Marco lay below Tom, his three eyes glowing red.

"That dance. Was meant. FOR ME!" He roared. Fire burst from along the edges of the ballroom, and the monsters hustled to the middle to stay safe. Brian, Tom's coach, went to try and calm him down, but was thrown across the room. Star and Astralia stood together, watching Tom stalk towards Marco, who was backed against the flames.

Bellowing, Tom launched himself into the air, flames shooting from his feet and hands. Just as he was high enough, the demon was encased in a block of ice, and came crashing down to the floor. The magic from him died out immediately, and the room returned to normal. Albeit, with a noticeably higher temperature. Star, wand held in her hand, moved over to him with an annoyed look and zapped a button onto his suit. Astralia sighed, shaking her head. "Should've seen this coming," she muttered.

"Let's go, Marco," Star sighed. "You too, Lia." She walked out of the room, and Astralia followed after. Marco gave Tom one last look, and darted after the two girls. Bill straightened me, and we looked at each other. Without a word, he snapped his fingers and a portal appeared beside us.

The Nightmare Realm had never seemed so welcoming.

Dropping down on the edge of the crater where all of the Henchmaniacs were, I looked up at the 'sky'. The dream demon lowered himself beside me, and I shifted away.

Love? I-it's not possible. It wasn't possible. I-I couldn't love Bill. After all that he's done to my friends, to the multiverse… to me. How could I overlook all of that? Sure, I had somewhat come to the idea of liking the demon more than a friend while back in Stan's mind, but love? Love was the ultimate form of affection. Love, was what I wanted from my ex, but never managed to find. I-I couldn't… but… but I was? Ford was going to return tomorrow, and everything goes downhill from there. I-I couldn't keep doing this… and yet I did. But… why? Why?

"Soul for your thoughts, Angel?" I breathed deeply, and finally turned to Bill.

"I… I don't love you. I can't love you, Cipher. All you've done, what you will do; I can't get past that. You said so yourself what your opinion is on love anyway." I was going to say something about emotions, and how he himself said he didn't have them. But, let's be honest, we both know that's a lie. He felt something for me, he just wasn't sure what it was. I hugged my knees to my chest. "I… guess I might like you. Otherwise I'd never let you get away with kissing me. But… love?" __I've… never even felt it before. At least, not in a relationship.__

Bill hummed, and I felt his arms wrap around me. __His size changed.__ Making himself several inches taller than me, he adjusted me so I ended up in a position similar to Stan's Mindscape. My head fell against his form, and he hugged me from behind. It was… gentle. Warm. "Angel, you and me both. I might've felt emotions before, but that was a long… long time ago. You're different, kid. You know and the others know that I've changed since making that deal with you. Might take you some time, but I'm sure you'll figure out what you're feelin'." He nuzzled his eye into my hair, and I giggled in spite of myself.

Shuffling upright enough, I turned around in his arms. "Hmmm." Stretching up enough, I pecked Bill in the corner of the eye, and I laughed harder as the yellow around his eye seemed to turn pink. "I didn't know you were even capable of blushing."

"You wanna know what else I'm capable of?" He teased. __Oh no.__ His nails dug into my sides, and I shrieked as he began to tickle me. "Suffer your body spasms!"

Pyronica smirked from her seat right below us, watching us from the bar. She said something to the other demons, and I watched them voice their agreement as I was mercilessly tickled by their boss. "Bill! Wh-what are they t-talking ab-o-o-ut!?"

"Just that you'd make a swell queen one day," he replied, laughing as well. "After all, every king needs one."

My laughter died down at that, and I peeled out of the black arms. Queen? Really? "I-I wouldn't go that far, Bill. Remember, I'm only here for as long as you need me, Bill. Once I have fulfilled my purpose, I… I go home," I sighed. The statement the Henchmaniacs fell through the gaps, and I zoomed in on the topic I just brought up. "Bill, why is it that some part of me… doesn't want to go back?"

"Simple. You got too close to the fleshbags. You could stay, you know. Doubt Pine Tree, Shooting Star, and Fez wouldn't think any different" That wasn't helping me. "Honestly, Angel. I'm only saying this once here. Pine Tree and I both… worry," he grimaced, "about you. You're not good to me broken."

"You need me as much as I need you," I patted the upper part of his left side. "Well you're not good to me when you're trying to scare me silly for annoying you. It's time for me to head back anyway, Bill." Bill grumbled, but allowed another portal to appear beside us. "C'mon, Billy."

Making sure I kept my balance, I stepped into the garden again. Judging from the loud commotion from the mansion, I saw that the townsfolk had been let inside. "Looks like I'm back in time," I commented. __I might want to check in with Dipper, and make sure he's fine after that fight.__ "Uh, listen. Thanks for… this, Cipher. I… needed a break." The demon's glow seemed to increase, and I could imagine him puffing up his 'chest' in pride.

"Better than your last treat, huh?" We laughed, remembering the previous dance incident. Bill ruffled my hair, and I grinned back. "See ya in your nightmares, Angel."

I watched him turn around, just a random idea popped into my head. "… wait. There's… one last thing." I was probably gonna regret this, seeing how the rest of the summer was going to get darker and more dangerous. But Bill had been trying so hard to cheer me up, I suppose… "here!" Grabbed his sides, I brought him down so I could kiss his eye, which thankfully morphed into a mouth at the last split second. As fast as it happened, I broke it off, leaving a dazed and flushed Bill. "Bye, Cipher."

Ripping myself out of the Mindscape before he could say anything else, I sat up behind a large hedge. "I-I can't believe I just did that… and I don't even care," I added, the tiniest of silly smiles spreading over me. Standing up. I brushed off the pine needles stuck to my dress, and headed back inside. Stepping into the main room, I spotted Dipper and Pacifica dancing around the room, laughing without a care in the world. Their ship pairing in my world, I was strictly against it. Now? She seemed to be bringing out the best in him, and vice versa. I was gonna miss his crush on me, if it ever did fade. Not like that ended up happening with Wendy. __Doubt they'll get together soon though. It's about to get really bad before it gets better.__

"Welcome back, Elaine." Kat slid up beside me, smirking. "How was your date."

"Not a date," I said. __Yes, it was.__ "But it was fun. We went to another dimension and attended a demon ball. Saw a princess, watched a demon try to roast her best friend until she froze him solid in a block of ice. What about here?"

"The ghost turned everyone to wood, and I'm guessing Pacifica fixed everything? I don't really know. I. uh, got caught in the crossfire. Same as Wendy and Asger. Mabel and the girls are busy making up from a fight." We looked over to see Candy and Mabel watch Grenda dance with a well-dressed young boy. "Tonight went well, wouldn't you agree?"

"I agree completely. I'm not sure how Preston and Priscilla are going to act to Pacifica now, after what happened tonight, but I know now that I play just as important role in her decisions as Asger does."

"She and Mabel really look up to you. You're like every little girl's older sister," Kat giggled. "Silly, loving, knows almost everything to say in a situation." She paused for a moment, her smile faltering. "Doesn't mean that you're innocent of what's been happening around the town."

"… gonna ignore that, since I can't really help it. As for the rest, it's probably because I am an older sister. Pacifica and Mabel have traits similar to her, and I can help with that knowledge."

"Woo! Scobbity-doo! Hornswaggle m' goat knees!" We turned around to see McGucket jig over to us.

"Hey, McGucket? What's-hey!" The man grabbed my wrist, and dragged me into a corner, leaving a confused Kat behind. "What's wrong?" He put the glasses on from when we were in the library, and looked at me in a panic.

"Elaine! I've been lookin' for Dipper, but you'll have ta do. I fixed the laptop." He pulled it from his beard, gazing at it nervously. "I been doin' calculations, and I think something terrible is comin'! The apocalypse! The End Times!"

I sighed, and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's counting down to the time Ford is coming back," I explained. "I'm not sure how safe this is gonna be, but the world isn't going to end… not yet, anyway."

"He's comin' back?" McGucket looked at me in surprise. "How'd you know?" I smiled at how fast he picked up on the name. I had paid half a dozen visits to the old man since the Blind Eye incident, varying in length due to my adventures with the twins. Each time, his memory improved bit by bit. The first time he recalled Ford, it was more of by chance. Now though, he knew what he was saying. We would discuss the safer creatures they had discovered, avoiding topics such as the gremloblin and shape shifter for… obvious reasons. He also told me stories of past inventions he'd made, and of his son when he was the twins' age before they split apart. All the while, he'd be strumming at his banjo, or fiddling with the cube toy I bought him. I loved how he hadn't just ignored it, and cast it aside. Every time I left, I scrambled it again, only for it to be in one piece when I returned. I even went as far as to sometimes drop by and bring him food from lunch or supper from the Mystery Shack. Better than whatever he had been surviving off of.

"I'm… different than most people. I've done some bad things that could've hurt a lot of people. I'm trying to fix my mistakes though. Tomorrow he's coming back. We… we should be ready for it." He opened the laptop, and we watched the countdown tick away. "Less than a day left until the portal opens."

"Elaine, something's coming!" He exclaimed desperately. "Something big." I nodded, turning my head to look up behind me.

Bill's tapestry hung over our heads, depicting his red eye staring down at two people worshiping or cowering in his presence. Everything was ablaze, and rotting trees and bones littered the landscape. "Something huge is coming, McGucket. We'll be ready though. We'll… we're ready."

"Elaine, ya can call me Fiddleford, ya know," he spoke up, seeing how intense I was looking at the cloth. "Ya don't have ta call me by my last name."

"I know. It's just… hard to switch to that in my head. Thank you, McG-Fiddleford." We smiled, and he tucked the laptop away in his beard. __How can he fit that there without it falling?__ "I should be getting home. I'm certain the kids can get a ride back with the others." Nodding, he scurried away, and I walked towards the exit. Just as I was about to pass through the door, I caught Priscilla's eye, and hardened my stare. __One last thing.__ At the sight of her paling face, I quickly strolled up to her. "Just to let you know, if I ever hear anything bad about that precious girl again that results in near tears, I will not hesitate to call in the cops and report child abuse. No amount of money will stop me."

Priscilla gave a meek "okay" and I turned to the door. Once I was certain she couldn't see my face, I finally let the smirk dance over my face.

"Point: Milton."

(Time Skip)

"Not a bad look on you, kiddo. You sure Dipper and Mabel had gotten a ride back?" Still clad in my dress, I smiled at Stan, watching him rummage through a drawer looking for something.

"Kat called the Mystery Shack and told me that her mom was willing to drive them home," I replied. I sat the bottle of nail polish remover down, and checked to see if I got the black off. "I've worn myself out tonight, and decided to call it in. They should be upstairs asleep right now, still believing I'm asleep." Which I was, initially. But after a while, I woke up to head to the basement. I needed to check in on Stan, since… we were so close now.

"Yeah, well, that's your decision." Stan stood up with a hazmat helmet. "You mind watchin' the portal while I go get supplies?"

"Supplies?" He waked past me, sliding on gloves and pulled a lever. Green liquid surged upward in the pipes.

"Come on, come on. Should be just enough to finish the job." Stan pulled his fez off, and wiped his brow. I blinked as I saw the toxic goo on his skin, before it sizzled and glowed green. Vanishing, he put his hat back on. __Is that safe?__

"Whew. Can't be too careful with this stuff," Stan said.

"Uh, yeah… Stan, what supplies?" I repeated.

"I need to make a run to get more toxic waste, in case we need more. Never hurts to double our amount in case something goes wrong." A red light began flashing followed by a buzzer, and we looked up at the screen above our heads. " ** **Event Initialized**** " was spelled out, followed by an eighteen hour countdown beginning. Sitting down, Stan flipped a page in journal one and read aloud. " ** **Warning**** , blah blah blah, ****extreme usage could result in minor gravity anomalies****." He frowned at the warning, and slammed it shut. "Can it, Poindexter! I've come this far. I'm not givin' up now!"

Stan hit a button under the table, and we watched as the portal's lights began to spin, making a kaleidoscope of color. The four holes on either side lit up in a bright light, and Stan grinned excitedly. "Uh, Stan?" He looked at me, and finally seemed to notice that we were lifting off the ground. As fast as it had started, we landed back down in a thump. "That going to be a problem?"

"It'll be fine. Not like anyone in this town notices this stuff anyway." He slipped on a wristwatch, and held it up to compare it to the countdown. "It's gonna be a bumpy ride, but it'll all be worth it." He held a button, synchronizing the times. "Just eighteen more hours. Finally, everything changes. Today."

Today… we welcomed home Ford.

* * *

Astralia laid in her bed, staring at the ceiling of her room. What… was that? What happened tonight was… weird. That girl Elaine seemed completely normal. You know, once you got past the fact she was there with a demon herself like Star herself was. But just… how was she see-through?

She knew a fair amount of magic, generating from her large collection of books. It was her duty to teach Star; to guide her to become the next queen, and give her advice when she needed it. Plus, she was almost like her younger sister. Instead of magic, all she had was her trusty crossbow. Which certainly did come in handy, whenever Star dragged her and Marco into the weekly monster fight. __Seriously, Ludo, you need a new hobby.__

There were those… dreams though. When she first moved to Earth a few weeks after Star had, she had the most peculiar dreams. Like she was awake… and not at the same time. She couldn't interact with anything, and no one could see her. What shocked her though, was that it all seemed real. Nothing like lucid dreaming, but as if… she was really watching all of this happen in real time through a damaged film reel. __What's happening to me?__ So after everything she'd done so far with the princess, her best friend… why was it that she was seeing some sort of auras, the physical forms of other creatures and people in that same state?

"Honestly, I am been reading too much of Star's book," she murmured. Smiling, she rolled over under her covers, creating a massive halo of teal over the pillow. "Oh well. Best to think about it in the morning."

* * *

 ** **Now, people of the net, we move on to the most intense episode in the series that excludes Weirdmageddon… Not What He Seems. Finally, after all these years, Ford makes his grand entrance.****

 ** **Astralia-who was also one of the two mysterious girls at the end of the 50th chapter-is from a story I'm planning for the future. I actually had to change her name since Comet turned out to be the name of Moon's mother. It seemed like an interesting thing to throw in here when they went to the ball. This just means Elaine is going to guest star in her story, but we'll be seeing from herpoint of view.****

 ** **I'll try to get to it as fast as I can. But… finals are approaching. Be patient, and it'll be up as fast as I can write it.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	53. Not What He Seems

****Disclaimer: YESSSSSSSS! Ford enters the picture! WOOOOOOOOOO!****

 ** **Nina Everblade: Yep!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Neither can I!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Preston deserved it, in my opinion.****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: … LEMONS! I don't know, but while Bill doesn't have the same level of charm as King Dice does, they both view Nicky and Elaine as things to fool around with.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: That story will come out in the future. When the time comes, I'll leave a note in here.****

 ** **Kalli Amissa: You can try, but a bulldozer isn't going to kill him.****

 ** **1-18-9-5-19: Thanks! It's Billaine, not Elainebill, and Ford finding out about them… won't happen for a while.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Been a while since I've gotten a review from you. Oh boy, Ford isn't going to understand a lot about what his brother's been up to. The Shack, and the criminal record in his name, and the girl from another dimension… yikes.****

 ** **JDMichelle2626: That's hard to say, actually. I've got ideas about what happens after Elaine's done this summer. While the short story helps carry a small weight of what happened, a sequel would be about her returning next summer. How that would go, and what would happen… it'd be all my own idea. No series to guide me through. In the end, it's up to me and all of you whether or not there will be a sequel.****

 ** **RillFipher: I have no idea. Let's pause for a moment, and think that… THIS WAS MY FIRST EVER STORY! HOW ON EARTH WAS I READY FOR ALMOST 400 FREAKING REVIEWS!? I never planned for attention, and I had no solid writing experience going in here.****

 ** **Guest: Not immediately, but he is curious about her.****

 ** **Gravity's Fallen Angel is indeed slowly coming to its end, with things picking up speed for the finale. I'll ask during the last few chapters whether a sequel is a good idea.****

 ** **I own Elaine.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited: Sept. 30/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Stan and I had woken up around the same time when we heard the twins down the hall talking about fireworks. Going to bed after turning on the machine wasn't so bad. It was him not coming back for two hours going for more toxic waste was the problem. I was touchy without my 7-9 hours. So, grumbling under my breath and throwing on my sneakers, I joined Stan in finding the kids crowded around a closet on the second floor, said fireworks stored in a box inside. "Not so fast, kids!" Stan said. He was still in his tank top and boxers with a red house coat thrown on, and I still had my nightgown on too. "There is no way on earth you're setting off those dangerous illegal fireworks… without me." He smiled, bending down and putting his arms around their shoulders. "Go get some clothes on, grab something to eat, and meet me on top of the roof." Dipper and Mabel grinned, and ran back towards the bedroom. Stan stood back up, and turned to me. "Worried, kid?"

"That Ford is coming back today, and there is a chance that there's a chance that Dipper's gonna hate me for hiding this from him like I've done with everything else so far this summer?" My voice cracked at the end, but I kept smiling. "I'm fine!" Stan rolled his eyes, and shoved me in the direction of my bedroom. _Some… what._

"Sure you are. Go get changed, kid." I was fine, I was! But, he was the boss. I just reached the room as the twins sprinted past me, and smiled sadly. We were right into it. Hours were ticking by ever so quickly now, counting to when he would be walking through that portal to a dimension he hadn't been in for thirty years Today was the day.

 _ _Today, everything changes.__

(Time Skip)

A breakfast comprising of cans of Pitt Cola and ice pops gave Mabel way too much energy. Like, she was practically way too into the fireworks we were firing off the roof. I had a bowl of cereal, so I wasn't going after the sugary treats as much as she was. Dipper ran up to me with a frozen treat-figures-as Stan was lighting Mabel's skyrocket with a sparkler. The man had changed into his suit, lounging in the chair Wendy had brought up there. "Here you go, sweetie. Set something on fire for your Grunkle Stan."

Mabel grinned, and aimed it into the air off the deck. "I AM THE GOD OF DESTRUCTION!" She screamed, and the firework shot off. The resulting explosions blew our hair back, and we cheered loudly, soaking in the excitement. Hate to break it to Mabel, but I' was pretty sure Bill had that title under lock and key.

"Hold on a minute." We looked down, and saw Blubs and Durland had walked up. "Do you have a permit for those?"

"Uh…" Dipper and me looked at each other uncertainly.

"Uh, do you have a permit for being totally lame?" Stan retorted. We laughed, as Mabel gave an exclamation of a zing. I blew out my own sparkler as the police officers walked back to their car, driving off back down the road. "But seriously though we should probably clean this mess up," he added, finished chuckling.

"That's a lot of tiny fires," I added. "Should I get the fire extinguisher again?" I hadn't had to use it since Stan caught on fire before our trip to the pool. I wasn't sure if it would still work or not. _Does that mean I need to get a new one?_

"We could do it with water balloons?" Mabel suggested, perched on Stan's shoulders.

"I don't see why not." We grinned at Stan, and that's what led to the three of us running around the yard like idiots chucking balloons at each other. Mabel and me teamed up against Dipper, to his annoyance. We had much better aim than him. Giving out a war-cry, we ran past Stan on the couch before tackling Dipper. I scooped up several more of our ammo, and tossed them at the hot spots still scattered about. _That should do it._ "Ah, this is what Saturdays are for. Doing dumb things forever." He took a sip from his drink, and Mabel, Dipper, and I launched ourselves in the air.

"DUMB THINGS FOREVER!" We landed on a large pile of water balloons, bursting them in a large splash. The water managed to reach Stan, making him laugh. Mabel, with her sweater tied around her waist, orange ice pop on her face, and a water balloon behind her back declared, "to Grunkle Stan! Not just a great uncle…"

"The greatest uncle!" Dipper and myself ended. Mabel shoved her ice pop in her mouth, and we began firing at Stan with our remaining ammo.

"Alright, alright." Stan stood up, smiling at our antics with a now soaked suit. "I tell you it's unnatural for siblings and some random teen to get along as well as you do."

"Ha ha!" Mabel waved her hand, having finished her treat. "Don't worry. We've still got plenty of summer left to drive each other crazy!" She attacked Dipper in a hug, only for him to push her away. I dropped a water balloon on her face for good measure, smirking as it burst. Thankfully, the water managed to wash away the orange gunk still on her face.

"Yeah, plenty of summer left," Stan laughed. I think I was the only one able to tell how nervous he was. If it wasn't for the agents cutting in, he could have broken the news to them so much more easily. It would have skipped the entire fight at the end of the day. The two kids walked up to him, and I followed. "Kids, there's something I, uh, something I should tell you. It's um, well it's complicated. I… I'm gonna go refresh my soda." He walked around the side of the house, and Dipper and Mabel exchanged confused looks.

"Elaine, what was that about?" Mabel asked. I sighed, and shook my head.

"Listen, Mabel. Whatever Stan wants to tell you, it's obviously really hard on him. Just be patient. I'm sure he'll… oh crud!" I grabbed the kids as the whirling blades of helicopters were heard overhead, coming in fast without any clear warning. Six armed men in tactical gear rushed towards us, circling any possible escape route. Mabel grabbed my arm, and Dipper stood in front of us as they began taping off the property.

"Kids are secure! Roof team! Go!" I watched several agents rappel out of a helicopter, smashing through the windows and front door. Stan's voice came from around the house, and we saw him being led to a police car. Mabel threw her sweater back on, and we broke out of the guards blockade to reach him.

"Aah! I don't understand! What did I do that warrants this much arresting?" His face was slammed down on the hood of the car, as a man attached cuffs to his wrists. Powers and Trigger walked over, to Dipper's shock.

"The government guys? I thought you got eaten by zombies!" He exclaimed.

"We survived. Barely," Trigger said.

"I used Trigger as a human shield. He cried like a baby." He moved over to Stan, and I heard a bit of humor in his teasing.

"What? Hey! Not in front of the special-ops guys!" Trigger complained, pointing behind him. Powers pulled out a tablet, and turned it around to show Stan. Dipper, Mabel, and me managed to lean over to get a glimpse of the video.

"This is security footage of a government waste facility. At o'four hundred hours last night someone robbed three hundred gallons of dangerous waste." The footage revealed a man in a hazmat suit stealing barrels, and I strongly resisted the urge to slap Stan. He pulled it off already to get the waste for the machine, but they were only going after him ****now**** after he went back for more?

"What? You think that's me?" Stan asked incredulously, straightening up.

"Don't play dumb with us, Pines," Powers leered.

"But I actually am dumb!" An agent led him away to another car. "Last night I was stocking the gift shop. I swear!"

"Wait! Grunkle Stan!" Mabel cried. "You've got the wrong guy! Our Grunkle Stan might shoplift the occasional tangerine, but he's not some evil super villain!"

Powers bent down to our height. "Listen, kid. We've been watching your family all summer and we've seen some disturbing things. But nothing as dangerous as what you uncle is hiding. Somewhere in this shack is a doomsday device!" I looked down, heart breaking at the horrified looks on Mabel and Dipper's faces. Powers handed Trigger the tablet, and stood back up. "Trigger, you take the children. I'll talk to the old man. Sorry to break it to you kids," he finished, sliding on sunglasses. "But you don't know your uncle at all." He went to walk away, before pausing. "Fair warning, girl. The government doesn't take kindly to secrets. By the end of the day, we will find out where you came from."

That... that wasn't what I was planning to hear. Hearing the twins gasp beside me, I tried to… oh, my brain was shutting down again, look at that. It's finding out about Bill's true form and age all over again. __Reboot. Reboot. Reboot.__

I was out of it enough to not even notice we were being led to the police car by an agent, and were shoved inside. As Trigger climbed into the front, the door locked, and we could see Stan inside a government vehicle. "Kids, you gotta believe me! For once I'm actually innocent!" He banged his cuffed hands on the window, as the car drove off down the road. "Kids!"

The car began to head off down the road, far behind Stan. I kept shivering, and drew my knees to my chest. Dipper looked over at me, frowning. "Elaine. Hey, it's gonna be alright. Nothing's gonna happen to you."

"Kid, this wasn't ever something I thought of. I-I was so focused on getting back, I never thought about what happened if someone researched my past with a fine-toothed comb. The freaking government. How could I have not seen this coming?"

"We've got Mr. Pines in custody." We saw Powers' face appear on a video link at the front of the car. "Our men are searching the shack for the device. You take care of those kids." The chat ended, and Mabel gasped.

"What're you gonna do to us?"

"We'll be taking you to child services. You friend there will be staying under government surveillance until she tells us why she doesn't exist in any record we've searched through." _Maybe it's because I_ _was from Ca_ _nada and a different dimension! Huh!?_ "In the meantime, enjoy some mindless reality TV, designed to pacify you and make you stop asking questions."

Ignoring the prank show that began playing on the back of his seat, the three of us huddled up. "Dipper, this is crazy. There's no way Stan was stealing hazardous waste! We gotta clear his name!" Mabel said.

"Stan was restocking the shelves," I cut in, head still propped on my legs. "Get those security tapes, and we're golden."

"Then we just need a way to get out of here!" Dipper said. Mabel looked out the window, before smirking. Dipper and me couldn't tell what she was doing, but it appeared as if she was trying to get someone's attention. Breathing on the window and steaming it up, she quickly wrote " ** **Sevral Timez is Overrated****." Now, seeing what she was trying to do, I grabbed the kids just as Manly Dan rammed the logging truck into us, spinning the car and having us fall down a hill into the forest.

"Mayday! Mayday! Agent down! The car crashed into several trees, throwing the twins and myself back in our seats on impact, and trapped Trigger in his seat. "Darn branch!" A large tree limb blocked him from opening his door, and the front of the car was crushed down partially on his legs. _He w_ _o_ _n't be getting out any time soon._

"Ha ha, yes!" Mabel opened the door, and she and Dipper climbed out of the car. I unbuckled myself, and slid out after them.

"Backup! Requesting backup! Ah!" I ripped the earpiece from his ear, and crushed it in my fist. Letting the circuits fall to the ground, I stormed up to him, barely holding myself back from breaking his nose. Recovering as fast as he could, he glared back at me. Though, it appeared I had his attention.

"Never. Hurt. My friends. Again." I began walking through the woods, and Mabel jogged to catch up with me. "Mabel, I-"

"We're gonna clear your name too, Ellie. No one's taking you away either." Dipper ran up to us, and I sighed.

"Mabel, I don't belong-I want to belong here. I do. But I can't escape the fact that I don't exist in this dimension. You remember what Asger said back at the cemetery? I... I'm starting to sound like I don't wanna go back. My family doesn't exist here, and I hate that." We began trekking back up the hill, watching several government vehicles head off towards the Mystery Shack. However, my feet dragged just the bit behind, keeping me a fair distance away from them as Dipper took the lead. "If anything happens to me here, I can't go back, and I wanna go back… right? I just... don't know what to do… this one… get in." We sprinted and launched ourselves into the bed of a truck at the end of the line. Ducking under the tarp, we laid low to avoid detection, and found ourselves bathed in darkness.

"I can't see anything," Mabel mumbled.

"Oh, uh… h-here. Ignis." A small flame appeared in the middle of our huddle, bobbing in the air harmlessly, and I grinned successfully. "So that really wasn't a fluke the first time."

"First time? Elaine, when did you learn a fire spell?" Dipper asked.

"Bill. He figured seeing how I'm growing used to the supernatural, and have a heightened sixth sense because of how much I'm around him, I should learn some form of magic. I, uh, kinda thought it was by chance I pulled it off the first time around. Never thought to do it again. Must be why I had to perform it a few times just in case." The warm light bounced around in the air, and I smiled. Holding out my hand, the flame moved to hover over my palm. The twins watched me in aw, and I adjusted my seating. _Cool. I didn't know I could manipulate it too._ "Dipper can summon zombies and almost preform an exorcism. Why can't I learn magic too?"

"So I do evil magic? Perfect." Mabel and me snickered at his misfortune, and the vehicle began to slow down. "Get ready to jump." Extinguishing the flame by closing my hand around it, we jumped out of the truck, rolling into the woods just outside of the Mystery Shack.

"The ground entrance is too hard to get through," I said. There were way too many guards, and no way were we going in guns a-blazing. "The upper floor should be our best bet. Hey Mabel, you got your grappling hook on you?" The girl pulled it out from her sweater pocket, and beamed. "Let's roll."

Climbing to a higher point in a nearby pine, we launched the hook through the shattered bedroom window. Climbing across, I had the kids go before me. Things at this point, they were going to get really intense. Stan's tapes, the false identities, and the portal… oh. _Dipper… when-when Ford comes through that, he-he's gonna find out I knew all this time._ It's… gonna be the Mindscape all over again.

"Elaine, snap out of it!" Dipper grabbed my wrist once I got into the room, and dragged me to Stan's office as my breathing hitched at the end. We slipped through the door as fast as we could, and Dipper let go to close the door without alerting of the agents in the hallway further down from us. "We got to get those tapes!" Running down the stairs, we turned the corner and ran into the room. Dipper quickly locked it behind us, and we looked around in the pitch black. "Alright. If I was Stan, where would I hide those surveillance tapes?"

Splitting off, Dipper looked through the bookcase as I shuffled through a filing cabinet. "Wait! The antelabbit!" We looked over at Mabel, who was staring up at the jackalope head. A noticeable bolt was stuck in one of its horns, showing a possible lever.

"Don't you mean jackalope?" Dipper asked.

"Pfft, that can't be right." Mabel jumped onto the chair to fix the antler, and the wall spun around to reveal two old TV monitors and a tape player. The specific one we were looking for was already in the machine, partially ejected. "Yes!" We cheered. "It's this week, this is it!" Pushing it in, Dipper grabbed the remote. The first thing we end up seeing though was Mabel, Wendy, and Soos in the gift shop. Soos was doing the worm, while the girls were cheering him on.

"When did-we just had the ball last night. When did this even happen?" I asked. Mabel shrugged, grinning sheepishly. "Ugh, fast-forward."

"Ha! There it is!" Dipper paused at a clip of Stan in the shop, restocking the counter. "Stan restocking like he said! And the date shows it was last night! It's proof! He's innocent!" Dipper skipped ahead a few more hours, and our faces fell as we saw he hadn't returned from sneaking out of the Mystery Shack. "Uh oh."

"Uh, maybe he's just going to the bathroom outdoors. Like nature intended!" Mabel said nervously. He skipped a few more hours, and gasped in horror. Stan, clad in his hazmat suit, wheeling in barrels of toxic waste. _Oh, thank goodness they didn't see the part where I entered the basement._

"Oh no, Stan, you didn't…" Dipper mumbled.

"Don't panic. That could be anyone in that suit!" Mabel tried to calm him.

"Gah! Hot Belgian waffles!" Stan cried, accidentally dropping a barrel on his foot. "Wait, I'm alone." He looked around. "I can swear for real! SON OF A-!" I slapped my hands over Dipper's ears, while Mabel covered her own just as quickly.

"That's him, alright," Dipper said, shutting off the video.

"Okay, okay, so maybe Grunkle Stan stole some toxic waste. That doesn't mean he's leading a nefarious double life!" Mabel walked away, holding her head.

"Mabel, I'm not so sure about that…" I clicked the lamp on the desk, seeing the box Dipper pulled out from under the TV. _That's… a lot of IDs and passports._

"What? What is all this?" Mabel moved over to the desk with us, and we rummaged through the IDs. " ** **Stetson Pinefield****?"

" ** **Hal Forrester? Andrew '8-Ball' Alcatraz****?" Dipper also read off of a few, getting louder with each one he found. "These are fake IDs, guys! You wouldn't need these unless you were trying to hide your real identity!"

"Kid, we all know Stan has a massive criminal record. These are probably just the result of all that. it doesn't prove anything," I argued. Dipper nodded dismissively, still not convinced, and shuffled through more of the box.

"But why would Stan do that?" Mabel pulled out a newspaper clipping, and read over it. I couldn't read it from my angle, but it was scary how her face just… morphed slowly into dazed terror.

"Mabel, kid? Are you… alright?" She silently passed it to Dipper, staring straight ahead in a daze, like whatever she had read turned off all processing in her head.

"WHAT!? ****Stan Pines Dead****!?" Dipper shouted the headline, written in large bold letters of an old news article.

" ** **Foul play suspected in Pines' death**** ," Mabel read on. "Fiery car crash, brakes cut… by who!?"

Dipper grabbed another clipping from the box, showing a scruffy picture of Stan without glasses. " ** **Unnamed grifter at large**** **?** " Why would they call him unnamed? Unless Stan…"

"Isn't…" Mabel and him looked at each other, as the girl picked up where his idea was going. "Stan!?" We looked up at the portrait of Stan on the wall above our heads, him smiling down at us with a fixed grin. Dipper jumped away from the desk once he could force his eyes away from it, and began pacing angrily.

"Stan Pines is dead!? Then who have we been living with? It doesn't make any sense!" Mabel said something about pranks, and began peering into a plant, but I was more focused on the poor boy tearing himself apart over the matter. "I can't believe it. This whole summer I've been looking for answers and two of the biggest mysteries were right under our nose."

"Two?" I looked at him, confused.

"You haven't been exactly truthful at the start too, you know." __Ouch.__ And I still was.

"I know. Just, give me a sec. Maybe we're missing something." Bending back over the box, I shuffled through it to find the code to the vending machine. __Bingo.__ "This should do it. Catch." Dipper caught the paper, and dropped the journal to the floor. He flipped to the code page, and brought out the stupidly large black light. He compared the code to what Ford had written, frowning.

"I've never seen a code like this," he answered.

"Wait! I have!" Mabel said, reading it over his shoulder. "Guys, it's the vending machine!" That was our cue. Sprinting out of the room, we noticed a distinct lack of security. __Guess Stan is already on his way here.__ Turning into the gift shop, we halted, seeing Soos standing in front of the machine.

"Soos?" Dipper asked, surprised.

"Ahh! Oh, kids! Where've you been?" Soos smiled.

"What are you doing here?" I reached towards my pocket, feeling for my pocket knife. Hey, if I was never gonna return it, then I may as well call it mine. Stan never complained about it missing. Still… as much as the tension is high, I wasn't pulling it on Soos.

"Stan gave me a mission to protect this machine! Ha! And I thought I loved snacks," Soos laughed.

"Soos, listen. Something huge is going on here," Dipper said. "If Stan is hiding some dangerous secret, we need to find out what it is! I need you to step aside."

"Yeah, just let us through so we can prove this is all just a big misunderstanding," Mabel added.

"Guys, I know this seems crazy, but I promised Stan I would guard this with my life," Soos admitted.

Dipper and Mabel looked up at me, and I sighed. "Sorry, Soos. In advance, of course. Ignis!" I winced, watching his shoes catch fire. Soos yelled out in shock, and fell to the floor. As he quickly began patting at the flames to put them out, I tackled him, pinning his arms to the floor. "Move!"

Dipper ran past me, and input the code. The door swung open, and knocked us all backwards to the floor. Coughing from the dust cloud that came up, we stared at the secret passageway. Making sure the man wasn't still on fire, I climbed off of him. __Might have gone a little overboard with that.__ Soos stood up as well, and together, we began to descend the stairs, one at a time.

"It's like something from a video game," Soos said, awestruck as he reached the bottom.

"Or a dream," Mabel added with a hint of confusion and optimistic, right behind him.

"… or a nightmare," Dipper and me echoed together. Taking the lamp hanging at the foot of the stairwell, I lit our path to the elevator, and we began to head down further. As the cage came to a slow stop, we entered the lab. The three gasped, and I gripped my branded hand tightly. We were… so close now. Only minutes away from the portal activating.

"Guys, are we dreaming? Somebody wake me up," Mabel said, traces of fear lingering in her voice.

"This can't be real…" Dipper muttered quietly, looking around.

"I don't understand. Why would Mr. Pines have all this?" Soos asked.

"It's just like that bunker in the woods." Dipper glanced a camera on the dashboard, frowning as he could see what was happening outside of the Shack.

"But what is it doing underneath the Mystery Shack?" Soos asked.

"Okay, okay, so he's got a huge gigantic lab," Mabel said. "That doesn't mean anything bad! Everyone's got secrets! It's just Elaine all over again!" "Hey!" "Sorry." Mabel picked up the picture of her, Dipper, and me off of the table, and turned it around to show us. "It's still Stan, and he loves us. And we love him. Right?" __He… he kept that picture?__ It was taken around the start of the summer, when we were fooling around outside. I had a copy in the front of my journal, but I didn't know he put one down there too. _I felt so happy when I first got it. Even when I wasn't that close to Mabel and Dipper back then, I… I loved that simple gift._

"It can't be… it's impossible." Dipper stared down at journal one and two in disbelief, lying innocently on the table with the photocopied pages of journal three off to the side. "The other two journals? All this time… all this time, Stan had them!? I can't believe it! Was anything he said to us was real!?" He rammed his foot in the desk, whirling around to meet us. I hadn't seen him this mad… since he found out about me and Bill. "Why would he have those journals!?"

"Maybe he's the author," Soos suggested nervously.

"Or maybe he stole them from the author! Maybe the reason he has all those fake IDs is because he ****is**** a master criminal, and this machine is his master plan!" Dipper began to set up the journals, revealing the completed prints for the machine. I brought out my black light flashlight, and shone it on the pages.

" ** **I was wrong the whole time. The machine was meant to create knowledge but it is too powerful. I was deceived, and now it is too late. The device, if fully operational, could tear our universe apart****!" A gruesome image of the world splitting in half was drawn underneath, with chunks of the planet drifting around the tear. The more Dipper read, the more urgency was felt in the room, feeling smaller by the minute. " ** **It must not fall into the wrong hands. If the clock ever reaches zero, our universe is doomed****!"

A beeping sounded above our heads, and we looked up. The countdown clock read below two minutes. "It's the final countdown! Just like they always sung about!" Soos cried.

Dipper flipped through one of the journals, reading about the manual override. "The agents were right! We have to shut it down!" We ran into the room, and my heart picked up at the swirling portal high above our heads. "There!" Running to the machine to the side, Dipper, Mabel, and Soos grabbed a key each, while I stood to the side watching. I-I had to do something. Anything! But what!? If I acted, then Dipper would ask why, and it would be the Bill secret all over again! If I didn't, then Ford-! "Quick! Turn these together!" They did, and a device in the center of the room popped open, revealing a large red button. "That's it! The shutdown switch!" We rushed over to it, with Dipper reaching it first. He held his palm over the button, face set in what he had to do. "This all stops… now!"

"DON'T TOUCH THAT BUTTON!"

Turning around, we saw Stan standing in the doorway, panting. It was-the tension was terrible. Mabel looked sad and hurt, Soos looked betrayed, and Dipper… this had topped the list of things people never told him. "Dipper, just… back away." His hand was inches over the button, and he looked from Stan to the machine, testing the man. "Please don't press that shutdown button, you gotta trust me." He began walking towards us, and Dipper removed his arm.

"And I should trust you ****why****!?After you stole radioactive waste? After you lied to us all summer!? I don't even know who you are!" He moved away a few steps, but he was still ready to turn around and act at any given moment.

"Look, I know this all seems nuts, but I need that machine to stay on! If you'd just let me explain-" Stan's watch began beeping, and the tremors picked up. "Uh-oh, oh no! Brace yourselves!" The portal sped up, and we were all lifted up into the air, floating around the room. Hats went flying, and I was hurled into the rock wall on the far side of where the others were, and rubbed the back of my head. My head hurt on impact, and I was I turned myself around to see what became of my friends, I could hear… laughter?

 _Not just… any laughter._ "Bill." I stared at the portal, and down to where the button was. I-I had no clue if the demon was even aware of what Stan was up to. There were no triangles down there, so he could never see the progress being made. And if Ford came through the machine… he was facing down the Henchmaniacs and Bill as we speak.

"Dipper!" Mabel cried, gaining my attention. Her ankle was hooked around a wire, keeping her afloat over the button as small rocks drifted around her body.

"Mabel! Hurry! Shut it down!" She grabbed the wire, and began crawling down to grab the pole on Dipper's command. Stan, panic-stricken, began floating towards her in a swimming motion.

"No! Mabel, Mabel, wait! Stop! Aah!" Soos tackled him, knocking him away from Mabel. "Soos, what're you doing!? I gave you an order!" Stan hit him in the head, the two still spinning in circles.

"Sorry, Mr. Pines-if that is your real name-but I have a new mission now! Protecting these kids!" Soos declared.

"Soos, you idiot, let me go!" Dipper pushed off of the support beam he rammed into, and tackled Stan as well. The two fought to keep Stan from reaching Mabel. All the while, I was still pressed against the wall, just… lost.

What do I do? I-I couldn't press the button, because Ford had to come back, and Dipper would… I didn't want the Mindscape thing to happen again. But if I did hit it, the machine would still be in one piece, and Bill could get to it while leaving Ford trapped on the other side. No matter what I did, if no one hit that button, when the night was over… the machine would be destroyed. One of my ways of returning to my dimension: gone. _But no matter what, it's too risky with him involved._

"Go! Mabel, press the red button! Shut it down!"

"No, you can't! You gotta trust me!"

Trust. Heh… such an odd word. I had given my belief that a dream demon, a monster, would be able to return me home to my dimension. To my family. But… everyone in this world, and the next: Mabel, Dipper, Stan, Asger, Kat, Pyronica, Pacifica… Bill… ever since I opened up, I-I got attached. I just… I… I… __I c__ _ _ould__ _ _n't leave.__ I couldn't, not even if I wanted to. I-I loved the Pines family, and all of my friends I'd made. And Bill… whatever it was I felt towards him… I-I didn't want to fully say goodbye to him either.

"Grunkle Stan, I don't even know, if you're my Grunkle!" Mabel's tears floated up into the air, and the three guys paused in their fight. Mabel... I hadn't seen her this emotionally conflicted since she found out about my deal with Bill. Her voice was so quiet and broken, making her so much younger than what she was. A little girl, lost and confused. "I wanna believe you, but-"

"Then listen to me. Remember this morning when I said I wanted to tell you guys something?" The portal flashed a bright light, sending them against the wall farther from me. Dipper and Soos hit the rock wall, and Stan collided with a pipe, denting it. Mabel prepared to press the button, but paused when Stan continued speaking. "I wanted to say that you're gonna hear some bad things about me, and some of them are true, but trust me. Everything I've worked, everything I care about, it's all for this family!"

"Mabel, what if he's lying? This thing could destroy the universe!" Dipper shouted. His hair flapped in the breeze, revealing his birthmark. His hat was no doubt somewhere else now, floating through the room with Soos'. "Listen to your head!"

"Look into my eyes, Mabel! You really think I'm a bad guy!?"

"He's lying! Shut it down NOW!"

"Mabel, please!" The countdown clock began speaking. Ten seconds. Electricity crackled around the light pillars, and Mabel closed her eyes and lowered her hand. Just millimeters from hitting the button, she started at Stan one last time.

"Grunkle Stan…"

"Six. Five."

"... I trust you." Mabel let go of the machine, and began floating upward. Her long brown hair drifted up and over her head, sweater blowing in the air. She brought her hands up in a surrendering manner, floating just slightly enough away that no matter what she did now, she would never reach it. Looking at it from Dipper's view, it looks as if she's defeated, but I knew Mabel held trust in her uncle. Things, they… they would work. This was going to work. _Here we go…_ _t_ _hree. Two._

"MABEL, ARE YOU CRAZY!? WE'RE ALL GONNA-!"

"One." An explosion of bright light came from the portal, engulfing us. I heard the others screaming, and I wasn't sure if I was too. Screaming, that is. Everything just went… white, and mute. Gravity just turned off, and so did all of my thoughts. All except for one thought, which wasn't even my own.

 _ ** **Angel, as much as I'd love to come to this dimension and wreck havoc, it's a little too soon for that,****_ _ ** **I'm afraid****_ _ ** **. Say hello to Sixer for me!****_

And then everything came crashing down.

I landed on my side, groaning as my brain caught up with reality. Pushing my glasses up my nose, I rolled over to my knees and looked towards the portal. A large pillar crashed down in front of it, and the entire thing was a mess of tangles wires and metal. The machine though, was still glowing a bright blue. A shadow approached from the other side of the rippling blue, and the man we were all waiting for stepped through just as it turned off for good. A large gun in a case was strapped to his back, and a cloak wrapped tightly around him over the coat he already had on. Goggles covered his eyes, and a scarf around his mouth. His heavy boots thumped against the dirt, passing by the machinery scattered about in the portal's destruction.

The portal.

The portal was one of two options of ever getting home. Both easily could kill me, but were the only possible ways. Now, it's just… gone. Ford approached the first journal, laying in the dirt, and placed his hand on the cover. I loved… everyone. No matter how much I'd kept from them, no matter how much Dipper and me had fought, I treasured those moments. I wanted to go home; to see mom and dad, and to hug the air out of my sister. I wanted to be told that this was all a dream, and that I never left my world in the first place. That my life was never in danger, and they were all still cartoon characters.

But all of that was wishes from the start of the summer. And… now?

"What…? Who is that?" Dipper asked, looking up with his head in his hand.

"The author of the journals…" Stan said, rubbing his own head, and staring at his twin. Ford pulled off the goggles covering his glasses, and pulled down the scarf covering his face so we could finally see him. Him, the true author of the journals. "… my brother."

Dipper, Mabel, and Soos, now all standing up, were bunched behind Stan in shock. "Is this the part where one of us faints?" Mabel asked, all three having their mouths hanging open in shock.

"Ohoho, I am so on it, dude." Soos' eyes rolled into the back of his head, and he landed on his back in a dead faint.

Even though they're nowhere near perfect, regardless of how many times I'd almost died because of them, and have their many, many flaws, the Pines were my family too.

I was already home.

* * *

 ** **Oh, my gosh! You have NO idea how much I've been wanting to write this chapter. I just started one afternoon, and couldn't stop!****

 ** **A Tale of Two Stans will be up, but be warned, I have two finals next week and two the following.****

 ** **Gsv grnv szh xlnv gl dvoxlnv slnv,Hrcvi uiln yvblmw Srh gsilmv.****  
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 ** **Krmv Givvh yivzp wldm, zmw Hsllgrmt Hgzih uzoo,****  
 ** **zmw z Uva rh uizbvw zg gsv hvznh****  
 ** **Yv xzivufo, Krmvh, lu z wldmuzoo:****  
 ** **blfi Zmtvo rh mlg dszg hsv hvvnh.****

 ** **Angel****


	54. A Tale of Two Stans

****Disclaimer: Welcome, one and all, to a very special chapter. I mean, the chapter itself is nice, but the day itself is even better. Little early, but who cares? Welcome to the one year anniversary of Gravity's Fall Angel! What better way to celebrate than writing a math final at 8:30 in the freakin' morning!****

 ** **Also… happy 400 reviews everyone!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: The code was a last minute idea. I wasn't looking for anything complicated. I'll up the challenge next time.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Yay Fordsie!****

 ** **OfLifeDeathAndAllBetween: Thanks!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Ford's a little… paranoid, so I'm not sure how great he'd be to hang around at first.****

 ** **AshuriIncarnate: Confession will come into play soon, but that's all I'll say about that.****

 ** **Guest ((Former)EMObillcipher89): It's being polite, I guess. Seriously though, we need flaming lemons.****

 ** **Tatum: Thanks!****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Her newfound realization about how she feels about Gravity Falls and the Pines family will affect her deal, but I won't say how until we reach that point. As for the line breaks, you find those at the top of the editing bar in the doc manager when you edit the file.****

 ** **RillFipher: Thanks.****

 ** **JDMichelle2626: It's the exact same reason as why she never said about her deal earlier. Elaine, while knowing this dimension isn't like the cartoon, sees enough resemblance to know to not say what could happen, or do anything to change how it could go. If she took the key when she went down there at night with Stan, then things would have gone south… a lot. Basically, it was to prevent any harm from happening.****

 ** **Cynder: Glad you found this glorious fanfic of mine. Almost every story of mine, sans the Undertale/Gravity Falls crossover, has an OC in it. I enjoy writing realistic characters. Though, Player 2 wasn't my greatest achievement. That… that could stand a rewrite.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: I think any fan has had a dream about Gravity Falls at least once. Weirdmageddon… that gave me a fair amount of freaky nightmares.****

 ** **Guest: Elaine's brand is still there. She just keeps it covered using makeup.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: What can I say? The semester's over.****

 ** **Tatum (again): Thanks. Glad you joined the story.****

 ** **Lynette: Uh… NON-SPECIFIC EXCUSE!****

 ** **We need sequel: Name explains it all.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Few errors, but that's the idea.****

 ** **Let's do this. I own Elaine and Gail.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited: Oct. 1/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

 _Well… this is… surreal._

I quickly pulled Soos back up to his feet after he collapsed, watching in silent shock as Stan began walking towards Ford. "Finally! After all these long years of waiting, you're actually here!" __Three, two, one.__ "Brother!" I winced as Ford give a rather nasty left-hook at Stan's cheek, making him stumble back. "Oh! Ow! What the heck was that for!?" He held his face, a bruise certain to form from the hit.

"This was an insanely risky move: restarting the portal! Didn't you read my warnings!?"There it was. I was finally meeting Ford in person. If it wasn't for me living with Stan for most of the summer and if they weren't dressed so differently, they would be identical in every way. _And, you know, the man has six fingers._ Learned this from hanging out with twins back home, that when you grew up with one of them more than the other, you could easily tell them apart. And I knew a lot of twins. Not gonna lie, I was almost as starstruck as Dipper was. Though, there was also a part of me that was… terrified of him.

He hated Bill, and spent the entire time across the multiverse trying to stop him. If I ever end up telling him about my deal, it would have to be near the time he revealed his own past. Any sooner… and it wouldn't end well. I would really have to make sure he didn't see my branding. "Warnings, schmarnings. How's about maybe a thanks for saving you from what appears to be, I don't know, some kind of sci-fi side burn dimension?"

"Thank you?" Ford narrowed his eyes, trying and failing to contain his anger. "You really think I'm gonna thank you after what you DID THIRTY YEARS AGO!?"

"What ****I**** did? Why, you ungrateful…!" Stan swung his arm to punch Ford, but the other Pines ducked and spun him around, pinning his arms behind his back. "Don't expect me to go easy on you, just because you're… family." Ford slammed Stan to the ground, still holding his arms back. "Ah!"

"Hey, hi." Mabel waved, drawing their attention to the female twin. Thank goodness for that, this pressure was killing me. "Mabel here. Quick question: WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!?"

Ford quickly released Stan, and got to his feet. Adjusting his glasses, he looked over all four of us. "Stan, you didn't tell me there were children down here. And some sort of large, hairless gopher?"

"Hehe. I get that a lot," Soos chuckled.

Stan stood up beside him, dusting off his suit. "They're your family, Poindexter. Shermy's grandkids."

"I-I have nieces and a nephew?" It was odd to hear him say that. Because, I guess it was weird to be away from your own family, your own world for such as long as he was-wait. Did he think I was-?

"Um, actually, it's-it's just… them." I nudged Dipper and Mabel forward. "I'm not related to… yeah, this is awkward." Ford bent down to shake Mabel's hand, not bothered by my behavior, and I watched her face lit up. Dipper was still a little behind him, still dumbfounded and awestruck.

"Greetings. Do kids still say greetings? I haven't been in this dimension for a really long time." Mabel leaned closer to examine his hand, and I giggled at her enthusiasm.

"Whoa, a six-fingered handshake? It's a full finger friendlier than normal!" Ford laughed, and released her hand.

"Heha, I like this kid. She's weird."

It took a few seconds, but once Ford was done addressing Mabel, the amazed gaping look morphed into a grin of excitement. "I-I can't believe it. You're the author of the journals!" Dipper finally broke free of his stupor, shouting the words with unconstrained glee.

"You've read my journals?" Ford pulled out journal one from his coat, sounding slightly impressed and gave him a patient smile. Unfortunately for him, that basically set Dipper off into a fanboy rant.

"I haven't just read them; I've ****lived**** them!" He began walking around in circles, waves of joy pouring off him as he gestured with his hands. "I've been waiting for so long to meet you, I-I don't know what to say I have so many questions I-" Dipper struggled to breathe properly, as he tried to get his words out. "Ooooohhh I think I'm gonna throw up." Mabel ran over, and began patting his back as he supported himself on a rock, his other hand clutching at his chest. "Hmmpf! No-no, false alarm. Hmmpf! Just gotta ride it out!"

"Classy," I muttered, rolling my eyes.

"Listen, there'll be time for introductions later," Ford announced, putting the journal away. "But first, tell me, Stan: are there any security breaches? Does anyone else know about this portal?"

"No, just us… also maybe the entire U.S. government," Stan admitted.

"The ****what****!?" I ran over to the glass screen where the camera was, and peered inside. I could faintly make out Powers' voice through the speaker, ordering them to search the property.

"We've got time. They won't be finding the entrance to the lab for a while. That'll buy us enough time to come up with a plan." I walked back over, rubbing my forehead. "Man, this isn't how I planned my weekend to go."

"Well, it looks like we're stuck down here for a while. Who wants to tell us their entire mysterious backstory?" Mabel asked. Ford walked past us, scribbling in the journal at a record pace.

"Yes, I have some questions about this myself, Stanley."

Oh no.

"Stanley?" Dipper asked.

"But your name is Stanford," Mabel pointed out.

There we go.

"Wait, you took ****my**** name!?" Ford snapped the book shut, and turned around in disbelief. "What have you been doing all these years, you knucklehead!?"

"Yeah, Grunkle Stan, no more lies!" Dipper added. "You owe us some answers: what's the deal with this portal? Why did you keep this a secret?"

"And what happened between you and your brother?" Mabel added. The twins, Ford, and Soos ganged up on him, and I just felt more neutral. Probably because I knew why already.

Soos crossed his arms, frowning. "I hope all this aligns exactly with my fanfic, Stan. If not, I will be very disappointed."

Looking at all of their angry faces, Stan settled on me desperately. His silent begging, while I didn't want to interfere, led me over to his side in an attempt to try and defuse the situation. Too many questions led to too many problems. "Guys, just… give him a moment, alright? This is a lot to take in right now, and Stan can't exactly speak with all of you jumping at him."

Dipper looked at me curiously, wondering where that came from. Honestly, I was too. Usually, I'd stay on the sidelines, and kept to myself in situations like this; only speaking out when it's needed. _And right now, it's needed, in my opinion._ "Elaine, why aren't you as upset as the rest of us? After everything that happened you should be just as upset, maybe even more than us, at Stan."

I bit my cheek in fear, not sure how to respond to that. I-I mean, how could I? Saying the truth about this, was… "I've been havin' her help me with the portal."

"… what?" What, indeed. We, including Ford, all turned to Stan. I didn't expect him to just… say it so bluntly. Without building up to it! I glared at him, feeling a mix of betrayal and hurt. _Stan, why…?_

Stan turned from me to Dipper, who was the one to ask that simple, yet emotional question. It was clear the anger was slowly starting to surface, and he wanted to try and control the situation. "It was mostly my idea, kid. Alright? It's not her fault." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Plus, it was bound to come out eventually..."

"Elaine, you… you knew about all this?" The same exact look. The same hurt, furious, heartbroken look that scarred my mind for an entire week made its return, and I stepped back from Dipper. "You knew, all this time about the portal, and you never told us!? Even after hiding such a big secret from us all summer!?" He saw I was stunned speechless, which only made it worse for him, and me. "Say something!"

 _ _K-keep calm, Elaine. Staying here is going to result with you breaking down in tears.__ But, Mabel already seemed upset, hearing what her brother was accusing me for. If… I gotta hide. "Stan's got this!" I shoved Soos aside, and ran towards the broken door where the lab was, feeling my throat start to constrict. Leaping over the wreckage in a partial roll, I ducked under the table. "You got this, Stan!" I yelled, voice cracking at the end. I could hear Stan groan, and Dipper shout at Stan once again.

 _ ** **Wow, Angel. That was very smooth of you.****_

 _ _Shut up, Cipher. I'm trying not to break down right now.__ I watched the demon's shadow appear at my feet, and sighed. _Deep breaths… easy._ I felt my heart start to slow down, taking in sharp inhales. Not like they're gonna be listening to me right now. It's safe to speak aloud. "He… he was gonna find out anyway."

 ** _ ** _Kid, Pine Tree's opinion is the least important thing for you to be worrying about. You were thinking for your own needs, and your need_**_** ** _ ** _s_**_** ** _ ** _overpower his. Though, I must admit… I'm not happy you had this plan going on behind my back._**_** My burn stung, and I watched very faint red spots pop up under my foundation on my hand. _Blood._ Since... when could he do this? __****We had a deal, Angel. Remember?****__

"Our deal… changed, Bill," I said carefully. "I… I…" sighing, I rested my hand on the shadow, right where I figured his tie was. "I don't want to go back."

 ** _…_** ** _ ** _w_**_** ** _ ** _hat? You-kid, are you alright? You hit your head back there, didn't you. H_**_** ** _ ** _eh. H_**_** ** _ ** _ere I am, hearing that you don't want to go back to your own dimension to be with your fleshbag family._**_** ** _ ** _The goal you had made for yourself since you first arrived here!_**_** ** _ ** _Ah ha ha ha ha! Ha ha… ha… you're serious?_**_** I nodded, and the shadow jerked away from my hand. __****Angel, we made a deal. You help me get my plan working, and I'll return you home. You DO NOT want to back out of this.****__

"And I-I'm not. Bill, I got closer to Stan, Dipper, and Mabel. I'm friends with them. Because of what we were working on. Even though Dipper hates me at the moment, for a very good reason, he still cares for me. I love the Pines family, and everyone else I befriended here. Leaving them… it would hurt them. My family will always be the most important thing in my life, but right now… " I wiped the water from my eyes with my clean hand, the one free of blood. "… the Pines deserve my help the most."

… **_**_so you're staying?_**_** I nodded, approving of the question. **_**_...YES!_**_** I stumbled back against the table, the shadow launching itself at me. While not fully existing in this world, Bill's form had enough solidity in it to manage a hug. I looked at my shoulder, seeing the top part of the triangle nuzzling into my neck. **_**_Mmmmm, ah ha ha ha! Finally!_**_**

"Wow, I honestly didn't expect you to get this excited." I wrapped my arms around him, trying to avoid them vanishing through the partially stable form and giggling softly.

 _ ** **Seriously, kid?****_ _ ** **You have any idea how excited****_ _ ** **you're willing to stay in this dimension?****_

"So I'm taking it you liked the kiss?" I asked, face pink at the reminder of what I had pulled at the party.

 ** _ ** _Wouldn't mind having another one,_**_** Bill said slyly.

"I'm in the middle of something, Cipher. Wait, I need to check something." Letting go of the demon and brushing off the suggestion, I inched towards the filing cabinet that blocking the door, and looked back at the Pines crew plus Soos over the top. Judging by the sound of it, they've reached the point where Stan got himself kicked out of his house. Ford was glaring at Stan as they filled in on various points. The two stopped talking though, and turned away from each other, glaring at opposite sides of the room. I grimaced, looking at my hand and wiped the blood on my jeans. This outfit needed to either be replaced or burned. _Just like my original clothes I arrived in._

"Oh! This story's so sad!" Mabel exclaimed. "I know what you two little broken teacups need: to hug it out! Hug it out! Hug train's comin' in the station! HUGAPOLOOZA TWO THOUSAND!"

"Kid, will ya knock that off? I'm tryin' to tell my life story here," Stan said. He began explaining his pursuit into sales, and the epic fails he made trying to make it rich. The cloths that removed all sorts of stains but bled into the fabric, only to be chased off when the locals came after him with badly created pitchforks. Once he got to the band-aid story, and how they wouldn't-I repeat: wouldn't give you rashes, I chose to cut in.

"It gave you rashes, didn't it?" The five turned in my direction, and I dropped back into my hiding spot. "Continue ignoring me, if you will."

"Yep. I traveled the whole country, sometimes outside of it, always one step ahead of the law, looking for something that would be my big break," Stan added, brushing off my odd interruption.

"Whoa, so Elaine was right. That explains all the fake IDs," Mabel said.

"Told you!"

"But, wait, what about you?" Dipper must be referring to Ford now. "Did you end up going to your dream school?"

"Not exactly. I ended up at Backupsmore University," Ford muttered. It was weird though. Certainly, he could have gone to other high ranking universities. Harvard or Oxford might exist in this world. I should ask about that at some point down the road, why he never went for anything better than what he attended. "In a place like that, I had to work twice as hard. Luckily, that's what I do best. I went from undergrad to PhD three years ahead of schedule, wrote a thesis that was nationally ranked, and was awarded an enormous grant for my own scientific research! But what to study."

The nostalgia was clear in his voice, and I inched closer to listen. "My whole life I'd been teased for my six fingers. But that got me thinking about anomalies: things that were odd, unusual, statistically improbable. And according to my investigations, there was one place with a higher concentration for these things than anywhere else. A small lumber town in roadkill country, Oregon: Gravity Falls."

"Meanwhile, your old uncle Stan was doing great," Stan jumped in. "I had come up with a sophisticated new business strategy. I was in great shape, living on my own, and the best part was: I didn't need help from nobody."

"Oh, Stan." I peered over my shoulder at him, feeling pity for the older twin. He shouldn't have had to go through all of that. Bill chuckled, probably at how pathetic their story was, and I turned around to look over the cabinet again after sparing him a quick glance.

"I was heading out on my own as well. I set to work using my grant money to investigate properties of this town, but what would I find it here? Unfortunately, this was proven when a tree monster decided to crush and drag my car into the woods." I grinned at that, and heard Mabel giggle. We had never seen the creature itself, but from the readings in the journal, it was around there somewhere. _I think Ford named it Steve._ "I began to investigate at once. I knew I'd have to record my findings. I began to keep a journal…"

"AAAAAAHHH! THE JOURNALS!"

I snorted loudly, and fell onto my back laughing. Dipper's voice-oh my gosh, that was the most feminine scream I ever heard! "Sorry, sorry," Dipper quickly said, clearing his throat as he had no doubt gathered unwanted attention. "Just got excited there… about the journals… keep-keep talking. Ugh, Elaine, would you stop that?"

"I'll stop when I'm dead!"

"I began to keep a journal…" "AAAAAHHH!" "Just going to… ignore that. There were anomalies everywhere," Ford continued, brushing off the girly shriek from his nephew. "And the more I looked, the more I saw. It was finally a place where I felt at home, but something nagged me: where did it all come from? It seemed to me the answer must come from outside of our world, a dimension of weirdness leaking into ours. I realized the only way to understand Gravity Falls would be t build a gateway: a portal to the source of its weirdness. But I couldn't do it alone. I decided to call up on my old college buddy, Fiddleford McGucket, a young but brilliant mechanic, who was wasting his talent trying to make personal computers in some garage in Palo Alto." Ford paused, and I wondered why he didn't continue. "Speaking of Fiddleford, is he still living here? How is he?"

"Uh… Elaine?" Mabel's voice made me poke my head out again. "How is he?"

"Fiddleford's memory is slowly healing. Running off events from the journal is helping him a lot." Seeing Ford's confused and shocked face, I quickly summarized what I had been up to. "He went overboard with the memory gun and lost his sanity after the portal incident. I've been helping him regain it ever since the kids and me found out he was your partner."

Ford frowned, and jotted down something in his book before returning to the others. No doubt he'd talk to me more about that later on. Either way, I kept my head up this time, choosing to watch their reactions to the story. Dipper studied me for a moment, but shifted his attention to Ford once again. "Many long nights were spent perfecting the machine. It would be the crowning achievement of my studies. An answer to the source of this town's anomalies. The time had come to test it. But then… it all went wrong. Fiddleford, due to his-my carelessness, was sucked into the machine when the rope around the dummy caught around his wrist. I had managed to pull him back out, but by then it was too late."

Ford looked down, hurt. "If only I saw what was coming, I could have prevented this. He saw the true purpose of the machine, where that portal truly led. Fiddleford, crushed by my denial to destroy it, quit the project. As for me, I was in over my head, and feared I was losing my sanity."

"Well, having you as a 'friend' would do that to anyone," I commented to Bill, who only shrugged in reply as I watched the conversation.

"I needed help. Someone I could trust." Stan looked over at him, visibly touched and hurt.

"I got a card from Ford tellin' me to come to Gravity Falls," he picked up. "What a way to welcome someone; threatening them with a crossbow to the face sure connects family, huh?" Ouch. "He showed me his portal that could break through a weak spot in this dimension."

"How it could do more harm than good." Ford began speaking. "I had already hid journals two and three, and had chosen Stanley to bury it at the edge of the world. But someone thought I was being selfish!"

"I'm selfish?" Stan shouted back, hearing the sharp edge in his brother's words. "You wanted to see me after ten years, just to send me on some crazy boat trip to get as far away from you as possible!"

"You have no idea what I've went through!" Ford shouted back.

"Guys, guys!" Mabel cried. "We have to stay calm! The agents could hear us if we're too loud." That shut them up. We all looked upwards, hearing the footfalls over our heads.

"Fine," Ford said bitterly, though it was easy to see he wasn't done. "Stanley tried to burn my book, and that led to us fighting each other in an attempt for its possession. I… I ended up branding him when I kicked him off of me, ramming him into the side of the control panel."

"So that's what that tattoo was," Dipper muttered to himself, before turning to Stan. "No wonder you always hide it."

Stan nodded, and Ford continued with the tale. "He shoved me against the lever, and when he shoved the journal back at me, it was too late. I was caught in the gravitational pull of the portal, and was being dragged in. I threw the journal at him, and disappeared from this dimension."

"I'd lost him. I didn't know if he was dead or alive in some distant galaxy, but knew his journal must have the answer to getting him back. Somehow. I didn't get much sleep that night. Or the night after that. I tried for weeks to turn that dumb machine back on. But without the other two journals it was hopeless. Finally I ran out of food. I had no choice but to go into town." Stan paused, letting the kids digest the information. "The people of the town were curious about my brother's work, and thought I was him. When I saw how much they wanted to see what he did, I began to make tours. Attracting tourists and other attractions. So I came up with a plan. I couldn't leave my brother's house until I figured out how to save him, but I needed to pay his mortgage somehow. For once in my life, people were actually buying what I was selling. And so the Murder Hut was born! Later renamed the Mystery Shack. Finally I found something I was good at. For once being a liar and a cheat paid off. The old me was dead, and I'd faked a car crash to prove it. By day I was Stanford Pines: Mr. Mystery. But by night I was down in the basement, trying to bring the real Stanford back."

"I couldn't risk anyone learning the truth and sabotaging my mission, so I lied to everyone: the town, my family, your parents, even you kids. As for Elaine." I poked my head out again, and everyone turned to look at me. "When I found out about her problem, I figured that it was a good a shot as any to send her home again. I showed her the portal, and made her promise not to tell you kids anything either."

"He's right." I finally stepped out of the lab, seeing Bill's shadow vanish. "With my situation, there weren't many options to get me back. Sorry for keeping this secret, Dipper. I didn't mean for this to blow up in your face… again. You know that I don't like keeping secrets unless I can't help it."

"It's alright, Elaine. Just… all this time Stan was just trying to save his brother." He looked up at Stan guiltily. "Grunkle Stan, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you."

"That's okay, kid. I probably wouldn't have believed me either," Stan replied, matching his tone.

"I heard talking! It was coming downstairs!" We all looked up, hearing an agent's voice.

"Oh no, it's too late, the agents are comin' for us!" Stan shouted.

"What do we do!?" Mabel cried, standing up.

"Aw, man. I was so spellbound by your dramatic tale I forgot all about those dudes," Soos complained.

"Wait, forget. That's it! I think I know a way we might be able to defeat those agents!" Dipper reached into a bag beside him, and pulled out the memory gun. He handed it to Ford, smiling.

"Where did-you didn't even have that bag when we came down here. Where did it come from?" I asked. Dipper paused, looking from me to it, and shrugged. "Of course." Weird cartoon physics still apply at the most random of times.

"Of course! I don't know how you got a hold of one of these but, this is perfect! If I can just amplify the signal to a radio headset frequency…" he ran to the lab, and we ran after him. Plugging in several wires, and checking the viewing glasses in the wall, Ford turned to us. "There. Now everyone PLUG YOUR EARS! GET DOWN! NOW!"

It was hard to describe the noise, but it was a little like someone cranking up a microphone and emitting a ton of feedback. A loud sound wave pulsed through the air, and I could hear Bill screaming in the back of my head. As for myself, while there was a slight ringing in my ears, I was fine. __Whoops. Sorry, Bill!__

 _ ** **Ugh…****_

"Now, to get these agents off the property." Ford headed upstairs, and we all followed behind him. Watching from the window, we saw Ford tell the agents to leave, but not before demanding the information on the investigation. As the cars and helicopters dispersed, he fed the flash drive with the case on it to Gompers, who happily ran off into the woods with it. Mabel and Dipper ran out to meet him once we were certain the coast was clear, while Stan, Soos, and I stood at the front door.

"Great Uncle Stanford, that was amazing!" Mabel gushed.

"Let's not go crazy; it was serviceable," Stan grumbled.

"Thank you, kids, but please, call me Ford," Ford chuckled, a little embarrassed by the praise.

"Sure! Thanks, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper said. "So, uh, would you mind if I ask you a couple billion questions about Gravity Falls?" He pulled a notepad and pen from his vest, clicking the pen madly.

"Um, well I-uh…" Ford seemed so flustered and confused. Guess he wasn't expecting this much worship.

"Alright, kids, it's been a long day and me and my brother have a lot to talk about. Why don't you hit the hay, huh?" Stan asked, walking over to them.

"But, it's the author!" Dipper protested, still clicking the pen. "I've been waiting so long to ask questions about-"

"I said. Hit. The hay!" Grabbing their heads, Stan pushed them towards the door. Dipper seemed hurt, and Mabel held his shoulder as they walked past me and Soos.

"I'll just… let myself out." Soos ran off, and I watched him pull his phone out to call Wendy. _I hope he's able to let the others know too. Otherwise, I'm in for an interesting conversation with the squad._ Shaking my head, I turned around to follow Mabel and Dipper, only for Stan's voice to stop me.

"Kid, can you come here for a second?" __Oh boy.__ Hesitantly, I walked to the two twins, avoiding Ford's eyes. "Ford, this is Elaine. She's not from… uh, kid? Care to explain?"

 _Introductions, huh? Alrighty then._ I held out my hand, and Ford took it. Six fingers. It was certainly an interesting thing to hold, but I found it nothing too strange. I survived Gravity Falls, after all. "Elaine Milton, at your service. It's been worth the wait to finally meet you in person, Ford. With the stuff Stan's told me, and what I've learned this summer from journal three, you're something else." _You know, I think that's the first time I ever said my last name to anyone._

I internally smirked, seeing a small blush on his face. He wasn't expecting that apparently, especially from the fact I learned about him through his brother and the journal… where the stuff I learned was him descending into madness. "Well, thank you, Elaine," Ford finally said. Releasing my hand, he turned to Stan. "Any reason why else you brought her over, Stanley?"

"Recall why I told her about the portal and not the kids. She's from another dimension, Poindexter," Stan said. Ford jolted back in surprise, and looked at me. Blushing myself, I gave a small wave.

"Surprised? Your brother found me passed out in a bloody mess at the start of the summer. We don't know how I wound up here, but I've been living here for almost two months now." Rocking on my heels, I giggled. "It's weird, when you keep making references to things that don't exist here."

"You're from another dimension?" Ford asked, suddenly much more interested in what I was saying. "And you have no clue how you got here?"

"Hasn't said anything to show for it," Stan answered for me. "Oh, uh… sorry 'bout destroying your only way home, Elaine."

He was… saying he was sorry? "Heh… hehe." I looked over at Stan, and moved to hug him without another word. He stiffened, and I chuckled into his jacket. "I'm not… I'm not mad, Grunkle Stan. I'm… thanking you."

"Thank yo-kid, what're you talking about?" He looked from Ford to me in confusion, and I let him go.

"Stan… I-I'm not going home. I kinda came to that decision a few days ago that I'd grown to love this place. Ever since our trip to break Robbie and Wendy up, I'd starting thinking of this place as home, calling the twins family, and with how you've been helping me this summer… I'm from somewhere, far, far away. With that portal destroyed, there's not many other ways for me to get home. And I so, so love this place." I was speaking with as much emotion as I could manage, wrapping them into my words. Ford had a look of confusion and amazement at how passionate I was going with this, while Stan… he actually seemed proud of me right now. Proud, at how I came to this point of the summer. "Despite how many times I've almost died and been thrown through emotional loops! Maybe I'll find a way back one day, but right now, I'm here to stay. And no being in this or any other dimension is gonna say otherwise," I announced, puffing my chest out proudly. __Ain't that right, Cipher?__

"Elaine, are you sure about that? You know this means you're never gonna see your parents and sister again, right?" Stan asked slowly, resting a hand on my shoulder with the faintest bit of concern. Eyes brimming with tears, I nodded soundly.

"I'm certain. Stan, there's nothing left for me there anyway. I've been gone for roughly two months, and… they probably all think I'm dead. Even if the portal did work, we wouldn't be able to pinpoint the exact location anyway." In all honesty, my second option really was a long shot. Plus, while Bill could bring me to other dimensions without harm… I didn't want a repeat of what happened to my body. I barely managed it the first time. A second time would possibly kill me. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some twins to tell the news to. Nice talking to you, Ford!" I ran back into the Mystery Shack, and up the stairs to the bedroom.

 _I have no clue what's to happen now, or where I'm going…_ "GUYS!" I flung the door open, scaring the kids so badly Mabel fell backwards onto her bed and Dipper jumped a foot in the air. _If I could make it in this world… or not._

"Elaine, what the heck?" Dipper said, holding his chest. "What was that about?"

 _But I'm here, with my friends, and I won't let them go through the pain of seeing me leave them too._

(Time Skip)

It was nighttime, and we were all clad in our pajamas. Mabel was listening through the door on Ford and Stan's conversation, while Dipper and me were already in bed. "Did you hear what they said? I think Grunkle Ford said they're gonna buy us puppies made of ice cream. Might be wishful thinking, though."

"I don't know if this is good or bad. I wanted to meet the author, but…" Dipper looked up at the ceiling, and sighed.

"Yeah, I hear ya." I rolled onto my side, and stuck my glasses up on the shelf. "Things were much simpler when it was just us, Stan, and a sadistic demon on our backs."

"Eh, I'm sure they'll work things out," Dipper said. "Elaine, do-do you really mean it? You don't want to go home?" He looked down at me from his bed, seeing my face staring up back at him, all snuggled into my covers.

"Hehe. Dippin' Dots, I already made it clear that I've fell for this place. Where I end up from here is yet to be decided, but I'm not going home. At least not for a long, long time. Even he knows this." Mabel flopped down on her bed, looking at me.

"Bill? But isn't your deal about him taking you home?" She asked. I nodded, squinting at her. _Probably shouldn't have taken off the glasses yet._

"Yep. I said he'd take me home. But, Mabel, this is my home too, just as much as my dimension was. Whichever place I chose to go, someone will end up sad and heartbroken. I've already been gone for too long. My family… they must think I'm dead by now. There's not much left for me there." I tucked my arms under my head and pillow, staring up at the ceiling. "Gravity Falls and you dorks are just as much family as they are. You aren't getting rid of me that easily."

"… Dipper, you don't think we'll turn out like Stan and Ford, do you?"

"What do you mean?" Dipper asked. He rolled onto his side, looking at his sister at the sudden change in subject.

"I mean, they used to be best friends, but then they got all stupid. Can you promise me you won't get stupid?" Mabel asked, a hint of desperation in her voice.

"I'm not stupider than you, dum-dum," Dipper teased.

"Goodnight, stupid," Mabel smiled.

"Goodnight, stupid." Dipper turned off the lamp, and closed his eyes. Mabel rolled over, staring that the wall, and I quietly slipped out of my covers. Walking over to Mabel, I laid down beside her, and wrapped my arms around the girl, pulling her to me. __It's the shrinking thing all over again.__ No way was I letting her have another nightmare.

"It's okay, Mabel." I petted the top of head, hearing her soft whimpers. "It's okay. Nothing's gonna split you and Dipper up. I won't allow it. Not Gideon, nor angry ghosts, nor Bill is going to split us up." I kissed the top of her head, and we pulled up the covers. She snuggled into my shoulder, and I finally closed my eyes. "We're gonna be fine, Mabel. I promise… same to you, Mason."

"… thanks, Elaine."

* * *

Opening my eyes to the Nightmare Realm was normal for me now. Bill only pulled me into the normal Mindscape unless its an emergency. Where I woke up… was somewhere entirely new.

Lush green fields, bright blue sky, and ponds all over the ground. Golden glowing ponds. Wildflowers grew around my feet, and the grass was almost to her knees. "Where am I?" Wandering around, I felt the summer sun kiss my skin, and laughed. I slowly picked up my pace, and soon started running through the field, laughing. My hair blew in the wind behind me, and I cartwheeled through the tall grass before landing on my back. My brown hair spread out under me, and I rested my hands over my chest.

"Well, Angel? What do you think of your mind?" My mind… I wasn't in a different dimension after all. This place was what my mind looked like. Sitting up, I brushed a stray lily from my hair, turning to face Bill.

"It's beautiful, Bill. I-I've never seen anything like it." He drifted down beside me, and he grabbed my head. "Wha-okay. Where are you-oh." He dropped me… into his lap. What was it with this guy and constant contact? "Dominant," I remarked.

"Submissive." _Sums up this partnership in a nutshell._ "So, Angel, it looks like I've fulfilled my end of the deal. You're home, huh?"

"Yep. You… you did it, Cipher." This summer wasn't over. I was still going to have to live through whatever happened in the finale in my world. Which… I was dreading, actually. But I really hoped my closeness with Bill might change things in my favor. My favor, and the favor of everyone else in the town. "Everything's different now. I'm here to stay, Ford's back, and you get me all to yourself."

"And you still got to keep your end of the deal, kid. No backing out now. It's almost time for the ****real**** fun to start." He stroked my head, closing his eye. "You wanna know why I dragged you here? Get up." Taking my hand, Bill led me towards one of the many golden ponds scattered about. We stopped at the edge, and Bill gestured to the water. Letting my hand fall from his, I bent down to look into the gilded water. What I saw… was not what I was expecting.

"G-Gail…? These… these are my memories." All of these ponds… these were my memories, and fears, and dreams. Just like how Stan had all those doors in the Mystery Shack, I had nature to represent my mind. The memory was one of the last things I could remember. We were sitting on my bed, and I was trying and failing at braiding her hair. "I remember this…"

"Hey, Gail?" The past me asked, Gail's hair entwined in her fingers. "Have… you ever wondered if there's something else out there?"

"Elaine, you're speaking gibberish," Gail giggled. "What are you talking about?" I had given up on her braid, and swung my legs over the edge of my bed. Gail moved to sit beside me, and she watched me put a finger to my chin in thought.

"Well, you remember all of those games and shows that talk about dimensions, right? Like Rick and Morty, Star vs the Forces of Evil, and Gravity Falls? Well, who's to say that's not possible for us? What if there's dimensions that exist around us, that scientists just haven't discovered yet?"

"You mean that weird multiverse theory?" Gail asked. "What if it is? Real, I mean."

"Then, if it is… we'll go explore them!" I declared, throwing a fist in the air. "They're probably so much to learn, and we'll be the first ever from our dimension to see them." Gail rolled her eyes, and shook her head. "No?"

"Elaine, that sounds like your dream. I don't think I'd ever be up for traveling that far away from home." Gail flopped back on the bed, looking at the ceiling. "Besides, what if you can't get back home? You could end up being like Stanford Pines and be stuck outside this dimension for years. And what about me?" I laid down beside her, and wrapped my arm around the smaller Milton. "I'm not sounding supportive, am I?"

"Not really, but that makes sense. You know how important family is to me, dork. I might be able to survive if I never see mom or dad again, but I'd lose my mind if I never said goodbye. Besides, it's just a silly thought. Together forever, right?" We laughed, and I ruffled her head playfully. "Love you, Gail."

"I love you too, Ellie."

"Ellie… Mabel had thought she came up with that nickname all on her own. I forgot that… that Gail came up with it first." I felt a clawed finger wipe my cheek, no doubt trying to wipe the tears off. "Bill… how did-I thought you said you never went through my memories?"

"Never did, Angel. This is the first time I've ever been in here. Figured that you should see your sister in some way one last time." Bill hummed, and I wondered what he was thinking about. "You always so interested in dimensions, kid?"

"It was… always some weird idea of mine, really. I loved watching shows, reading books, and some part of me wondered… if the multiverse did exist, did that mean what I thought was imaginary was real too? It was a silly wish, how was I supposed to know it'd come true? You saw how I looked when I came here. I was a bloody mess," I chuckled.

"Kid, wishes aren't real, okay? Who even thought putting 'faith' into a flaming ball of gas millions of light years away from them is an idiot." Bill drifted down to sit beside me again, and I traced the glowing water with a finger. "Trust me, Angel. I know all too well about wanting something more exciting than the boredom of your own dimension. The confines, the bland personalities… it comes at a cost once you get what you finally want."

That… was the most personal I think I ever got the demon to be. I turned to face Bill, but saw he was staring down, deep in thought. I kept quiet for a moment, before laying my head awkwardly on his shoulder. Blinking, his large pupil moved to look at me, and I smiled sadly. "Guess this means we're both insane dorks without a world, huh?"

Bill chuckled, and he rubbed his hand in my hair. "It looks like it, toots." Bill 'smirked', and leaned even closer. __I see where this is going.__ I shyly looked away for a second, and sighed. __You know what? Screw it.__ At this point, I could care less what happened.

There were three types of times I'd ended up kissing the triangle. First was when he gave me surprise kisses. The second was when I randomly kissed him for taking me to the Blood Moon Ball. The third was when we both went for it at the same time. The only time I could think of when that happened was when our partnership took a turn.

This was another number three.

Times a million.

Kissing was never something overly complicated, but the emotion behind it was what made it special. And sitting in this field of flowers and precious memories, with someone who was just as happy as you were to find a place to belong... this was a special moment. In that pure, little moment, there was no danger. The odd buzzing was in the back of my head, but it wasn't me trying to wake up. If anything, it was his bliss-filled aura, showing just how much the moment meant to him. "Not bad, Angel." His eye was still a mouth once we broke apart, but it wasn't moving when he spoke. Several rows of canines were visible, a reminder of what hid behind the simple yellow mask.

"Y-yeah. You too..." I replied, trying not to stare at the maw. Quickly, he shifted back to his eye, and I gave a small smile in relief. "Thanks."

"Listen well, Angel. What you're talking about, and what you're planning to do has consequences. Staying in another world, and visiting others is dangerous." He looked back at the memory pond. "Especially seeing that you're sticking with me now, kid. You're in for a wild ride."

That didn't sound very good, but… I'd come this far. I wasn't going to destroy this dimension, if that's what he's implying. But I knew I was gonna affect whatever happened one way or another. For now, I just had to let things run their course, and see what would occur. "I… I'm ready, Bill. I don't know what's coming, or how it will go, but I'll… we'll go through it together, won't we?" Bill laughed, and I smiled at him. "Hey, uh… ca-can we stay here a little longer?" A breeze blew past us, and my hair drifted around me. Small ripples danced over the water, and the clouds had passed enough to reveal the sun. Bouncing off all the ponds, it made the entire field glow gold.

Bill wrapped his arm around my shoulders. "Sure, sweetheart." He kissed the top of my head, and I leaned into the hug. "Enjoy this, kid. After all, your new dimension's gonna learn how to party sooner than you think."

* * *

 ** **This entire chapter was written the day after the last update, and it took less than 12 hours. No clue how, but I just got going like crazy. Fair warning. Weirdmageddon is going to have a lot more intense. Anything that seemed insane at this point, is only the tip of the insanity iceberg.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	55. Triple D Part 1

****Disclaimer: Finals are halfway over. Chem tomorrow morning, and social comp. on Thursday. Then... BREAK TIME! I was planning on posting this once they were over, but I wanted to post now. This was a good chapter, and I'm on such a roll. This and one more episode before The Last Mabelcorn, and really freakin' close to the finale.****

 ** **Also, the stupid title was too long for the site, so I had to go with Triple D... great.****

 ** **Guest ((former)EMObillcipher89): Yeah, I can understand your reaction.****

 ** **Nina Everblade: Uh… I guess you can call that kiss cute? The ending was though, I'll agree there.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: That, I can't really answer. I can't/won't spoil anything in this answer, but think of it this way. If her dimension and Gravity Falls ran in the same time, then she'd have been missing for almost two months. Three months by the end of the series. At that point, she's considered missing or dead in her dimension.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I wanna see whatever you end up drawing!****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Neither can I! One year sure passed quickly.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade (again): I know, I mentioned it the disclaimer of the chapter. Kinda hard not to know that your first story is a year old. (Sniff) They grow up so fast.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: What's being woken?****

 ** **ultima-owner: It's too deadly for everyone.****

 ** **Cynder: I answer everyone's review. It makes my day seeing people enjoy the story.****

 ** **AboveAvenue: Yeah, that's Bill.****

 ** **RillFipher: Um… why is Elaine a psychopath? I'm curious.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade (again): You've read it multiple times? Cool.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): This story's not gonna end like that. Elaine's not in a coma, and this isn't just her imagination running wild.****

 ** **1-18-9-5-19: Everyone's wondering how she ended up there. That, however, won't be addressed until the very end. Sad ending, huh? Well… it's Stan losing his memory, and… I can't really say anything else here. My plan for the finale is intense, and I don't want to say anything else.****

 **For anyone who's reading this now after that chapter was posted, I had gone and severely edited the kiss scene. It's much more gentle now.**

 ** **I own Elaine and her family,**** ** **and the Star vs the Forces of Evil theme song belongs to Disney.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 2/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Breakfast was… tense, to say the least.

Stan and Ford either ignored each other, or kept shooting annoyed glares. The kids and I tried to get around the awkwardness, and continued chatting about what I planned to do next. Avoiding the Bill topic, due to Ford being right next to us of course, but what I planned to do next in this dimension. _Well, it's more interesting than asking about how we slept._ Which was… not bad, actually. Mabel was lulled to sleep with me next to her, and Dipper fell asleep knowing I was going to try and keep things together. Ford seemed interested though, in the discussion of the dimensions. I kept seeing him look our way every time I responded. I had also noted that, after our first introduction, his dark outfit was changed to what the cartoon in my dimension gave him. Why he chose to wear the tan coat inside was beyond me, but it didn't really matter.

"So, you're never going home," Dipper repeated for the fourth time as I tuned back into the conversation. "But can't you go back sometime in the future?"

"Maybe." I nudged my scrambled eggs across the plate, and stabbed a piece into the blob of ketchup. "Might end up seeing Gail again one day, but the risk of going back is too high." I sighed, and gave a tiny forced grin. "I'm getting depressed, am I?"

"A little," Mabel replied. "But I'm just glad that you're staying with us." She gasped, as a light bulb seemed to go off in her head. "Does this mean you're coming back to California with us?" __Uh…__

I never even considered what happened at the end of the show. I knew that it centered around whatever Bill had planned, but I completely forgot that Dipper and Mabel had to leave. I loved the dorks, I do. But… there was one small problem with this. "Mabel, there's a bit of a problem with that."

"Your friend doesn't exist in this world." We all turned to Ford, wondering why he and where he was going with this conversation. I was certain we had the same idea though, seeing we both dealt with dimensional traveling. "If she tried to have a life outside of this town, it would near impossible."

"Cops don't care about stuff like that here, kids," Stan then took over. "If Elaine here tried to attend a school in Piedmont, or get a job, there'd be questions."

"Which is why the government was after me," I finished. "Being in Gravity Falls is essentially my safe place. If there's a way to forge an ID, then I'd gladly go back with you. But I have no birth certificate, or social insurance, or anything. I don't exist."

"We'll get to that problem when the time comes," Dipper said, visibly disappointed. "Just hoping."

"Alright." Ford stood up, and went to put his dishes in the sink. "I am going to call each of you into my room to run a medical examination. We need to make sure that there is no radiation from the portal on you. When is that… gopher man going to arrive?"

"Soos; and he and Wendy should be here soon," Stan said, frowning at the indirect insult. Ford walked out of the room, and Stan began to gather our dishes. "Already had him check me out last night. You kids can go in the gift shop until then. Not opening the Shack today until we fix this place up again."

"Lazy Tuesday!" Mabel cheered. How weird, that the whole portal thing happened Saturday. We ended up screwing our sleeping schedule up when we spent all of Sunday hiding in the lab with Ford, or Monday where we had to contact the construction workers to rebuild the Mystery Shack… again. Man, our insurance rate must be high.

"I'm gonna go grab my journal from the attic." I headed to the stairs. "Call me when it's my turn." The book was still in its spot behind the boxes, which had all fallen over due to the lack of gravity. Pulling it out, I sat down on the window seat and got out my pen. "Here we go."

" ** **Sweet freakin' potato**** ** **smothered in butter**** ** **. Stanford Pines is BACK. I'm… pretty sure I made a weird first impression. He thought I was Dipper and Mabel's older sister.**** ** **Which, to be honest, I**** ** **can see where he was coming from. I basically**** ** **act like a family figure to**** ** **Mabel. Though, there is still Dipper's crush on me. Everything's weird like that.****

 ** **Bill was really happy that I was staying here. True, it meant I still had to help him out-wait****." Di-did we even still do that daily question thing? "Cipher! You mind popping in for a moment?"

"Something bothering you, Angel?" Bill 'grinned', appearing in front of me.

"Are we still doing that daily question thing? Because although you're keeping your word on healing my injuries, we haven't really been asking each other stuff lately." __Maybe it's because I've been so busy, or depressed, that I haven't had time to think about it.__

"Got it in one, kid. I've been letting you slide through on that deal," he waved my question off. "We can call it off now though, if ya want. Seeing how you're not leaving my side or this dimension any time soon, there's not too much stress on having you answer my questions. All I gotta do is just be around you, to see and hear what I need to know. Ha! Not like that's anything new."

"Does this mean you'll keep me healed, even though we're not asking each other stuff anymore?" He nodded. "Okay then." Bill patted the top of my head, and I smirked. "It's been… wow, our relationship's changed a lot, huh?"

"You're letting me use you as a puppet to learn how to fool other fleshbags, but besides a few other things, I wouldn't say it's too much. You can still ask me stuff, if you want." Pulling my head back, I picked up my journal to continue writing.

"I'll take that offer up down the road." _Hmmm… what else should I add?_ " ** **So even though we're no longer doing the question thing, I still help him out by being his eyes around Gravity Falls. Being someone on the inside, and hearing what goes on****." I paused from my writing, and looked back up. "I won't lie though, you have your nice moments, Bill. They're creepy and disturbing as heck, but you're not all bad."

"You're too different than Sixer, you know that?" I knew that. I knew that very well. While we're both fully aware of his plans, I wasn't threatened by him. I liked his twisted and snappy sense of humor, and he liked me in return. I knew how to be careful, and with our close bond, I was on my way to try and diffuse his plans for this world in a less violent way than what Ford kept imagining. He… he won't kill me. Time Baby had no idea what he's talking about. Bill would never kill me. _He… wouldn't._

"Elaine! It's your turn!" Dipper shouted, his voice echoing from under the door and showing just how long I had been up there.

"I have to go. Ford is checking everyone over for radiation, and I'm guessing I'm the last one. We've chatted for a while." Tossing the book in the corner, I stood up and quickly hugged the triangle. "See you later, Cipher." I was actually willingly hugging him. How had we gone from barely standing each other, to this?

I wasn't upset. Just… how much had I changed since arriving in Gravity Falls?

3rd POV

Elaine stood in front of Ford's door, hesitant. The entire walk, from the attic to the downstairs room was silent, but it wasn't like she had anything to say aloud about it. Should she knock though? Should she just walk in to the room? No. No, that'd be rude. _Maybe I shouldn't do this. I-I don't think I'm ready._ "Enter." _Oh._ _S_ _o that solved things._ She glanced down at the floor, seeing that the hall light created a small shadow that must have been seen from the other side. _Here… here we go._ Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Elaine opened the door and stepped inside. Ford had cleaned off the desk at the far side, with medical equipment scattered about, and the journal one lying on the couch with a blanket. Where did he get all of this? Was this stored down in the lab, or was it stored in his room already? "Elaine, was it?" Ford was in one of two chairs at the desk, writing in journal three.

"Yes, sir," she answered, still examining the room. Other than the new items, the only other major difference was that the couch on the side looked like a messy bed. A blanket was thrown onto the right side, not being bothered to be folded, and a pillow sat on the opposite end, still holding an indent where Ford's head rested. Slowly, she moved through the room towards the scientist, the floorboards creaking ever so quietly under her sneakers.

Ford watched her hesitance upon entering, mentally repeating what was spoken of the teen with a frown. Stanley had told him, during his checkup, that she was a sensitive girl. Seeing firsthand what happened when the boy, Dipper, began yelling at her, she had adopted a very quick fight-or-flight response. It looked as if she was approaching a panic attack, before running off to deal with it instead of having to be around them. This wasn't the first time she had done this too, apparently. He had been given small snippets from the children and his brother of the unusual teen, and he came to the horrible conclusion that this girl was essentially a younger, more timid version of him. Secretive, paranoid, thinks on her feet… but while his was mental, she was emotional damage.

"No need to call me sir, Elaine. You can call me Ford, same as the children." Elaine blushed, and sat down opposite of him. Glancing over at the journal, she saw he had Dipper's observations opened. Dipper's heart rate was written down, and she grinned. _Of course Ford would have noticed that._ _How couldn't he?_ "First, let me scan you for any excess radiation."

"Is that gonna hurt?" Elaine asked, watching him pull out a box. It was nothing special, just a small gray box with a needle pointing out at the end, with a meter showing levels from green to red and a light above that. EMF was very easy to count, and the girl had to wonder how much she was carrying. It wasn't just the portal, but also considering she must have traveled a lot with Bill, and the trip to arrive in the town in the first place. Then again, the traveling with Bill was her Mindscape-self. Her mental state. Not her physical-self. Ford shook his head, and held the antenna towards her as he turned it on.

Neither of them expected the device to smoke and short out on his hand… and start sparking on top of that.

"That's unusual," Ford muttered. He quickly wrapped a rag around it, in case it set of the smoke alarm and sat it down. "But I suppose it must have to do with your situation." He flipped to a fresh page, and began writing down his notes. "Do you have any idea how far your dimension is from this one?"

"No clue. A lot of these things are still a mystery to me. I'm piecing things together as I go," Elaine shrugged. Yeah, she wasn't going to mention the other dimensional travel she'd done. Ford held the journal out in front of him, and kept looking from her to his writing, his pen keeping up with their conversation.

" ** **Observations:****

 ** **Excessive radiation.**** ** **M**** ** **ost likely due to her transportation to this world.****

 ** **Constant twitching.**** ** **E**** ** **ither due to**** ** **the emissions**** ** **, or nervousness from choosing her final resting place****."

That line… sounded a little morbid, even to him. He should change that later on. Ford nodded in thought, making a mental note and turned back to the teen. That necklace around her neck… it wasn't like any other symbol on the zodiac, but there seemed to be some sort of importance behind it. Some sort of reason. _I should research more on that once the portal is out of the way,_ he noted. "Any other notes you need, Ford?"

"Just a few." She remained silent, watching him dash the pen along the page at a quick but extremely detailed pace. On one side of the opened book was his observations, and a drawing of her necklace under them. The other side had a paragraph about her, and a slowly developing image of the teen herself. Her appearance had her standing with her hands behind her back. Her eyes seemed... sad, and happy at the same time. A small smile was on her face, as she rocked on the balls of her feet.

" ** **Elaine Milton. My first impression of this teen was how quiet she was. Despite the children's argument that she is usually much more active, she seems to be much more depressed than she appears.****

 ** **I had initially thought she was a niece herself, seeing how close she was to the Pines family. Her personality switched from calm and quiet to energetic and sarcastic. To summarize: a perfect blend of both Mabel and Dipper's attributes****." He had a few other observations that he picked up from Dipper and Mabel before the girl had come in, and written them in beforehand.

" ** **Owns her own journal styled like my own.**** ** **Ne**** ** **ither twin gave a clear answer to where she had received the book, and what its contents hold. I may need to ask more about it and see what her thoughts on interdimensional travel are.****

 ** **Had been bitten by a gremloblin.**** ** **W**** ** **as told this from Dipper when he tried to catch one. I need to discuss monster safety with him in the future. Should ask to see the scar alongside the burns that Stanley said he had treated****." At least his brother had enough common sense to know not to bring her to the hospital. They would have asked too many questions.

"Ford, c-can I ask you something?" __Add nervous stutter to that list.__ "What happened during your time across the multiverse?" She wanted to know. She'd end up finding out at some point, but it didn't hurt to ask now.

"Elaine, there's too much that I can tell you. Regardless of your case, the path I lead is too dark and weird for others to follow," Ford told her, completely serious. Elaine blinked. _Wh… really? He was really going with this?_

"Ford, I analyzed things much more than Dipper did. I'm not sure if you've read the entries we've made to journal three yet, but…" did Dipper write about her deal with Bill? If he did, then he was bound to find out about her much faster than she was ready. "But I've read your entries further, going in between the lines using what I've learned this summer… Bill's a pain, isn't he?"

Ford almost fell out of his chair at that. "Wait, you know Bill?" He asked, leaning forward in alarm.

"I know enough that you should've been more smart to see all the warnings he was putting up. Possession and eye bleeding?" Thank goodness that didn't happen to her or Dipper. They weren't possessed long enough for that to happen. "Ford, you're smart, but you're also an idiot." _I've been waiting to say that for days._

That was a blow to his ego. She wasn't holding anything back, was she? "I was young and foolish back then. I didn't know what I was doing because my thirst for knowledge clouded my judgment." Elaine nodded, resting back in her own chair.

"Doing what you thought was right for your own needs, but not realizing how much it was hurting the people you cared about until it was too late," she mumbled. Ford looked at her in surprise. How much… what had this girl seen and done to turn into this? What had she experienced to mirror himself so closely?

"Elaine," he began. "The fact that you are aware of the dangers of this town more than the kids is a grave threat. Especially if Bill happens to know of your small knowledge in his ultimate goal." __Too little too late for that, Ford.__ "But perhaps, I can help you adjust yourself. Be able to defend your mind, and teach you more about this town. It appears that you're going to be staying here for a while."

"You want to… teach me?" This was… okay, that was going way off track. But it's not like that was anything new to her. "Ford, I-I need to think about this. Not that I think you're bad or anything, but… you're not the greatest role model."

"Fair enough. I'll let you think on it." Elaine stood up, making her towards the door.

"I'll see you at lunch, Ford." She walked out of the room, leaving Stanford to his thoughts. "Oh, this is going way off track," she muttered, closing the door behind her and leaning against it. She slapped a hand to her forehead, and groaned. "Oh… I need to lie down."

Elaine's POV

"It's gonna get a little weird. Gonna get a little wild. I ain't from 'round here. I'm from… another dimension… man, those lyrics hurt in my context."

I was lying on the couch, staring up at the ceiling while the family sans Ford was relaxing in the gift shop. I had saw Mabel carry in a bag of cheesies, which was no doubt empty by now. I needed to think.

I understood where Ford was coming from. Perhaps he thought of me as some form of kinship because of the similarities between us. But… his request made me anxious. I didn't want to get close yet. I shouldn't have even mentioned I knew about Bill in any way. What on earth did Dipper write in that journal about me and Bill anyway? _Too many questions. Way too many to deal with right n-_

"Get down! Don't let it taste human flesh!"

"Okay, now we're into things." Rolling off the couch, I got to my feet and headed to the commotion. Poking my head around the corner, I found a smiling Ford holding a burnt cycloptopus and a disgusted Stan. Dipper and Mabel watched Ford in aw, soaking in the excitement. "It's too soon for this, guys."

"Great. Now get it outta here," Stan told Ford. Ford walked past him, avoiding eye contact. The smoke from the monster drifted behind him. "Take it back to your nerd lab, or whatever. It smells like if death could barf."

"Great Uncle Ford! You need any help with that?" Dipper ran up to him, holding journal-journal two? Ford let him read it? "I've read all about these creatures in your journal, and I think I know how to-"

"No!" Ford harshly cut him off, before his face relaxed. "I'm sorry, Dipper, but the dark weird road I travel, I'm afraid you cannot follow. However, your friend here is a different story." Dipper looked at me, and I stepped around the corner to get into Ford's line of sight. "Elaine, would you come down to the lab with me? There is something revolving around your situation I must speak with you about in private." Dipper looked at me in disbelief, while my face mimicked his own. However, it was directed at Ford himself. Why was I getting a different treatment? I wasn't asking for this!

But... it didn't seem like I had much of a choice there. "I, uh, s-sure!" With a pitied look sent at Dipper, I stepped down into the staircase, and heard Ford address the family.

"Well, call us for dinner!" The door closed behind him, and he carried the monster beside him. I kept my head down, avoiding the man's eyes. No matter how much I've read and learned about Ford, he's still a stranger to me. "What do you know about the portal, Elaine?" We stepped into the elevator, and began descending.

"I know that Bill wanted to use it to unleash havoc on this dimension because of the lack of a dimension to rule That's why you were so upset with Stan starting it up again." Ford nodded, and the elevator came to a stop. Ford got out ahead of me, and grabbed a large glass jar. He shoved the cycloptopus into it, sealing it shut. Motioning me over to the window, he pulled the tarp back to reveal the dismantled portal. "You tore it down."

"I had to. The risk of leaving it be was too great." Ford opened the door to the larger room, and I walked in. A hole in the ceiling let unknown light stream down into it. The triangular shape of the main part of the portal was split in two, one piece on either side of the room.

"Whoa." I walked closer, looking at the wreckage before stopping. _Did… why d_ _o_ _I hear… Bill's laughter?_ Looking at my feet, I stepped back in alarm. The rift, a small tear in between worlds, was sparkling a foot above the ground. "F-Ford!? We have a problem!" Ford walked closer to me, and once he saw the rift, he pulled out a mason jar from his jacket and quickly scooped it up.

"Good eyes, Elaine. We need to contain this immediately." He ran back to the lab, and I watched him hastily begin to try and construct a container for the rift. Snatching out a circular glass sphere, and an odd base with several tubes sticking out, he began to carefully slide the rift from the jar into the ball. "Steady…" Ford allowed it to transwer without any problems, and motioned for me to come over. "Elaine, hold the base above it. Well have to attach it upside-down to prevent the tear from breaking any further."

"O-okay." I gripped the odd square, seeing the black and yellow stripes acting like caution tape. Ford juggled the sphere with one hand, and with the other, pulled out a small blowtorch from a drawer at the table. Flicking it on, he began to fuse the tubes to the sphere to keep them attached, melting the material to the shiny frame. It reminded me of a snow globe, but more evil and cosmic. Once he was done, he put away the tool, and wrote it into the third journal. "You heard it too, didn't you? When you were right beside it?"

"Mocking laughter. He's taunting us through the rip." Bill knew. B-but how? I'd never mentioned a rift to him. Yet… when the portal blew up, only then was he able to contact me from down there. Did this somehow allow him to see and hear more about Ford's plan? _Where else would he have heard about the rift in The Last Mabelcorn?_ _And… keeping my personal window on my hand blocked wasn't contributing to that._ "Ford, why can't you tell anyone else about this?" He took the rift from me, and put it away into a cupboard in the top of the desk.

"Elaine, you must understand that the life before me is one of constant solitude and vigilance against the insanity of Bill. Even if it takes the rest of my life, I have to protect this dimension." I shook my head, and crossed my arms.

"There are people who can help you know. Dipper's gone through almost the same stuff I've done, minus the dimensional travel." I leaned against the table, eyes closed in thought. "Yeah, the life we have is a difficult one, but that doesn't mean we have to be alone in it." I grinned at Ford, and the elder Pines tried to smile back.

A loud scream came from behind us as well as the sound of breaking boards, and we spun around to move to the back of the lab. A shattered jar with the cycloptopus still hiding inside and journal two lying on the floor greeted us, as well as Dipper lying on his stomach from his unexpected fall. "Dipper! Stop!" Ford yelled. He got to his feet, walking over to him. __We're gonna have to fix that hole.__

"Great Uncle Ford!" Dipper cried out.

"What did I say about coming down here? My work is far too dangerous for a single living soul to spend even one second i-wait! Is that a 38-sided die from Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons!?" He pointed at the blue dice in Dipper's hand.

"Yeah! Y-you know that game?" Dipper asked.

"With pen and paper, shield and sword…" Ford began.

"Our quest shall be our sweet reward!" Dipper joined in, bathed in the light from the hole above us. The two laughed, and I giggled at their enthusiasm.

"This is my favorite game in the whole multiverse!" He took the die from Dipper, looking at it fondly. "I can't believe they still make it!"

"They do! And I've been looking all day for someone to play it with me!" Dipper exclaimed. He pulled out the game book from his vest, showing it to Ford.

Ford took the book, looking at the cover. "My boy, do you know what this means?" He knelt down to Dipper's height, looking him head on. "We must stop everything I've been working on at once… and PLAY!" The boy's face brightened, and I laughed at his large goofy smile. A screech cut the moment off, and the cycloptopus latched onto Ford's face on the side. Ripping it off, we winced at the large red welts it left behind as he tossed the beast to the other side of the room. "That's… going to leave a mark."

"Hmmm... I got this." I walked over to where the monster was thrown, ignoring their concerned remarks and held out my hand. The cycloptopus hissed, but I held up my other hand in a surrendering motion. "Shh… it's okay. I'm not gonna hurt you. It's… you're fine. You're fine." _I have zero idea what I'm doing._ I probably sounded silly right now, but I had no other id-oh. "Guess that did work." Tentacles wrapped around my lower arm slowly, and soon the monster crawled off the floor and up to my shoulder. I smirked, turning around to see Ford's dumbfounded look. _Inside, that is my exact reaction. I didn't think this would work._ At least my face looked better than his right now. "I've dealt with a lot of crazy stuff all summer, so I think my chances at trying this were higher than Dipper's. Plus, heh… monsters kinda love me." I was friends with the Henchmaniacs and Bill. No doubt, the little beast sensed his essence on me. __That's that enhanced sixth sense working right there.__ "Good... thing." I petted its head, making it create a sound similar to a purr. "I'll keep it quiet while you nerds play."

"You don't want to play, Elaine?" Dipper asked watching the monster nervously.

"It's not like I'm not into that sort of stuff, kid. I think it sounds really interesting. It's just I'm probably the most competitive person you'll meet. Trouble and Monopoly usually result in me and Gail screaming at each other and ourselves." I sat down on the floor, and the cycloptopus moved to my lap.

"Gail?" Ford asked.

"My younger sister. She's his age." I pointed my thump at Dipper, and began carefully petting the monster.

"I'll run back upstairs and get the rest of the game pieces." Dipper dashed to the elevator, and Ford looked up at the ceiling.

"I should patch that hole up when we're done playing," he mused. Ford looked down at me, and the cycloptopus hissed at him. "How are you doing that? Those creatures are incredibly dangerous." _Yeah, I know. You were screaming about them eating flesh._ Not that different than Bill though. This thing just doesn't eat its victims in one bite.

"Like I said, monsters love me." And respect me out of fear for their very lives. "I'll keep it quiet. Isn't that right?" I scratched the top of its head, and smiled as the purring sound increased.

(Time Skip)

"Alright. You've entered the chamber. Princess Unatainabelle beckons you." I snorted as Ford made a flirty face, after he sat the die down from moving it in around his six fingers. __It's my favorite Disney princess. The author of the journals: Princess Unatainabelle!__ "But WAIT! IT'S A TRAP!" Dipper gasped dramatically, and my laughter grew. "An illusion cast by Probabilitor the Annoying."

"You know his weakness, right?" Dipper asked. "Prime-statistical anomalies over 37 but not exceeding 51!" They shouted together, and Dipper and him rolled their die. "Yes! Uh! In your face, you cardboard wizard!"

"Man, I really have to start reading the instruction book to understand this. This looks awesome!" I was a nerd in high school. Drove myself insane for good grades, played online games, you name it. I was a female Ford and Dipper. _Just a little more tech savvy._ The cycloptopus was now back in a new jar, having fallen asleep in my lap.

Ford held up the image of Probabilitor, looking it over. "Hm. The old boy looks a bit different than he did back in my day."

"Mmm, yeah, they change the art every few years," Dipper told him. "Thankfully you missed the period when the creators of the game tried to make it 'cooler'." He shivered. "Must have been dark times, those 90's."

"Hey, I was born in that decade!" I threw a die at the back of his head. "Granted it was at the end of the decade, but still!"

"Wait, end of the decade?" Dipper turned around in confusion. "But you're 16, right?"

"Kid, my dimension was a few years ahead of yours. I'm from 2016. I was born in 99, not 95 or 96 or whatever. Which means, I guess we'd be the same age then?" I never really thought about it, but it made sense. While I was older, and my birthday was close to when I had arrived, I kept forgetting I jumped back in time by four years. In a weird way, we were around the same age… kind of.

"Freaky," Dipper added.

"Sounds like a good time to be stuck between dimensions," Ford said, going back to the conversation about the game art.

"Great Uncle Ford, I've been meaning to ask you: where were you before you came out of that machine, and what have you been doing down here? Are you working on something behind that curtain?" Ford and me exchanged a look at the curtain, and turned back to him.

"Dipper, it's best if you and the family stay away from that subject. Honestly, I'm not sure any of you could handle the real answer," Ford admitted.

"But, but I can handle it-" Dipper protested, but got cut off.

"Ah-ah! But I can show you something I brought back with me." Ford pulled out a red pouch, and dumped out its contents. Several normal game dice, and a small plastic black box. Taking the box, he held it up to show Dipper, and opened it up. "An infinity-sided die." It had a crystal-like appearance, and I watched in amazement as the sides continued shifting, with new symbols each time.

"Whoa… that's so cool. And… impossible!" Dipper exclaimed.

"These things are outlawed in 9000 dimensions. You wanna know why? Look at those symbols. Infinite sides means infinite outcomes. If I rolled it, anything could happen. Our faces could melt into jelly. The world could turn into an egg. Or you could just roll an eight. Who knows. That's why I have to keep it in this protective cheap plastic case." Ford snapped it shut, and patted the lid.

"Yeah, because plastic protects everything." Ford gave a half-heated glare at my sarcasm, and sat the box down in front of the Probabilitor cutout. "Now, back to the game! You've got Probabilitor on the ropes." It was nice to see Dipper getting along with someone else who enjoyed nerdy and fantasy stuff. Though, watching how close they were now, even though they just met… I hoped this wouldn't affect Mabel as much as it did to my dimension's version.

(Time Skip)

"Ho ho ho man. And then, if I had a dragon here, and then a plus three fire mode-"

"Dipper, are you going to go to sleep?" Mabel asked tiredly, as I groaned into my pillow. _Two minutes. If this goes on for two more minutes, I'm taking a pillow and_ _knocking_ _him_ _out_ _with it._ Dipper still had the lamp on, with graph paper scattered over his bed. I had my head buried under my pillow, trying to block out the light. "You've been saying dork words for hours."

Dipper looked up from the floor, working on his current graph. "Sorry, Mabel, I got to finish this dungeon. It's going to totally stump Great Uncle Ford tomorrow, I can't wait to see the look on his face."

"Dipper." I peaked at him from under the pillow. "I swear, I will drag Bill in here and have him knock you out if you don't call it quits soon. You know I get angsty without my sleep."

"Okay, okay. Just give me a few more minutes." Well, that did something, I guess.

"You're uh, spending a lot of time with old Fordsy lately, huh?" Mabel asked.

"You have no idea. I knew the author must be cool, but he's better than I imagined. And, he doesn't make fun of me all the time, like you and Grunkle Stan do."

"Okay, intervention!" I finally threw my pillow at Dipper's head, earning a shout, and sat upright. "Dipper, thatwas uncalled for. No matter if it's right or not. Don't you guys see, this is exactly what Mabel was worried about!" That got Dipper's attention. Mabel got off her bed, and sat down beside me in my own. "I get that you are enjoying playing that game with him, and you'll probably do a lot of other stuff together, but you basically ignored Mabel all day. You don't think I like having Ford around too? This is the first time I've had someone who completely understand what it's like being stuck outside your dimension, away from people you cared about. Away from your family."

Dipper and Mabel stared at me guiltily, and Dipper opened his mouth. "I'm not done yet, kid. Hold on a little longer. Don't you dorks get it? With this already growing tension between the uncles, it's like you're being forced to pick sides. Guys… you're turning into Ford and Stan."

Dipper's eyes widened as my words registered. "Oh no. Mabel, what are we doing?"

"I don't know. Ford hasn't even been here for very long. How are we already drifting apart?" She asked. Dipper sat down beside me after getting off from the floor, looking extremely conflicted. My words stuck in their heads, showing that our fears from earlier were already starting to come true. Sighing, I wrapped my arms around the twins, pulling them in tightly.

"Look guys, I want you to promise me that you're not gonna separate anymore than you've already have. I don't like seeing you fight, and the fact we're splitting apart after all of this, after all we've done already, isn't going to continue." Dipper and Mabel nodded, and I let them go.

"Sorry for making fun of your game, Dipper," Mabel said, turning off the lamp as we all climbed back into bed. "I… I just want to spend the summer with you, and all this nerd junk with Grunkle Ford is…" bothering her. She didn't want to say it, but those words were still there.

"Alright. Sorry, Mabel. I… guess I was just starstruck at being with the author, I sort of lost track of everything else." He crawled back into bed. His apology didn't sound as genuine as I would've thought it'd be, with how fast and casual he said it. What's worse, is that I didn't know if Mabel or himself knew that. "… you already broke it, Elaine." The lights turned off, as we all laid in our own beds under the covers. "Your promise from when he first showed up. You said we were going to be fine."

"… I'm trying, Dippin' Dots. I'm not gonna let you dorks have a falling out like Stan and Ford did. We're going to get through this. Even if I have to handcuff ourselves together, we're not breaking the Mystery Kids up." I yawned, and rolled onto my side, staring ahead in thought. "Hey, guys…? M… Mystery Kids?"

"Mystery Kids," Mabel repeated, her voice hopeful and tired.

"… Mystery Kids."

Now let's hope it stayed that way.

* * *

 ** **Been a while since I've done two-part episodes. Season one was full of them. Not that many in season two, but there will be a lot of them once Weirdmageddon hits. That should take a lot of chapters.****

 ** **You know what else I'm thinking? There IS going to be a sequel to GFA. In the future, probably a few months after this story's done.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	56. Triple D Part 2

****Disclaimer: This was all written in less than a day… after a final… wow. The holiday break is finally starting up, which means chapters should be coming out pretty quickly. Ignoring the fact I have to prep myself for next semester with binders and books everywhere... ew.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Maybe, sorta, not really. There's still gonna be a trial.****

 ** **ultima-owner: I rarely ever heard of this Smokey the Bear. He's not that well-known in my small county in Canada. I don't understand why he was so important.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: I haven't been gone that long. I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter!****

 ** **RillFipher: Yeah, that isn't going to end well.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (twice): The sequel won't be for a few months after this is over. The Star vs the Forces of Evil story is going to take a while. Also… that ending of your review was adorable. For your other question: not happening. Gail isn't going to appear in Gravity Falls.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: I'm not doing that. No one is traveling to any other dimensions and solving mysteries. However… Elaine might make a few appearances in my Star vs the Forces of Evil story once that gets rolling. So… pluses and minuses.****

 ** **xForeverGamerx: These sort of reviews I love the best; hearing how much you appreciate the work I put into this thing. Elaine, out of every OC I've made, will always be my favorite. Her friendships with everyone are sweet, especially her partnership with Bill. I hear you about how some stories that rewrite the series are cookie-cutter. Only when there's a lot of effort put into it to make it new and exciting is it worthwhile reading. In the end, thank you for this review. It means a lot.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Sequels everywhere! HOPE gets a sequel! And Cuphead gets a sequel! YOU ALL GET A SEQUEL! Okay about the artwork. Just send a note when it's ready.****

 ** **the stargazer (reviewed twice): Role model? Wow, th-thanks! I like your idea, but there's a few things that could be changed. One: I'd change the name Bob. Make it more unique and dangerous. Then again, our villain is Bill, so…? When does the story take place? After Weirdmageddon, or inside the portal? How did she come into existence? What I find useful when writing is making a layout of what you want to do, and solve any problems and loopholes that may come up. You should make an account too. It'll make sharing your work a lot easier, and if you ever need any more help, just pm me.****

 ** **Cynder (twice): It's getting pretty intense now. I am LOVING the chapters with Ford in them! Also, I already knew about the graphic novel. I mentioned it in a previous chapter, I think.****

 ** **Galinn: Thanks!****

 ** **I own Elaine. RillFipher owns Kat.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 ** **Edited: Oct. 6/18****

* * *

3rd POV

Kat grinned, adjusting the bright orange sweater on her as she stepped into the Shack. She wasn't sure how it happened, but Mabel had dragged her into the Duck-tective fandom. Now, there she was with said girl, Grenda, and Stan Pines about to watch the finale. The color was a little off against her blue hair, but she didn't mind.

"Seriously, who thought orange and blue complimented each other?" She grumbled as Mabel closed the door behind her. "If the shades were closer together, than maybe I'd give it a chance." Mabel gave her a playful nudge, smiling. She carried her snack dispenser and had a matching sweater to Kat's own. The only difference was Mabel's had an image corresponding to the show; a duck with a hat, behind a magnifying glad. Grenda and Mabel both wore detective hats, and Grenda carried a toy duck and flag. "Thanks for coming over to watch tonight's Duck-tective finale, guys!"

"Of course! I'm so invested in the lives of these characters!" Grenda replied. The three turned to see Stan coming down the hall in his suit, dusting off his sleeves.

"Hey-hey, look at you! Someone's all dressed up," Mabel commented.

"It's a big night," Stan said, adjusting his bow tie. He took his fez off, holding it to his chest dramatically. "I think we all remember where we were, when we learned Duck-tective was shot." The cloak beside Kat chimed three times, giving them their signal.

"Viewing positions, everyone!" Mabel gasped. They ran to the living room, only to slam to a halt in horror. Dipper, Elaine, and Ford had taken over the entire room. Graph paper was littering the floors, up the walls, and somehow on the ceiling. Crumbled up pieces scattered the couch, and there were a few taped to the TV. Elaine and Dipper sat on one side of the playing board, while Ford sat on the other side.

"Ah! Graph paper!" Grenda yelled. "Kill it! Kill it!" She stomped on the paper, trying to eliminate it to no success. __Why won't it go away!?__

"Dipper, Elaine, could you maybe move this to another room?" Mabel asked, walking over to them.

"No dice!" Ford said instead, rolling the die in his fingers. "We ran out of room in the basement and we're going for a world record! Now, dice!" He rolled it, grinning. "32, yes! 7000 points damage!"

Elaine and Dipper laughed, and the teen held her chest mockingly as if she was injured. "He got me, Dipper! Go on without me!" Grenda, Mabel, and Stan groaned as if the very sight was painful, while Kat just grinned at her older friend. It had been a while since Elaine was having fun, and not having her life threatened. Plus, this was the first time she'd seen her since the Northwest party. After that, there were all of those… strange anomalies. Gravity just… turned off, and electricity crackled through a darkened sky. She had tried to call her, but the Shack seemed to have been under construction from whatever had happened. Whoever this mysterious person was playing with them, he was improving her behavior. __Wait, who… why does he look like Stan?__ What happened since the last time she saw her?

As for Elaine herself, she did say she yesterday that she wouldn't mind playing with them. Without that little monster trying to eat Ford's head, she was able to focus and understand the rules. Dipper was still better than her, since he had played the odd math and fantasy game several times in the past, but she was definitely giving the younger twin a run for his money. __I only said one game. How'd I get this into it anyway?__

"Oh, why, why with this?" Stan complained, moving closer to his brother. "You wanna break a record, Ford? You already got it with world's nerdiest old man."

"Hey, at least I'm not all keyed up to watch a kid's show," Ford fired back. Old man? They were the same age, and they weren't in their sixties yet! That wasn't old!

"I'll have you know that Duck-tective has a big mystery element! And a lot of humor that goes over kids' heads!" Stan shouted. The group paused, hearing Elaine began giggling. Seeing all the eyes on her, her laugh turned into an awkward cough.

"Uh… j-just ignore me… k-keep doing what you're doing." It wasn't her fault they were joking about the show within the show. Humor like that, when you were aware of it, was pretty funny.

"… I don't get a lot of it, but I like animals in human situations," Grenda told Mabel, breaking through the odd quiet the teen created.

"Grunkle Stan, it starts in a few minutes!" Mabel told him, glancing back at the owl clock in the area they were previously in. Stan pushed past the girls, and reached to remove the graph paper on the TV set, only for Ford's hand to shoot up and grab his wrist. He was standing up now, with his dice bag in his free hand.

"Move that and pay the price!"

"Oh, what, fifty magical dwarf dollars?" Stan said, twiddling his fingers in the air.

"Don't mock our fantastical monetary system!" Ford shouted, annoyed and offended.

"I'll mock all I want, it's my TV room!"

"It's my house, you…" Ford sighed, not wanting to keep arguing in front of the kids. This… this wasn't going anywhere. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he looked away for a moment. When he composed himself, he said, "listen, Stanley, did it ever occur to you that if you joined us you might actually have fun?" He shook the bag to emphasis his point.

"What? Now listen to me!" Stan stormed up to Ford's face. "As long as I live I will never…" he ripped the bag from Ford's hand, shaking it in his fist.

"Grunkle Stan, wait!" Dipper cried, springing to his feet.

"Ever!"

"Stanley!"

"Play your smartypants nerd game!" With that, Stan hurled the bag across the floor, not wanting to be anywhere near the cursed game pieces.

"No!" Elaine dove for the bag before it hit the ground as Ford shouted behind her, but it was too late. The dice all rolled out, and the infinity-sided dice flew out of its box. __Curse you, Ford, and your idea that plastic makes sense!__ It tumbled over the floor, before coming to a halt, and it felt as if everything just slowed down, as a newly created symbol appeared on one of the small sides at the top. It crackled with blue energy, and it flowed towards the game's box, making the container tremble with the unusual magic. In a loud boom, four characters burst from the box's cover, making a dramatic pose in front of the blue light.

"Mortals of Dimension 46'/, kneel before me and… snivel!" The wizard rolled the dice before finishing his sentence. "I am Probabilitor! The greatest wizard in all of mathology! Give or take an error of 0.4." Elaine stood up with the rest of the group, standing in front of Mabel as Kat moved to the front of Grenda.

"I blame you two!" She whispered harshly at Ford and Stan. Stan glanced at her at the remark, and looked back at the wizard.

"Eh, is this normal?" He asked, backing up. They followed his example, taking a few steps away from the wizard, and giant griffin with the… razor sharp beak.

"Have you come to send us on the quest of a lifetime because we're the smartest players you've ever met?" Dipper asked cautiously, praying things wouldn't escalate anymore than they already had.

"You are the smartest players I've ever met!" Probabilitor agreed. "That's why I'm going to eat your brains to gain your intelligence. It's what I do."

"It's his thing!" The ogre exclaimed.

"What!?" Elaine and Dipper cried, the girl's voice louder than his own. She was-she wasn't that smart! Sure, she liked the game, and was good at dealing with Bill, but she wasn't clever like Dipper or Ford!

"Seize them!" The wizard pointed his staff at them.

"Your math is no match for my gun, you idiot!" Ford, with practiced ease that he had developed in his exploits in the multiverse, whipped his gun from his belt loop, making it spin up into his hands. He aimed it at Probabilitor's head, and the gun began charging with a blue light. His intense glare could rival the warmth from his weapon, ready to defend the other people in the house.

"Math ray!" Elaine got knocked over as a blue blast of energy rammed through them, taking out the wall of the Mystery Shack… again, and flying everyone across the room. There was no time to dodge, as the bizarre wizard had attacked without any warning with energy and flying numbers that vanished once they struck their target. "I'm not here to play games!" She shrieked, feeling a large hand grab the scruff of the back of her shirt, and was stuck in the same hand as Dipper. "Now to the forest, for the ultimate game!" The ogre carried them along with a quickly captured Ford out of the room, and was picked up by the griffin's talons with the elf on its back. Probabilitor flew ahead in a blue light, and they all flew off after him.

"SOMEBODY SAVE US!" Elaine screamed, seeing the rest of the Pines, Grenda, and Kat fade away in the distance. "STAN!"

Elaine's POV

The ogre, despite his large hands, made an impressive knot. The three of us were tied up against a tree once they reached a secluded clearing off a path I didn't recognize, as Probabilitor used his magic to measure our heads with a summoned tape measuring device. "Hehehe. With each brain I eat, I shall increase my enchantelligence."

"If my hands were free, I'd break every part of your face," Ford retorted, grinding his teeth and ignoring the hungry grin the disturbing wizard was giving him.

"The time has come! Hot elf! Ready the brain-cooking pot!" The elf flipped his hood back, shaking his long hair free and fired a magical flaming arrow at the wood under the pot. The boiling liquid was pink, and I could see the steam rising off of it. The ogre had wandered off to guard their location, and I wasn't sure where the griffin took off to after the pot was lit.

 _ _Please, Grunkle Stan, hurry!__

3rd POV

The four walked along a trail in the woods, carrying their weapons, and… playing a lute.

"Grenda, where did you get that from? And how do you know how to play it?" Kat asked. Stan led the way with a baseball bat, Mabel had a rake and a garbage can lid, Grenda had a chair tied to her back so she could play her lute, and Kat had a chair from the kitchen. They weren't great weapons, but then again, the nerdy wizard shouldn't be too difficult to take down, right?

She gave the older girl a secretive smile, and continued playing. Kat sighed, knowing that she wouldn't be getting a clear answer any time soon. __Just… try to ignore it, and focus on the mission.__ They knew they were going in the right direction. The few griffin feathers scattered along the trail helped guide them to wherever their family and friends were held captive. "We must be getting close," Stan said, passing another brown feather on the trail. "These fairy bites are getting more frequent." They could hear the fairy call out from his shoulder, trying to peel herself off to fly away. Sadly, from what the teen could see, the wings were torn and the legs and arms were broken beyond repair.

"Halt!" The ogre stomped in front of them, blocking the trail. It swung a double-bladed ax in one hand, and shook a meaty fist in anger. "Yon interlopers are trespassing on the ancient forest of Probabilitor the wizard!" He put his weapon on the ground, and drummed his fingers together. Yellow eyes flashed maliciously, and Kat couldn't look away from the massive fanged underbite. "If ye wish to pass, ye must complete seven unworldly quest, each, more difficult than the-"

"NOW!" Grenda jumped up from a small hill on the trail, and bashed the ogre over the head with the chair.

Mabel slowly walked closer, and poked his foot with the handle of the rake. "Is he… dead?"

"He's magic, sweetie. I'm sure he's fine," Grunkle Stan replied. Grenda hopped down next to him and Kat, and he whispered to the girls. "There's no cops in the forest. We take this to our graves." The girls winked, and pressed onward.

"Hold on, Elaine," Kat whispered, gripping her chair tighter. "We're coming."

Elaine's POV

You know, having my brain eaten by someone voiced by Weird Al… not the most amazing way of leaving this world. __But hey, it's better than falling to my death like all those other times. Which were… a lot.__ _ _Man, how many times had__ _ _I fallen off something this summer?__

Probabilitor walked over to check on the fire, and Dipper thrashed back and forth in the bindings. "What do we do? What do we do?"

"Stop thinking, Dipper! The more wrinkly your brain gets, the more he'll want to eat it!" Ford shouted, appearing the slightest more calm than we were.

"Oh, like that's going to help us!" I yelled. "Why couldn't you have left that dice in the lab?" Ford turned to face me, and I continued my brief rant, seeing I had his attention now. He opened his mouth, ready to defend himself, but I didn't let him get a word in. "Ford, I know you hate your brother right now, but you gotta tolerate him for the kids' sake. These stupid fights like the one we just witnessed are putting them, and me, in danger. Besides, we could have just as easily moved to the empty attic space to continue instead of the living room. So help me, I will do something brash if this keeps up. You do not want to see me angry." Dipper remained silent, probably because I just went and told off the author of the journals, but it needed to be said. He and Ford needed to try harder, for all of our sakes to avoid things like this from happening. It needed to be said though. Ford opened his mouth to fire back, but stopped when Probabilitor began approaching us, his math staff glowing blue.

"And now, a little math problem: when I subtract your brain from your skulls, add salt, and divide your family, what's the remainder?" He bashed us each on the head, and held the staff right under Ford's chin, the glow increasing with each sec-

"YOUR BUTT!"

"What? My butt isn't part of this particular equation." Turning around, we saw Mabel, Kat, Grenda, and Stan jump out from behind the bushes, giving a battle cry. _ _Kat, why are you carrying a kitchen chair? That's not a weapon.__ "Drat! How did you make it past my one guard?" How did you get so many ogres in the first place? That's what I'd like to know. "Very well. There's only one way your family can save you. YOU must defeat ME in Dungeons, Dungeons, and More Dungeons: REAL LIFE EDITION!" He slammed his staff down as a pink symbolic circle appeared under him, similar to Bill's zodiac, and the area was bathed in a pink glow as a tiny castle playing field appeared in the center of the clearing.

"What? Oh, come on!" I heard Stan yell, face still lit up from the glow.

"I choose my characters…" two ogres appeared on the summoned playing field, dropping from his spindly hands. "… vs… yours." I-I didn't know much about what happened. It was sort of like when Gideon shrunk me with the flashlight, except this time, we were teleported too. One minute I was tied to the tree, the next the same pink light covered me and I was in Probabilitor's hand with Dipper and Ford, all of us dressed in medieval clothes.

"Ah! My ears! They're so pointy!" Ford felt around his head in shock.

"There better be something protective under this tunic." Dipper turned around to check, making sure no one else could see, before whirling around in alarm. "Oh, no, there isn't!" I examined myself as well, and groaned.

"Dresses. What is it with the medieval times and women in dresses?" I was wearing a long sleeved midnight blue dress with a silver color and silver vine-like designs around the bottom. A brown leather belt went around my waist, and I had black flats on to finish it off.

"Seriously, can't we just, like, arm wrestle or something?" Stan asked. He and Mabel were picked up into the air, and were floating in a seated position on their side of the game board.

"Come on, this game is a lot of fun. I had my mom pack me a lunch." We were transported to our side of the playing field, as Probabilitor rummaged through a paper bag. "Ew, apple slices? I'll eat you last."

"Uh, just make with the rules, ugly." Stan popped a piece f gum into his mouth, chewing angrily.

"The game is a battle royale. We help our characters by casting spells determined by rolls of the dice. If you win, I'll go back to my own dimension." Mabel clapped happily, happy with that idea. "But if I win, I eat their brains." __Can he not look at us like that?__

"Hey, I'm not so sure this is such a good-" Dipper was cut off by Stan.

"DEAL!"

"Oh boy," I muttered. "Here we go."

"Let the game… BEGIN!" The moment I saw him roll a 13, I grabbed Dipper's hand and began running. The two ogres tried to smash our heads in with their clubs, but ended up destroying the ground each time they missed, leaving the tiled floor in shattered chunks. I heard Stan and Mabel panic over our heads, but I was more focused on keeping my head on my shoulders.

"There are no moves; you make them up!" Dipper hollered in between screams.

"What? Really?" Stan asked.

"Yes! I tired to tell you: this game involves math, but also risk, and imagination!" Ford yelled, missing a swing of a large ax. Dodging was an easy thing, but we could only do it for so long. Couldn't Stan and Mabel snap to it!?

"Risk?" Stan repeated.

"Imagination?" The two rubbed their hands together, gears working in their heads. "Grunkle Stan, make something up! It's just like lying!" Mabel told him, seeing the similarity before them.

"Any time now!" I screeched.

"I cast, uh… shield of… shielding!" Stan rolled a 14, and as the ax came down on the three of us, a bright blue shield appeared in front. It bounced back, and Dipper and me sighed in relief. "Ha! We're doing it!"

"Shield of Shielding Reversal Spell." And there goes the shield.

"I cast: Giggle Time Bouncy Boots!" Mabel cheered. Boots with springs appeared on our feet, and we bounced out of the way with small laughter. Jumping high over their heads, I laughed as Mabel added the rest of her spell."Hot flamey sword! Super hot flamey sword!" The sword grew longer in my hands, and I gleefully killed the ogre with a slice to its neck. The creature gave a strangled roar before vanishing in a burst of red light. Ford and Dipper eliminated the other ogre with a swing through its middle, and we landed back on the floor as the power-ups boots disappeared.

"No! Drat you! You'll never outrun my… ogre-nado! It is what it sounds like!" The wind blew our swords away and embedded them into the wall in front of Stan and Mabel, the wind threatening to pick us up with it. Ogre-nado… it's shark-nado all over again.

"I cast: CENTAURTAUR!" I-did I really need to go any further with that? How did that even work? It's a body attached to another body at the neck, but… reversed?

"Mabel, I am so confused and so proud right now." __You and me both, Grunkle Stan.__ The horse ran in our direction, and Dipper and me climbed onto one body while Ford got on the other one. Of course, it flipped, and Ford was now upside-down. Clinging to the strange creature, it dashed towards a smaller room on the playing field, the ogre-nado in hot pursuit. I felt the wind on my back, gripping tighter to the scientifically impossible animal.

Mabel and Stan cheered us on as we made it through the archway, and our ride vanished as it barely struck the roof of the entryway. The ogre-nado tried to follow, but couldn't fit through the door and broke apart in a burst of raining ogres. The monsters vanished as they all hit the ground, leaving in the same red light as earlier. Dipper and me smiled at Ford, only for some freaky little nightmare fueled monster to grab us. One giant bloodshot eye stared down at us in a weird purple-brown mass of thick skin, with fleshy tree-like feet, six horns of various designs, bat wings, deformed arms with elbows similar to spikes and human-like hands except for only having two fingers and one thumb. But it was the mouth… it reminded me of something similar to Bill's true form. Large jagged fangs that, despite not sporting any blood and flesh, were clearly able to rip us apart. Two tongues waggled along the corners of the maw, with a tinier mouth in the backside on a middle tongue. __Even that tongue has teeth!__ "Ha ha ha yes! I was saving the worst for last!"

"Oh no!" Dipper shouted.

"The Impossibeast! Hey, I thought they banned this character!" Ford yelled.

"Think again! I'm playing the controversial 1991-1992 edition!" __Curse you 90's!__ The monster slammed us against the wall, preventing us from moving an inch.

"I'll think of some weapons!" Mabel began, shaking her dice.

"You don't understand. This is the most powerful monster in the game! He can only be defeated by rolling a perfect 38! But the odds of that are-"

"Hey, long odds are what you want when you're a world class gambler!" Stan interrupted Ford, taking the die from Mabel. "Alright, Stan, you can do this… papa needs a new pair of… TWINS!" He rolled the die, and we watched it bounce along the board… and stop at a 38.

"NOOO!" Probabilitor screamed.

"Sorry, nerd-wizard. All your smarts are no match for dumb luck," Stan smirked.

"I cast DEATH MUFFINS!" Mabel yelled. Muffins with dynamite sticking out of them appeared in our hands, and we threw them into the beast's mouth. It exploded, and we vanished from the board, reappearing beside the others. Ford landed beside Stan, and me and Dipper landed beside Mabel. Mabel tackled us in a hug, and I felt Kat give me a playful punch from behind.

"The game is like, over," the elf said, closing the rule book. Grenda was hugging him tightly, smiling. "Exceli-whatever."

"No! I'm returning to my own realm! I'm turning into pure math! What are the ooooodddsss?" Probabilitor vanished as his entire body turned pink, and the other creatures vanished alongside him. Mabel took Dipper's muffin, and I handed mine over to Kat.

As the girls were happily eating them, Dipper turned to Stan. "Grunkle Stan, that was amazing! How did you know you'd win?"

"Hey, a gambler never reveals his secrets." He picked the die off the ground, and we saw the gum stuck under it. __Real clever, Stan.__ I laughed, and he popped another piece of the candy into his mouth.

"Man! That was fun for ages 8 to 80! Or a million or however old you guys are!" Mabel told Stan and Ford. Not sure if I had my math right, but if Stan was kicked out around 17 or 18 seeing how he was in grade 12, and then he never saw Ford again until ten years later, plus thirty… they'd be 57 to 58 years old. __That… seems about right.__

"Y'know, I'm sorry for making fun of your game, kiddo," Stan turned to Dipper. "Sure, it might be too nerdy for me, but it's just the right amount of nerdy for you, Elaine, and my brother. If you wanna hang out sometimes, I won't get in your way."

"Actually, after all that, I could use a little mindless fun," Dipper replied.

"Guys! We can watch the second showing of Duck-tective! It's not too late!' Grenda said, squeaking her toy after pulling it out from her pocket. Kat laughed, and swung her arm around me.

"Hehehe. How come you didn't tell me Stan had a twin?" She whispered in my ear, the humor twisting to annoyance in an instant. I smirked, not providing an exact answer. How was I to respond to that? "Am I gonna have to explain this to Asger?"

"Probably." I crossed my arms. "I'm still mad about all of this though," I said loud enough for the others to hear. Ford moved over to me, looking partially embarrassed. "I don't wanna hear anything from you, Ford. This is yours and Stan's fault." Dusting my flannel off, I pivoted and began walking back towards the Mystery Shack. "I'm going to… try and reset myself."

Maybe I was overreacting, Maybe I shouldn't be too bothered by this.

But…

I would not let Stan and Ford's relationship destroy mine with the twins. I made a promise, and I intended to keep it.

(Time Skip)

I laid on my back, staring up at the ceiling in the bedroom. A soft rap came from the door, and Ford entered. __He could've asked before entering. That's a little rude.__ "Elaine, are you alright?"

"What do you think?" I rolled upwards, and glared at him. "Yours and Stan's argument almost cost us our lives!" __Dial back a little, Elaine.__ Breathing deeply, I closed my eyes to regain my composure before focusing back on him. "Ford, Dipper and Mabel mean the world to me. Besides Stan, they were my first friends in this dimension. You may not know this, but you're hurting my friendship." Ford sighed, and walked over to me. Sitting down on my right, he gave me… I actually didn't know what he was thinking. Ford was a lot harder to read them the others. His face was hard to distinguish.

Was he upset that I was commenting on Stan and trying to make peace with him? Was that making him annoyed, or uncomfortable? "I understand your anger, Elaine. But-"

"But nothing. Ford, he only wants to make up with you." Drawing my legs to my chest, I rested my chin on my knees. "Teach me, huh? Ford, I don't know if I want that, especially after what happened today."

"I make you nervous, don't I?" Ford asked. Freezing, I looked up at him. I released my breath, and averted my eyes. "Don't worry, I understand, and I do not blame you. You knowing what you already know, you're afraid I might judge you, correct?"

"Y-yeah. That's… dead-on, actually." I felt him pat my shoulder, and he gave me a small smile. "F-Ford, did Dipper… did you show him the rift?"

Ford nodded. "I trust him to keep this secret, but I told him he not to tell anyone else about this. I assume you know why?" An almost invisible nod showed I did. "He should be returning to him room soon to get ready for bed. Perhaps we can continue our conversation in my lab?"

"O… okay." Getting up, we headed towards the gift shop to the lab entrance. Stan was just coming out of the living room as we came down the stairs. Stan and Ford briefly gave each other the cold shoulder, but stopped when they became aware that I was glaring at them. I did not want them going at it, especially not after what we had been through. It was best to put a stop to it before the yelling even began. "I will pull a Mabel and lock you both in a room together if this doesn't improve. Don't think I won't."

"She's serious," Stan said, detecting the traces venom in my tone. "Welp, I'm not sticking around for that. Night, kid." He walked past us and was halfway up the stairs, before turning back to his brother. "She better be in one piece when I see her in the morning." Ford's heated glare returned tenfold, but nodded anyway to appease him. Returning to the gift shop, Ford punched in the code and we continued our way to the lab. I leaned against the wall once we finally got close enough to his desk, and Ford pulled out journal three from his jacket. As he wrote quietly, not bothering to sit down in his chair, I took the time to get comfortable in my spot, throwing a nervous smile at the cycloptopus. The weird creature squirmed around its jar, and blinked at me.

"Hmmm…" I looked from it to Ford, and smirked. Unscrewing the lid, the monster slid out, and began making its way up my arm again. "Hehe. You're not so bad, are ya? Just misunderstood, that's all." It purred, nuzzling its… face into my neck.

"Elaine, what are you-?" Ford blinked in surprise, seeing me cuddling with the cycloptopus. "That's… why does it like you so much? The amount of radiation from interdimensional travel couldn't have triggered this."

"It's… other reasons," I hesitantly said. "Ford, h-how much have you looked at… Dipper's… entries?" I had to know. Right now. Dipper wrote about everything in that book. While I never looked at his entries, I knew there were parts involving me. Bill's entry with Stan's mind… I knew involved me. Same as the robot entry when I explained why I made my deal. The only time I made my own additions to the journal was with Bipper. I experienced him far more than Mabel did. Ford silently turned around, and I saw his hands grip the desk's edge. After dropping the third journal in a loud thump on the surface. His knuckles tensed, and I saw him take a breath. __Oh no. Tell me Dipper didn't…?__ "Ford… what did he write about me?"

"… you made a deal with him… after reading all my entries, after knowing what ****he's**** capable of, you made a deal with him." His voice rose at the end, and he spun around to look at me. "Why?" I opened and closed my mouth, and this seemed to further stress him. "Why!?"

"F-Ford, I… I…" I stuttered. The cycloptopus looked from me to him, confused by nervousness, but didn't react.

"Why!?" He barked. The sharp tone startled me, making me step back away from him. __He won't hurt me. H-he won't hurt me.__ "You've read about what he's like, and the harm it has done to me and this entire universe, yet you still DID it! Bill is a monster that would rather tear you to pieces than keep his end of the deals. You criticized me for my mistakes, and yet you have done the same thing! Elaine, he'll trick and kill you on a whim, just because he is tired of you. Why the hell would you trust-!?"

"How was I supposed to know what I was getting into!" I finally screamed. The monster's tentacles quickly wrapped around my arm tightly in fear of flying off, watching me with a wide yellow eye. "Ford, I knew NOTHING about Gravity Falls when I wound up here! I didn't know what Bill was like when he first approached me at my weakest moment. I was scared, lost, confused, and injured beyond my imagination! I could have DIED if it wasn't for YOUR brother! I was desperate! Y-you try and be in MY position! You have NO right to yell at ME when YOU'RE just as much to blame as ME!" I gripped my hands into fists so tight, my nails were digging painfully into my skin. "And for the record, whatever you may think of me, I am NOTHING like you!"

Ford and me stared heatedly at the other, waiting to see who moved next. __He won't hurt me. Ford would not hurt me__ , I reminded myself, trying to stop shaking. The cycloptopus hissed at him; its eye turning into its fanged mouth, threatening to attack if he came too close. Tears ran down my face, and my eyes were no doubt bloodshot by now. Breathing jaggedly, I tried to force myself to calm down. "Y… you knew… you knew I had made a deal with Bill… and you're only now addressing it. Wh-why…? Why are you doing this to me? D-Dipper, he… he made a deal too-"

"Dipper's mistake is not as grave as yours was," Ford said acutely. "At least he knew the signs." I looked down at the cemented floor, shoulders shaking. __I k-I know what I was getting into, and I-I still did it. I still made the deal. I-I don't regret. I d-I don't.__ I felt the heavy weight of the dream demon in the back of my mind, and I knew he was watching this. I-I didn't hate him. He's-Bill's not a monster. He's my friend. H-he's my partner. I-I didn't hate him.

I flinched, feeling his hand on my shoulder again-the one opposite of where my little friend was-and slowly brought my gaze to meet his. Ford probably didn't even know I would start to shut down, seeing I was bordering on my fight-or-flight response. The cycloptopus growled at him again, but let his hand continue to sit there. He had rolled his chair over to me, so we were more-or-less at eye level. "Elaine, deep breathes, okay? Deep breathes." __C-calm down… calm… down… breathe, Elaine. Just... breathe.__ Ford smiled, and he removed his hand. "That's better."

"He… he wrote about what happened in Stan's Mindscape, didn't he?" I asked weakly.

"He did. He wrote about what happened after the robot fight too." I knew it. "Your arrival in this town, what forced you to make your deal, and the brief moments where you and Cipher actually… got along. A flour fight, heh… not exactly what I was expecting to read in there." I giggled softly at that. It must have confused Ford quite a bit when he read that Bill had possessed a sock puppet and joined me in launching balloons filled with baking material at them. "Elaine, listen well. Do not talk to Bill, alright? At least until I can find a way to seal the rift for good, and get you out of your deal."

 _ _My… deal?__ "Why? Ford, why can't I meet with him?" I was scared. What could happen if I were to speak with Bill? What had him so stressed over that?

"There is no doubt that he would try to use you to obtain the rift, and open the portal between our worlds." __Wh… what?__ The rift… I was so focused on keeping myself from being used to steal the journal and getting possessed… I forgot about the rift in my deal. "I am not forcing you to do this, but do you truly think Bill wouldn't use you for his advantage?"

"Bu-but he hadn't," I forced out. "He hadn't forced me to do anything against my friends."

"Yet, Elaine. From what Dipper wrote, it appears that you've found favor in Bill's eye, which is a terrible thing for one to receive. He will expect you to aid him in destroying this world obtaining the rift. Your deal's conditions were that if you aided him in his plans, he would bring you home. But since you have decided to remain in Gravity Falls, then this means he'll put more pressure in his side of the deal. You may not think he's taking advantage of you, but he may already have. If not, then sooner or later."

"Ford… what will happen… if I say no?" I whispered, tears drying on my cheeks from the argument.

Ford sighed, and I knew he was going to regret his next words.

"If you say no… he'll make sure you regret it."

(Time Skip)

Bill stroked the top of my head, the two of us curled up under the covers of his bed in his suite. My head was nestled on his 'chest', right on top of his bow tie. The demon's hat was bobbing over him off to the side, not interfering with our impromptu cuddling, fingers tracing small patterns in my undone hair. "So… would you?"

"Hmmm… probably," Bill finally said. How could he be so casual about this? "I'm surprised, kid. How'd you not think of the rift when makin' that deal anyway?"

"The journal was more important and stood out the most. The rift was so last minute, I completely forgot it existed." Groaning, I brought a hand up and pinched my nose. "Over my dead body, Bill. I won't do it."

"I can raise the dead, kid. That wouldn't be too much of a problem. You're gonna do it for me eventually, or perhaps I'll just trick someone else in the Shack. Maybe someone on the outside, who knows? I ****will**** get that rift, toots. You're gonna have to get used to that idea. Besides," his eye narrowed, "your deal is to help me take over this dimension, remember? Don't want to back out now, do you?"

"I didn't plan on it," I snapped, patience starting to wear thin. "And dream on, Bill." We glowered at each other, before I managed a small chuckle, breaking off the odd tension. "Hehe… ah, we're all gonna die." Bill laughed at that, and pulled me tighter into his hug.

"Nah, Angel. They're all gonna die. You're with me. I ain't letting you get away so easily. Stealing and tricking those poor saps into getting the rift is much more fun than having you get it for me. Whatever Sixer thinks you'll do for me is wrong, so don't worry yourself over it." I squealed as his eye morphed into a mouth, and he began to pepper my face with kisses. Giggling, I pressed my hands against his bricks, trying to push away, only for him push me closer so he could continue his kissing attack. His eye slowly returned, and I managed to wipe the saliva off.

"Not if I have anything to say about it. Maybe I'll just… persuade you to give up." Bill 'smirked', eye inches from my face.

"I'd like to see you try, sweetheart." __Oh, I bet you would.__ His arms rolled me over, and then pulled me back against him so now my back was against him. "I would ****love**** to see you try and stop me."

"Like I told you months ago, Bill. When I got knocked out with that dart by the police: game on." Bill pecked the back of my head, and I closed my eyes.

"Challenge accepted, kid. I don't lose." __Maybe…__

I was… confused. Time Baby's argument had messed with my head, but it only seemed to push me and Bill closer together. Ford's though… he had a point. He knew Bill much better than I ever would… I think. Bill… he wouldn't force me to get the rift, right? There was no way he could use me or the twins to get it for him. After The Last Mabelcorn, the barrier would be up, which meant… no more visits from Bill. After that day… I wouldn't be able to see him in my sleep anymore.

Opening one eye, I looked back and studied Bill's calm expression. His eye was closed, and I listened to the steady hum of the energy from his body. now that my ear was pressed against him.

He destroyed his own dimension, and everyone he ever knew. Friends, family… he was Bill Cipher, a dream demon. And he… he had me to keep him in control. I was going to prevent this disaster, and I would not let any harm come to this town, or to the Pines. Snuggling further into the hug, I kissed the side of his eye, and let my subconscious fall asleep. __Goodnight,__ _ _Billy.__

"Ha ha. Night, sweetheart."

* * *

 ** **Man, I am on a roll! I just can't stop now! Writing with Ford is so much fun. There's so much ideas I can have here. Also, only one final left, and then we're done. Chem was… yeah, I'm not talking about that.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	57. The Stanchurian Candidate Part 1

****Disclaimer: I may or may not go back to a slightly relaxed update schedule. The really quick ones were amazing, but I might calm down a little in that. This chapter, for example, wasn't rushed. Had a lot to get done since the last update.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Cool? I don't know what that is.****

 ** **ultima-owner: I know who Smokey is, just not enough to really care. Really bored with the whole 'only you can prevent forest fires' thing.****

 ** **Sequels: Soon… sort of. When I do make a sequel, it would be at least a month after this is done, maybe even longer. Spending over a year on one story wears you out. Plus, I have to come up with an idea about what I want to do.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Yay, cuddles!****

 ** **Hufflepuff236: Kinda already came up with that after the chapter was written.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade (twice): Yes, and I had planned that. Billaine is their pairing name, but when I got the idea for the possession, I also put that into use. Same with how Bipper works. Same idea.****

 ** **Cynder: Welcome, friend of Cynder! I love it when people get other people hooked onto this thing. Chapters shall continue coming at a decent pace until the new year kicks up. Then it's back to school.****

 ** **RillFipher (twice): I am Canadian, yes. How was I supposed to know about the football team? Thanks for letting me use Kat in the story. She's been great fun! I also somewhat know about the bear. What can I say? I don't get around much.****

 ** **Galinn: Doubt they'd be out in time for Christmas, but a fair amount will be accomplished during the holiday break.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Bill and Ford. Love and hate them both.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): Alright, let's get to those questions. For your first one, NO. I'm not shaking his hand. Bill's one of my favorite characters, for sure, but if I stumbled across the statue, no way would I ever shake his hand. Seeing how I live way too far from where it's location was, if it appeared here I'd start screaming and running in the opposite direction. Your second question? I've had a few dreams about Gravity Falls, but not him specifically. It's sort of how I came up with the rough idea for GFA. I always was curious about a realistic approach to a person who knew the show entered it, but never saw the complete series.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited: Oct. 6/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Sitting in the living room, I could hear Stan grumbling from within the kitchen. Everyone else was still asleep, or not out of their rooms/lab yet. I was pretty sure Ford ran on very little sleep, so I couldn't really give a good answer for him. With how paranoid he was, and with the threat Bill still posed, those lines under his eyes were there for a reason. I went to and from the washroom as quietly as I could to change, avoiding waking the twins, and I brought my sneakers downstairs to put on. My feet, still in socks, gently thumped against the wooden beams until I paused to sit at the bottom step to throw my shoes on. Stan walked out from the kitchen ahead of me, still in his robe and squishing slippers, and I decided to make myself known. __Did Mabel really put milk in his slippers?__ "Hey, Grunkle Stan? Where are you headed?"

"To the store. We're out of bulbs," he replied tiredly, spotting me ahead of him. "Wanna come?" Nodding, I followed him out to the car.

"Hey, uh, I heard some of what happened." What? How did he even hear that? We were in the basement of all places. "Whatever you and my brother were going on about, it was pretty loud." __Oh… I guess I was screaming, wasn't I?__ If the agents could hear us, then it made sense the others could too. __At least the twins didn't hear all that.__ Stan gave me a pitied smile, but kept his attention on the road. "You're not too fond of him either, are ya?"

"It's not that, it's just… he's so much like me!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands out. "We've gone through events and our personalities match up in a way that's scaring me! He's not like Dipper and Mabel; the three of us match up much more easily. It's more like the events that shaped him into the man he is today, he sees in me right now. And I-I don't want to be like him!" I forced a sigh, bringing myself back to a normal breathing rate. "Stan, he… he thinks I'm heading down a dark path. He's worried about me, and I appreciate that, but…"

"You think you know what's best for you," Stan finished my thought. "Kid, I see where you're comin' from. I'm not fond of Ford either, but he might have a point. You've got secrets that you're not willin' to share, and so does he." We pulled up at the shop, and he got out of the car. "Be right back."

I watched him walk in, and looked out the window in thought. Was Stan right? Was I just doing what I thought was best? I knew hating and avoiding Bill wasn't a possibility. I could never do that. I wouldn't do that. But Stan had a point. Ford, in his weird controlling way, just wanted to keep me safe. Wh-why though? I wasn't family, no matter how much… how much that idea hurt me. I was just living with his family for… how long?

"Not today!" Stan jumped into the car, sporting a roughed-up appearance and a swollen eye, with a box of light bulbs tucked under his arm. The sound of security got louder from within the store, and before they could catch him, Stan peeled out of the parking as fast as he could. "Suckers!" He shouted out the window, having rolled it down a crack before bringing it back up again. "Need to get new smoke bombs. Darn things are runnin' out." I smiled a little at the comment he made to himself, which he took notice of. "You doin' better now?"

"Thought for a few minutes, and you… you made a good point. Hey, Stan?" __Wait, back up! Back up! Don't talk about living situations, you're not ready!__ "How do you think we can… improve with Ford?"

"Try what you want, kid. No use in fighting if he's not gonna listen." Right… I sighed, and watched as we returned to the house. It wasn't a huge drive, so we were back at a responsible time. Walking into the Mystery Shack, Stan looked at the bulb box happily. "Rough start to a day. But it's all gonna be worth it when I fix that light bul-"

We walked in on ford screwing in a light bulb with the twins and Soos watching. "And… we're… done!" The room lit up, and the three cheered happily. Since when was a light bulb such a big deal anyway?

"Does anyone see this? This is what a hero looks like right here," Mabel said, pointing up at him.

"Kid, it's a bulb. Nothing heroic about it," I cut in. They all turned to look at us, and I avoided Ford's gaze. __Still ignoring him.__ "Morning, I guess."

"So that's where you went," Dipper said. He looked at the box in Stan's hands, and I could tell he sensed the awkwardness in this moment.

"I thought we were out of light bulbs," Stan said, eyes shuffling around the room.

"Oh we were, so I invented my own!" Ford replied happily. "It will last a thousand years and the light it emits makes your skin softer." The kids and Soos felt their arms, approving this claim. "Anyway, where were you?"

"A thousand years? We'd all be dead by then," I deadpanned. Ford's smile fell, and I turned around to leave the room. "I'm gonna… go."

"Elaine, don't you want breakfast?" Mabel asked behind me.

"No, I… I've lost my appetite." __And my will to carry on this conversation.__ I needed my journal; stat. Avoiding the calls for me to return, the Pines all seeing how I was shutting down in front of them, I went back up to my safe place. Instead of sitting in the window seat, I sat in the corner where my journal was. Not that I had a problem with the seat, but it was because if Ford came to check on me, I wanted to hide from him.

" ** **I am terrified of Ford. Can't believe it myself, but I am. He-the man means well, but… he didn't experience what I've had this summer. He's right, and Stan's right; heck, even Bill's right! We have similarities in what we've been through. How our stories have played out, and some personality traits. I'm still more like the twins though, but I can't deny the part where I'm a younger him.****

 ** **Ford yesterday had told me to avoid Bill at all costs if possible, but I won't. He doesn't know him like I do, and I know that there's good in him. I just need to mentally prepare myself for whenever that topic comes up.****

 ** **He'll no doubt come to me to talk more before Bill visits his mind himself, and I'll have to be ready for it. No matter how it begins, or ends****."

"Elaine? Are you in there?" __Speak of the man, and he shall appear.__ Ford walked into the room after knocking against the door, not bothering for a response, and I ducked behind the boxes more to conceal myself. "Elaine, I know you're here. Come out. I just want to talk." I glared at him from my spot, keeping my breathing calm. Ford looked around, and sighed. "I know you are upset from what happened yesterday, but you cannot keep ignoring me." __Watch me!__ My glares intensified, but then… faltered. He was… right, unfortunately.

I wanted him and Stan to make up for the kids' sake, but giving Ford the cold shoulder wouldn't help anybody. __Dang it.__ "F… Ford…?" He snapped his head around, and he glimpsed at the top of my brown head. "H-hey…"

"Hey." He moved over to me, and looked down at my journal. "That is a very interesting journal you have." Yeah, and you're talking to me like I was a child.

"Yeah… i-it was a bribe at first, but kinda turned into a gift when his feelings changed, I guess." I closed it before he could see any of the words and drawings, and gave him a view of the cover. The angel wings symbol was smudged with finger prints and a few scratches, but was still in better condition than his three books. "I, um… use it to write notes on my findings of the town, certain important events, and observations I had made in your journal."

"He gave it you, correct?" He knelt down, and I leaned back. Ford took a breath, shaking his head. "Your deal certainly is unusual. I've dealt with that triangle maniac for a long time, and I have never seen him offer a gift or bribe before." __Really?__ I blinked in surprise. We weren't even that close before. Sure, he and me barely could stand each other first, but he… had a point. Bill never gave bribes. Maybe it was because of how important my deal was…? "Sure, he will occasionally offer something in a deal, but nothing more than that… he must have a high value for your help."

I smiled at that, even though I probably shouldn't. "Yeah… he certainly does." Ford studied my quiet reply, and sighed.

"You're still seeing him, aren't you?" He stated bluntly. I gave a small nod, and opened my mouth to defend myself, before he held up a hand to stop me. "I am not going to lecture you again. It's obvious that regardless of what I say, you will continue to see him. But I must ask: why? What is it about that monster that you are willing to ignore reason to continue visiting him?"

"It's… hard to… I can't say," I admitted, struggling for words. How could I explain? __I can't tell him that I'm kinda dating…__ _ _are we dating?Hmm… nah. The two of us never liked labels.__ So… I was just lost and internally rambling. "I want to explain, I just… don't know how, Ford."

Ford hesitated, but saw I was not going to give an exact answer at the moment. He stood up, and headed back towards the door, leaving me in my little corner. "Well, if you find a way to explain, I'll be in my lab." He glanced back, and added, "and for anything else you might need to talk about too." He walked out, and closed the door behind him.

What… was that?

"Wow. Ol' Sixer really seems interested in you, huh, Angel?" Bill's eye was curved in a smile, and he held his hand out. Taking it, I was pulled to my feet from behind my hiding place.

"You just had to show up right after he left?" I frowned. "Where's the others?" I meant the kids, Stan, and Soos. No doubt, they went to the town hall for the start of the election.

"You've been up here for a while, kid. It's already past one." Gee, that long already? "So, tell me, toots. What do you plan on doin'? Got any tricks for the old man?"

"You'd like to see me toy with his mind, wouldn't you?" I heard footsteps underneath me, and Wendy yell something about a pig. "Looks like the election madness has begun. Bill, can we talk later? Please?" Bill rolled his eye, but seemed to relent. "Thanks. Uh, one last thing. Why… do you insist on all these nicknames? Kid and Angel I understand, but what's with toots and sweetheart?"

"Aw, you don't like your pet names?" Bill asked, humor ringing in his voice. "I can come up with other names for ya!"

"No, no. I'm pretty sure any other names would result in me being a flustered mess." It could get really awkward, really quickly. "Plus, I'll allow it since I keep calling you Billy. See ya, Cipher."

Blinking out of the Mindscape, I paused to look at my journal. Maybe one day, I'd be comfortable carrying it around with me out in the open, like Dipper, but not yet. It had to remain hidden on my person, or hidden in the Shack. I had stuff written in there that no one should ever see. At least, not until I revealed the truth about their dimension. __For now, back into the corner you go.__ Tossing it back behind me, I made my way downstairs, and ended up catching Stan's remark about ugly babies.

"If my head says, that lady's got an ugly baby, my mouth says, 'whoa, lady, you got one ugly baby'." I slapped a hand to my forehead, and groaned, announcing my arrival.

"Stan, that is awful." I looked at everyone, specifically Dipper. "Please tell me we've got ideas on how to fix this."

"I'm trying to figure out how to make a website," Mabel offered, holding up a laptop. "But I'm not so great with computers." Okay, that's a start.

"Hand me the computer, Candy." Candy passed it over, and I sat down on the couch. Judging from the girly stickers on the back, it must have belonged to the girl. The gang looked at me curiously as I toyed around with the machine, fingers dashing over the keyboard. I loved technology. I sucked at it sometimes, but I was pretty good, in my opinion. I even had it as one of my future career options. Which, because of my decision to remain in Gravity Falls, probably won't happen anytime soon. "Okay, it's not perfect, but neither is this election. The entire thing is about as complicated and ugly as the elections in my world. Thankfully, those websites that allow you to make websites are pretty helpful. Here. Have a look." Silly music played depending on what tab you clicked on at the top. It was such a laughable site, but it got the job done. I had a picture of Waddles with a caption about not making him sad if Stan didn't win, a few clips of Stan showing somewhat good behavior in the videos section, an about page for Stan talking about personality traits, and the home page.

For my own amusement, I had put that picture of Stan in the devil costume for his about part. Stan didn't seem amused with that, but I could tell he was touched with my description about him. On the home page, I had typed in large letters " ** **I MADE THIS SITE TO HELP GRUNKLE STAN WITH THE ELECTION TO BECOME MAYOR OF GRAVITY FALLS. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT****!" I could have said something more formal, but Mabel was the one who wanted to make the website. The title screamed Mabel's personality.

"This is so cheesy and so brilliant at the same time." Dipper was trying not to laugh, but I appreciated the smile. "Couldn't you have made it a little… better?"

"We're pressed for time, Dippin' Dots. If this was a normal election, and we had several months, sure." Dipper took the laptop, and handed it to Mabel, who began exploring through the tabs and giving her own giggles. "Listen, guys, I… I want your opinion."

"This has to do with your disagreement with Grunkle Ford, right?" I stared at Mabel, slack-jawed. "Stan told us you and him had a fight. Ellie, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, it's just…" did I have to explain it again? Now I had the kids, Grenda, Candy, Wendy, and Soos listening too. "How do I fix this? I want him and Ford to make up for yours and Dipper's sake, but I can't even have a proper conversation with Ford without shutting down. It's like I'm back to square one in my behavior." Like how I was when I first arrived and refused to talk much to anyone.

"Then go down there and fix it," Stan said. "Kid, I've got all the help I need with this election. This week, I want you tryin' to mend things with my brother."

"But-but Stan, I don't want to just let you guys do this alone," I stuttered. He shook his head, and began pushing me towards the gift shop. "Stan!"

"Kid, you need this. Trust me. You can worry 'bout me and Ford once you have a conversation with him." __I'm not going to get anywhere with arguing, am I?__ Grumbling, I headed to the entrance of the lab. They had to team up against me, didn't they? Oh boy. Punching in the code, I backed up to let the door swing open, and headed inside.

"Elaine, wait!" Dipper rushed into the stairwell before it closed, accidentally running into the heavy metal door while doing so. "I need to talk to him too."

"This about Stan and his behavior?" I asked.

"We're not going to win if he keeps this up. We need help." __Don't we all?__ Making our way to the elevator, we stepped inside and headed downwards. As the metal cage rattled as it descended, and we looked ahead of us, I could hear him mumbling under his breath, looking nervous and.. sad. __Why's he sad? Nothing's happened.__ Noticing I was watching him, Dipper finally spoke aloud. "Elaine, I'm… I'm sorry."

"Sorry?" I looked down at him, confused. "About what?"

"About those entries I wrote about you. Ford knows of your involvement with Bill, right? That's why he's been so interested in you?" The elevator dinged, and the door opened in front of us. "I never knew he would return, Elaine. I didn't mean to cause you so much grief."

"Heh... y-yeah. He's wondering why Bill's so interested in me." Dipper sped up his walk out of the box, and glanced back over his shoulder. "But it's… it's fine, Dipper. He'd have found out eventually, no matter what you did. At least it's… less of a bombshell than it could've been."

"I'll go first. Warm him up for you." Nodding, I watched him move over to Ford. I didn't hear most of the initial conversation, but I did when Dipper shouted at the end. "And he's insisting on speaking his mind!"

"So this is an emergency," Ford said in realization. I caught a glimpse of one of the journals in his hands, which he was reading at his desk. Which number though, I couldn't tell, but I hoped it wasn't three again.

"The Stump Speech is about to happen, and if he continues like this, we'll lose to Bud for sure!" He paced the room, and Ford turned around to think.

"Hmm. It's a shame there isn't some device that will allow you to control someone else. Oh. Wait. Of course, yes. There is." He smiled, and pulled out a drawer of the desk. Taking out a red, blue, and white striped tie, he showed it to Dipper. "I designed a prototype for Ronald Reagan's masters. Just get Stan to wear this, and you can make him a literal talking head."

Dipper peered inside of the tie, and chuckled, studying the circuitry hidden within the clothing. "Whoa! This is amazing! And ethically ambiguous!"

Ford then pulled out a black tie with blue stripes, and handed it over as well. "As long as you wear the matching one, he'll say and do whatever you want him to." Dipper gazed at both of them, and beamed.

"Thank you Great Uncle Ford!" He went to run off, but quickly stopped. "Oh, and there's someone who wants to talk with you." __Dipper! You don't introduce me like that!__ Ford looked up from him, and saw me standing in the elevator. Dipper ran back to me, and pushed me out before I could grab the handlebars inside. "Good luck!"

"I am so going to get you back for that, dork," I whispered. The machine whirled back to life, and I was left stuck down there with the older Pines. Rubbing the back of my neck, I dragged-more liked willed-myself over to Ford. I wanted to fight back. I wanted to rant at him again, but… I was exhausted. Yelling wouldn't solve anything. Talking though, would… I hoped. "H-hey… so…" __Elaine, get to the point. Rambling won't solve anything.__ "Don't suppose we can... h-have that chat now?"

Ford nodded, and closed the journal behind him. Moving closer, I stood in front of him, tightly clutching my hand. My burnt hand. "Of course. I had expected you wouldn't heed my offer until later, but now is as good a time as any. What is it you wish to talk about, Elaine?" He was trying to be friendly, but I could hear the awkwardness in his voice. Ford was never one for stuff like this, even after thirty years. As for what to talk about? So much, really. What had happened during his time on the other side of the portal, his relationship with Bill, dimensions. What could I talk about?

 _ _But… if we're going to do this... best to start with the most basic thing.__

Taking a cloth off of a nearby table, I wiped at the foundation on my hand. Once a part of the blackened skin was visible, I watched Ford wheel closer. "Elaine, did he…?" I dropped the fabric, and held out my arm. Blackened skin, not like a normal burn where it turned red, but as black as the demon's skin itself, in a perfect shape of the triangle himself. "He did this?"

"He never did this with the others. I know people who have made deals with him, but he had never done anything like this." I had never fully forgiven Bill for what he did to my hand. He knew this, and we silently chose not to address it again. "I keep it covered, because I… I don't want people to pity me." Ford held my hand, tracing it with a finger gently. "Same with my other scars and burns. This one's just the most ugly to look at."

"Stan told me you kept the bandage around your hand on for a long time. I assume this is why?" He asked, clearly already knowing the answer. "How are your other injuries?"

"Healed. Bill used his magic to heal me. It hurt like crazy, what it being raw magic on open wounds, but it worked." I retracted my hand, and held it close to my chest. Only Dipper and Stan really had a good view of my injuries. I didn't count the pool trip, as I was in the water most of the time, or the cash register during Mabel's time as the boss. Dipper saw me being treated in one of Stan's memories too. Ford though… sh-should I…? "I... I want to show you something."

Undoing the buttons on my flannel, I began to slide it off carefully. The others had seen my wounds, but never really paid too much attention to them. Now, there I was, showing my arms to Ford who no doubt bore wounds as bad as I did. Now, in my white tank top, I hugged myself. From pale white and straight, to red and jagged, everything was still the exact same. Ford… he looked so distressed. Reaching forward, he placed a hand on another of my least favorite injuries.

"The gremloblin bite?"

"Yep. That was not a fun thing to have treated. Had to run it under the tap before he showed up, to try and slow down the bleeding." He looked over them, and leaned back. Before I could ask what he was thinking, he slid off his tan jacket, letting it hang off of the chair. Grabbing his red sweater, he began to pull it over his head. __Wh-what?__

So... so many ****scars****.

I-I thought I was the one who looked like they went through a war zone. Ford… it was-words couldn't describe it. Clad in a black tank top, Ford was covered in claw marks, and other blemishes and scars that I couldn't say what caused them. Three long claw marks were on the bottom half of his top, tearing the cloth open. There we were. Two people that had been through heck and back, with the marks to clearly show it.

"Ford, I-I'm so sorry." I tried not to let this get to me, but it hurt. This was cruel and inhumane, what we had been through. And what's worse is… almost all of mine were from whatever brought me into this dimension. I was bitten, and Bill marked my hand, but that was it. "I-I can't even imagine what you've been through, and here I am going on about-"

"It isn't your fault, Elaine." Ford sighed, and looked down at his own arms. "This isn't your burden to bear." But I knew what he's gone through more than the others did. I couldn't ignore that. Ford looked around, and stared at the journal on the desk. Journal… three. What was he writing in there? "Elaine, would you like to know what had happened to me on the other side of the portal?"

"You… really?" I said, almost speechless. "But-but shouldn't Dipper here this? C-can't we talk about something else until he's free?" Ford appeared to drop the idea, and I sat down on the floor in front of him. Now… what else could we talk about that didn't involve-oh. Well, there's one thing that I could think of. "Ford, what do you know about a sixth sense?"

"A sixth sense? Well, it is an ability specific people yield that allow people to be aware of the paranormal. It is not gained through the recognized physical senses, but instead is sensed with the mind. I, myself, happen to have such a gift." He did-wait, of course he did. He had let Bill roam through his head enough to pick on some things. "Why do you ask?"

"It's… better if I show this too. Ignis." I said the word without hesitation, and let the ball of flame appear in my open hand, floating a few inches over my palm. Ford jumped in his seat, and quickly adjusted his glasses, eyes flashing in fascination. "Having him around has a few perks."

"He taught you this?" He inquired. Quickly, he grabbed the journal, and began writing down what he was watching.

"All humans have a sixth sense, it's only a matter of being able to use it or not. He taught me this as a form of defense and offense. I have a pocket knife, but I needed to be able to protect myself when he's not around." Extinguishing my light, I shrugged. "I've been around him a lot. Probably more than I should have, what with his constant watching and visits. All of this, plus how I'm growing so used to the supernatural in Gravity Falls, had led me to developing such an ability."

"Incredible!" Ford exclaimed. "I have learned some skills from my time with Cipher, but what you're describing is vastly different than what I've ever felt." He paused in his writing, and looked back up. "Tell me, what sort of powers have you picked up?"

"Besides that fire spell, I can will myself into the Mindscape, and hear things in the Mindscape too. When Dipper was in ghost form, I could still hear him, even if I couldn't see him. Heck, when Bill's watching as a shadow in this world, I can still hear and even feel him sometimes," I explained.

Ford snapped the book shut, and smiled down at me. It's odd. The last few times, it seemed either more forceful, or pitiful, when it was directed at me. Now, he seemed far more happy. More excited. I spotted a clock in the corner, and saw we were actually down here for most of the day. Following my gaze, he nodded in understanding. "It appears we've been here for long enough. Shall we return for supper?"

"Yeah. Sounds like a plan. I... I just realized I missed eating at all today." __Whoops.__ Resting the journal back on the desk, we made our way to the elevator. Not before he slid his sweater and jacket back on, and me with my flannel, of course. "Uh, Ford? Thanks for… that. You're the first person I've ever really shown my scars to. On purpose, I mean."

"The same for me, Elaine." The kitchen never seemed so welcoming. Stan, Dipper, and Mabel were eating already, meatloaf by the looks of it, and all turned to face me and Ford as we entered.

"Elaine!" Mabel cheered. "How was your day?"

"Better than I'd originally thought, kid. Ford isn't as big of a stick in the mud as I'd pictured him to be." Stan snorted at that, and Ford gave me an unimpressed look. "I mean well, you know that." Sitting in between the twins, Ford sat in between Stan and Dipper. "How was that first debate, Stan?"

"Great. The speech was in the afternoon, and we got home late because I was stuck speaking to people for so long over how well I did. We just started dinner when you two came up." He glanced to Ford for a moment, before returning to me. "What'd you been up to?"

"Spent most of it speaking with him. Time really got away from me today. I didn't plan on that happening." I stopped talking, and we began to quietly dive into our meals. A few minutes ticked by, and I sat down my spoon in a small laugh as an idea popped into my head. "Heh… this is-wow. I haven't done this in ages."

"What?" Dipper asked, lowering his fork.

"Eating with people I care about without having my life in danger." That made them all turn to look at me. "We're not all fond of each other, but at moments like this, there's the calm before the storm. We need to treasure these times while they last." I grabbed my water glass, and raised it. "I've bonded with you guys over such simple things, not fully knowing what I was getting into at first, and it created relationships that I would never wish to give up. Whatever is left of this summer, I plan on facing it with you two dorks and a sharpened knife." I realized what I said, and giggled. "Uh, can I keep the knife, Stan?"

"Kid, I already knew you took it weeks ago. Figured you should have something to keep yourself safe. Besides that," his gentle smile seemed more genuine as he added, "that knife was mine when I was around your age. Never really used it that much later in life, so I sort of forgot about it. It's yours to keep now." Mabel laughed happily, gaining our attention, and raised her own glass.

"To the Pines!" She declared. Dipper grinned, and raised his drink. Stan brought his glass up too, and to his shock Ford, albeit reluctantly, brought did the same. I-I wasn't a Pines. I was their family, but… ah, forget it. I was a Pines at this point, and pretty much everyone knew it. No use denying it now. __I do consider them family, after all.__

"To the Pines!" We echoed, clanging the glasses together.

I had no clue what the future held. The amount of knowledge I had was running out, as after the road trip, I was going in blind. Ford wasn't holding out as much anger towards Stan was he was before, and maybe I could fix their bond before the end of the summer.

I would, and I'd be danged if Bill thinks he could use anyone in this house to get that rift.

* * *

 ** **This chapter is less actual episode than the actual episode. Next chapter, we get straight to the stump debate, possessed Bud, evil Gideon, and the building block to one of the greatest chapters in season 2.****

 ** **The. Last. MABELCORN!****

 ** **Y'all gonna LOVE that bit! Mostly because right before we get into Bill messing with Ford, we're gonna have a special treat for Dipper and Elaine. Time to learn what our favorite old guy's been up to during his time across dimensions. The website thing is real too. Alex made a site for Stan's election. It's hard to find, but it's worth checking out.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	58. The Stanchurian Candidate Part 2

****Disclaimer: Happy holidays, everyone! If I don't get the next chapter up before the 25th, just want to wish everyone a great Christmas or whatever it is you celebrate, and that you enjoy it to the fullest.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Yes. We. STAN!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: So if he was real… you're gonna be the trigger in our downfall. Okay!****

 ** **ultima-owner: No, human logic is far from what his 'logic' is.****

 ** **Cynder: Let me know if she sees the review. I want to hear about her reaction.****

 ** **PoisonCupcake101: Elaine is naive in Bill's plans and some of the events in the show because she never saw the full series. She had only seen up to Roadside Attraction, so some of the major events that filled in gaps, she had no idea about. The UFO**** ** **and**** ** **Weirdmageddon, she never knew.**** ** **This**** ** **was one of the first things mentioned in my story, right in chapter 2,**** ** **since it played an important part to the story as a whole.****

 ** **watergoddesskasey: Thanks!****

 ** **Guest: Thank you!****

 ** **I own Elaine. Asger and Axel belong to the core of justice, and Kat belongs to RillFipher.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited: Oct. 7/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

I'd been having one of the most normal weeks of the summer so far, and I didn't know what to think about it. It's nice, obviously, but I think I'd gotten used to running for my life. Besides my daily visits from Bill, which didn't slow down besides Ford's warnings, nothing out of the ordinary had been happening. Though, while the paranormal side had been calm, that didn't mean I wasn't busy.

I'd been dropping by Ford in his lab each day, a little longer each time. Stanford… heh, guess he's not totally all bad. Guy's got a ton of problems, and was way more paranoid than me and Dipper combined, but still. So far, he'd told me about certain dimensions he came across. This gambling dimension really got my interest. Though, that could just be from this trailer for a game I saw on YouTube before coming here about gambling cups and dice…? When I mentioned how certain medias in my world existed as dimensions here, briefly alluding to my conversation with Dipper a while ago, he had me start listing possible connections.

I was so, so close back in Love God to telling Dipper the truth. What he now knew was that his world resembled a cartoon or a book in my world. I was certain with a nudge, he could piece it all together, but I was waiting still for that right moment. Ford shared that interest too. When I mentioned traveling across dimensions mentally with Bill and about attending the Blood Moon Ball, he showed that he was very enamored with my tales. He just soaked up all of the information I was sharing, as did I with his stories.

He had a wanted poster for himself from a dimension, and how he had done some questionable things during the three decades around the multiverse to become a criminal. It also turned out I was right about Rick and Morty. They did exist, same as Star, and… Rick and Ford actually knew each other.

" ** **Rick was here**** " was written in a corner of the poster in a cipher that I didn't know, and Ford told me how he had traveled with Birdperson, Rick, and Squanchy as freedom fighters for a few months. It was amazing, hearing those tales. I had viciously written in my journal, having to replace my pen at one point from the stories he told as I was running out of ink. I now had several intricate drawings of the quantum destabilizer, a small bio of Rick, and a few descriptions of dimensions he had told me about.

In return… I had offered to show some of my own works in my journal.

My description of the Mewni dimension, specifically the Lucitor Kingdom and how those monsters were much more tamer than the ones in this world. Alongside that, I even made a small note on how this one woman was able to see me, despite being in the Mindscape. All Ford had to say about that, as I had no idea how she could, was that some species were more in tune with certain types of magic. I spoke of my observations on the monsters and ghouls of Gravity Falls, and how my opinions and reflections differed greatly from Dipper's. Because he had read journal three, he already know of most of our escapades. I did fill in more details though, and how certain events had happened. But most importantly… I spoke of the demons.

It was almost laughable when I had told Ford I had already been to the Nightmare Realm. In my mind, of course. How the place smelt of burnt hair, the ever-changing colors, and the different beasts that resided there. It was also enjoyable to tell how the Henchmaniacs never threatened me because of Bill's partnership with me, outright threatening them the first time they met me. Pyronica was fun to talk about, regardless of her... appearance. Though, I was seriously considering a visit again soon. Ford had blasted his ray gun at them all, making them scatter. When he went after Bill, that was when the portal restarted and he escaped. There was obviously more to the story, but I had made it clear to wait until Dipper could hear this.

Right now, the debate was going to start in a few hours. It was sometime after dinner, when I made that sappy speech, that Dipper informed me that my little squad already knew about the tie. They had arrived late, and got the twins acting out Stan's lines behind the curtain. Which, now that I think about it, made me wonder how nobody else saw that happening either. I though, wasn't at the debate yet. I was back in the lab again, feeding a certain human-devouring monster.

"Elaine, why do you insist of feeding it?" I dropped a raw chicken leg into the jar, and the cycloptopus happily began chewing it to pieces, and leaving the small bone to clatter against the base.

"Because I'm the only one who can get close to it without fearing for my life," I replied. "Hey, uh, Ford. It's been a-a while since we've had that conversation about… you know, about talking with Dipper about your journey. When this election is over, can we… you know…?"

"You wish to hear the full story, correct?" Smiling as he finished my question, I nodded. Ford moved over to me, watching me clean the blood off my hands from handling the chicken. He was still cautious around me, mostly due to my willingness to be around the demon. But I was willing to let him check my eyes each time I entered the room, if that was what made him comfortable. Now though, after living there for almost a week, his paranoia about me being possessed had dwindled, and the bright spots of him shining a light in my eyes had all but disappeared. "Tell Dipper to meet me in my lab tonight. You best get going. You don't want to miss the election."

"Right." Grabbing my bag, I tossed it over my shoulders. "See you later, Ford!" I waved goodbye, and dashed to the elevator. Bouncing on my heels, I waited for the doors to open. **_**_Well, well, well. Someone seems excited today._**_**

"What gave it away, Cipher?" I laughed. "I'm gonna get answers tonight. I've been wanting to hear about this for most of the summer! Not that you haven't given me answers, but this is going to be awesome!" The door opened, and I ran out. Dashing out of the Mystery Shack's door, I began running towards the final debate, feet pushing off against the unpaved road. "Ha ha!"

 _ ** **Angel, you have way too much energy right now.****_

He's making it sound like it's a bad thing! "I know! But I've been cooped up for so long I need to do something!" I leaped over a large puddle, hitting the dirt and picking up speed. "Hey, Bill! Uh, how badly did Ford throw you guys off when he came in there guns-a-blazing?"

 _ ** **He told you 'bout that?****_

"Sort of. He told me a little, but then I could hear your laughter when the machine was on. It sort of came to mind that you were having a little fun with him while he was after you." I kept up my speed, but as the noise of the crowd began to meet my ears, I let myself slow to a jog. "Bill, you're not jealous, are you? Of me speaking to him all week instead of you?"

 _ **What? I am not jealous, kid. I'm… I'm…**_

He was jealous. Actually, it was a little cute. He reacted differently, when it was Dipper who was trying for my attention. Maybe it was because then, it was more fighting for my feelings. With Ford though… what would I call this? _Family, I suppose. I see Stan as an uncle, so I feel the same for Ford too._ "Talk to you later, Bill. It's debate time."

I began to slow down my sprint, and jogged to the election area. _Thank goodness Mabel told me where they were setting it up. I'd be wandering around for hours trying to find it._ Two large bleachers were set up, along with a stage and four podiums. I could already see the election was underway, hearing Wendy's father yell something about taxes. My squad was down in the pit area watching, so I went there first. "Hey, Asger and ladies. What's up?"

"He's not wearing the tie, and Soos is up there," Kat replied. "Elaine, what's happening?"

"Clearly Dipper must have spilled the beans," Wendy said, crossing her arms. "You gonna go check in on them?"

"Duh. Gideon is using Bud in all of this, probably to bust him out of prison. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't want that." Taking my leave, I headed around back to where Dipper and Mabel were. "Okay, truth time. Soos, guys? Are you really that desperate?"

"We were in a rush, alright?" Dipper said. "We're being eaten alive back there! Since when has Bud been so… creepily adorable?"

"I don't know!" Mabel yelled. "It doesn't make sense! He's almost acting just like… like…" her eyes widened in realization.

"Wittle ol' me." We gasped, seeing a possessed Bud walk towards us, with Gideon appearing on the screen attached to his chest. The elder Gleeful had his eyes crossed, with a strand of drool dripping from the corner of his mouth. His movements were rigid, almost robot-like. "Aha! Hello there, long time no see! Except in my revenge fantasies where I see you on an hourly basis."

"Gideon! I knew you were somehow behind this!" Dipper glared at the paper in Gideon's hands, no doubt coming from journal two. "You've been controlling Bud!"

"And it seems you've been controlling Stanford! I figured it was the both of y'all. You've got much eviller since I last saw you. Daddy!" Snapping his fingers, Gideon commanded Bud to act. Moaning, the man moved forward, and before we could run were grabbed by the adult. Dipper and Mabel were in one hand, while the other was gripping my wrist, dragging me along. Carrying us into the elevator, we were taken into the hollowed head of the memorial. I continued to struggle against him, trying to break free so as to get the twins away, only for Bud to roughly shove me against the rock wall, letting my head collided sharply with it.

 _ ** **Angel!****_

 _ _It… h-hurt!__ No doubt there was a concussion from that, judging from hw much my head was pounding and my partially blurry vision. I didn't have the energy to get up and stop him from tying the twins to the chairs. _Who ev-_ _ev_ _en decided to put fireworks inside here?_

"Behold, your grand view of the debate! Once I win this election, I'll finally rule this backwoods town!" Gideon declared, Bud mimicking the actions by throwing a fist in the air.

"You'll never get away with this, you freaky ittle dork!" Mabel snapped.

"Oh, I'd be happy to spare you Mabel. If you agree to be mine. I even made you this weeding dress in crafts class!" He held up the dress, but I couldn't see it from my angle. "Don't ask what it's made of," Gideon whispered.

"Ew, I'd rather die, you creep!" She hissed at the offer.

"Fine! Have it your way. Once I win, they'll hit the plunger for the fireworks display, finishing the mountain's construction, trapping y'all inside. I've been trapped behind concrete all summer, now see how you like it!" Said plunger was in his hands, though I wasn't sure he had gotten a hold of it. _Maybe he… picked up after t… tying them up?_ "Say hello to the next mayor of Gravity Falls, kids!" Gideon laughed, and Bud walked back out into the elevator.

"Elaine! Elaine, say something!" Dipper yelled, fighting against the ropes and looking over at me.

"I… concussion… ow."

"Elaine's out of it. Dipper, what do we do?" Mabel asked desperately. "Help! Help us!"

"We're tied to a bunch of fireworks!" Dipper added, hoping that someone outside of the statue would hear them. "Struggle! Maybe we can loosen them!" Not a good plan, but a plan none the less. The chair began hopping as they fought with the binds, only to have part of the rock under them crumble away. "AAHHH!"

"G… guys!" I yelled. I couldn't get up without falling over, so I settled for rolling onto my stomach and crawling to the edge. Poking my head out of the nose, I saw the frayed rope, and the twins hanging high above the stage. Grabbing the rope, I began trying to pull it up. However, with how I was positioned, and that I could barely stand up to plant my feet, all I could do was hang on and prevent them from plummeting.

"Elaine, you're hurt! You don't have enough awareness!" Dipper shouted up at me, seeing my struggling efforts.

 _ ** **Kid, Pine Tree's right. You're close to passing out.****_

"Not the t… time, Bill." I watched the rope fray further, just out of my reach… and snapped. "No!" I dove for it, almost falling out of the hole myself, but watched another hand grab for it just in time. "S-Stan?" Grunkle Stan smiled at me, and began pulling the kids back up. "You… you came."

"Grunkle Stan!" Dipper and Mabel cheered, seeing their uncle once they got close enough.

"Kids! Look, I'm sorry I was being stubborn. I guess being the town's hero wasn't enough. I wanted to be yours too." He looked over at me, and frowned. "We're getting you checked over once this is done, alright?"

"C-crystal," I replied, holding my head tenderly.

"We're sorry, Grunkle Stan," Mabel said. "We should've supported you, win or lose."

"Probably lose," Dipper said, rolling his eyes.

"I can still drop you, you know." He pulled them up, and hugged them. The three laughed, and Stan quickly untied the knot. "I got you, kid." He threw me onto his shoulders, and we came out of the memorial on top of its nose. Smiling down at the crowd, I could make out Wendy, Asger, and Kat applauding. That was, until the four of us saw Bud was about to blow up the statue.

"Oh no! We have to get out of here!" Dipper shouted.

"Kids. If I die, make sure I get a bigger tombstone than Ford," Stan said solemnly. Dipper and Mabel nodded with serious faces, and I gave a shaky thumps up. Reaching down, he grabbed the kids and tucked them under his arms. My grip around his neck tightened, and Stan jumped off the memorial as it blew up behind us. Flaming rock rained down as we plummeted, preparing for the worst.

Thank goodness the bird seed broke our fall. Stan's fez landed back on his head, having come off in the jump. The crowd scattered to avoid being hit, and I grinned seeing Bud get knocked out. I felt talons rest on my head, and peered up to see the bald eagle perched on me. It moved closer to Stan, and kissed the side of his head. __Cool.__ Flying away into the forest, Stan helped us all to our feet, and dusted himself off.

The crowd gathered around, and began cheering loudly as the fireworks went off behind us. "Mayor Pines! Mayor Pines! Mayor Pines!"

"Well, guess we know who won," Dipper grinned.

(Time Skip)

"Hold still, Elaine. I need to make sure this hit wasn't serious." I frowned, feeling Ford check around the top of my head. The others were watching the TV, while we sat at the table beside them. Once Stan told Ford about my hit to the head, he went about checking me for how serious of a concussion I could have.

"This just in! Stanford Pines loses!"

"WHAT!?" Ford and me jumped, hearing them shout at the screen.

"What happened?" I asked, looking around Ford.

"Despite winning an overwhelming 95 percent of the vote, election officials had to disqualify him due to discovery of an extensive criminal record," Shandra's voice came from the speakers.

"Stanley, what did you do?" Ford asked, glaring at his twin. I could understand his anger. Stan was still Stanford in the eyes of the townsfolk.

"What ****didn't**** I do?" He shot back, actually surprised they hadn't looked into this sooner.

"Crimes include shoplifting, teaching bears to drive, a new crime he invented called 'burglebezzlement', first-degree llamacide…"

"That llama knew too much," Stan said, shaking his fist angrily.

"I am so confused," Mabel said to Dipper, who only nodded in reply.

"Due to this shocking development, it would appear the mayorship passes to the only candidate who filled out their paperwork: local enthusiasm enthusiast Tyler Cutebiker." Cheers could be heard from the TV, and they must have been playing a clip of Tyler becoming mayor. "We will dedicate the rest of this broadcast to listing Stan's crimes. First-degree thermometer theft. Pug trafficking."

Stan turned off the TV before she could go any further. "Whew! At least they didn't list any of the bad ones. On an unrelated topic, I have a lot of cheap pugs and I need to move them fast." I don't think I want to know where he got them… or is currently keeping them.

"Aw, I'm sorry, Stan. I actually think you as mayor would've been fun," Dipper said.

"Eh, maybe it's for the best. I got close to the dream, though, kids," Stan replied.

"Hey, I knit you something." Mabel handed Stan a wool sash, with the words " ** **OUR HERO**** " sewn on it. "It's not official, but I think it fits." Stan slid it on, and sniffed.

"Grunkle Stan, are you crying?" I said, smiling.

Stan wiped his eyes. "I got campaign confetti in my eyes!" Sure, you did. "Come on, kids. Wanna go vandalize Mayor Tyler's mansion?" The two cheered, and Stan looked over at me. "How's she doin' Sixer?"

"Nothing looks serious. I highly recommend taking it easy this evening, and keeping a cold compress on your head for a few hours." He finished applying a gauze around my head, and cut off the remaining fabric.

"Thanks, Ford." I grinned, and stumbled to stand upright. "Whoa. Hehe. Gonna take a while to reset."

"You're welcome." Stan looked between us, and chuckled.

"Nice to see you two gettin' along. Not terrified of my brother anymore, Elaine?" I moved over to him, and steadied myself on the armrest of the chair.

"He's still intense, but it's been better." I grinned back at Ford, and laughed internally at how flustered he looked. He was an extreme version of Dipper. Paranoid, and didn't want anyone to get in his way of reaching the scientific top of the pyramid. He was an introvert through and through, but brave and quite serious. I wasn't going to tell him I had a bio on him in my journal, which was written during the election.

I had bios on all my friends, actually. Stan, Dipper, Mabel, Soos, and Pacifica. The squad had a fair amount in it: Asger, Kat, and Wendy. Bill took up several pages with the meetings I'd had with him. Ford was just the latest to this ever-growing list.

"Dipper, when you return with Stanley, can you meet me and Elaine in the lab?" Ford asked. Mabel and Dipper turned to me, and I beamed.

"It's time to know the truth, Dippin' Dots."

His face lit up at the sentence, and nodded furiously. "O-of course!" With that, the three left, and I could hear Mabel and Dipper talk about my hidden message.

"Elaine, why don't you go rest until then?" I nodded at Ford's suggestion, and supported myself on the wall as I headed to the stairs.

 _ ** **Angel, ya sure you want to hear this?****_

"Is that worry I hear?" I whispered. No way did I want to risk Ford hearing me talking to Bill.

 _ ** **Toots, I don't worry. Just don't need your opinion of me changin' any more.****_

He's worried. He's very, very worried. It might not sound like it, but… it was there. "I'll be fine, Cipher. It's just a conversation. What could happen?"

(Time Skip)

It was dark in the lab, and the three of us were all gathered in a circle on the floor. Ford chose not to sit in his chair, as the rest of us didn't have proper seating. In his lap was journal three, opened to a page with a very detailed sketch that I couldn't see. "Dipper. Elaine. What I am about to tell you cannot tell Stanley or Mabel. Do you understand?"

"We understand," Dipper answered. I nodded, prepping my own journal at the ready. This was going to be awesome!

"Good. Now… my journey." __Here we go.__ He looked off his book, probably to use it to help start him off, before returning to meet our eager faces. "When I had been sucked into the portal, I knew I would be facing whatever horrors that drove Fiddleford to madness." Which, wasn't as bad as he said it was. During our chats, I filled him in on my attempts to help him regain his sanity. His life before 1982. Ford was touched at my efforts, and told me that he would be paying a visit to Fiddleford in the near future. _I'm gonna hold it to him._

"Elaine had already become accustomed to Bill's dimension. The dimension between all dimensions… the in-between space… the gateway to other worlds… the Nightmare Realm." He spun the journal around, and we finally saw what the image he drew was. Bottom line; it was… not one I would like to remember. On the left side, a paragraph on his journey began and a small image of him being sucked into the portal. But on the other side… with small pieces of different titles, and a large written one in the top right corner displaying the realm's name, was a drawing of what the Nightmare Realm looked like from an outsider's perspective. Odd, twisting roots , splitting and joining all connected to a central sphere. While the scattering of sparkling stars was a little pleasant, the contents of the circle were what terrified me.

Shadowy, deformed faces of unspeakable beasts. And at the direct center was Bill Cipher himself. His image, while lacking the limbs and accessories, was by no means anyone else. The wide pupil was thin, and dragged-out inky lines ran from the bottom of the eye and lower body. What's worse, my mind let it relate to b… blood.

Dipper turned to me, as my pen dashed across the parchment without even looking downwards. "You-had did you end up in his dimension!? That's impossible!"

"Sort of. Bill could pull my subconscious into his dimension, and I ended up meeting and befriending his Henchmaniacs along the way. This led to him taking me to other dimensions for trips. That crystal forest was beautiful," I said, somewhat wistfully. The sunset over those glittering trees was amazing.

"Dimension 36 is one of the more simpler places," Ford agreed on a side note, before snapping back to seriousness. "Dipper, the Nightmare Realm is, as its name describes, a literal nightmare. A frothing bubbling foam that existed at the center of the multiverse, home to the most horrific and unimaginable beasts you can think of."

"It smelt of burnt hair too, which I never figured out," I remarked. "Meteors of all sizes drifted about, and random wormholes led to the place, sucking innocent victims into his domain." He and Ford didn't need to know about Bill's… true nature, outside of his triangle form.

"The portal closed behind me, and I found myself floating in front of Bill himself, sitting atop a throne of optical illusions." __The same for me when I had first arrived after dropping from a cliff.__

 _ ** **Kid, don't****_ _ ** **t****_ _ ** **alk about me behind my back.****_

 _ _Spoilsport.__ At least I knew he was still watching this.

"He did not resemble what you had come to know in this world. His height had increased significantly, towering high above me. His voice shrieked in the infinite of how I came to 'pay him a visit', and sicked his followers after my undefended self. I thankfully managed to hide within a crater of a passing meteor, just as the creatures began pursuing the area to locate me. What I had learned then, was that I was sharing my hiding spot with a family of intergalactic refugees." I drew small images to detail his story. Meteors, and Bill's sharp clawed hands. Drawn as if he were beckoning the reader to come closer. "Their leader told me how my old 'friend', was actually one of the most feared beings in the multiverse. He took over this dimension for a hideout, but-"

"It was fated to self-destruct," I interrupted. "No physics or rules bound it in place."

"Exactly. They gave me a dimensional translator, and soon, I was on my way. They cheered for me as I left, excited about my mission to destroy Bill. I decided to gain strength, bide my time, and one day return to the Nightmare Realm to defeat him." I paused in my writing, as the next part of his story I had already heard. Dipper though, moved closer to hear. "All of the times dimension-hopping, I might have lived a hundred different lives. I now know thirteen different languages, traveled with bandits-"

"Rick," I coughed.

Ford rolled his eyes. "I fought a talking chair, and got tattoos from a tribe of octopus-armed piglets. Let's just say, it's another reason why I wear this turtleneck." Besides all of the scars covering him too. There was some kiddie star tattoo on his back, that had a slogan under it that sounded like something Mabel would say. I barely spotted it before he threw his sweater on when we showed each other our scars. It might have been my imagination, but the fact he addressed it now proved I wasn't seeing things. "I was able to talk my way in and out of food and shelter, and I am fairly certain that there are dimensions that still consider me an outlaw to this day. Though, most of my thefts were to build supplies for a machine that could destroy Bill."

"Is that even possible?" Dipper asked. "Destroying Bill?"

"I do not know. I never got the chance to use it on him. Hmmm… there are a few dimensions you might be interested in. There was the M dimension. The people were M-shaped, and-I'm not gonna bother explaining. It was an absolute pain to be there, even if they were kind. Their vocabulary all started with an M, and their alphabet was just M written 26 times." That... made zero sense. "There was the Do-Over dimension where time was like a yo-yo. It could go back and forth, which meant one day you could be finishing high school, and then wind up back in kindergarten." Ford paused to think. "I don't believe you would find the Gambling dimension very interesting as Elaine did."

"The Two-Dimensional dimension," I stated. "Go from there."

"Ah, yes. I had mistaken this place to be Bill's birthplace at first. Only length and width exists there, not height. I am not certain what it exactly looks like, as a 3-D body in a 2-D world doesn't work very well. I was soon attacked by them, as they believed me to be an 'irregular' shape, which was vulgar to their society." Just like Flatland. Which… made me wonder. How close to Bill's world was this dimension?

"Luckily, I was saved by one of the most extraordinary creatures I've ever met: the Oracle, Jheselbraum the Unswerving." He turned the journal around to show the image. An alien with seven eyes in a cloak, with axolotls behind her. "Dimension 52 was my favorite dimension by far." He sounded so… pensive. Did he miss her? "She had already known my name and what my mission was, which remains a mystery to me. Jheselbraum had insight on Bill that was greatly needed. If I were to face him again, I needed to protect my mind, but it required putting a metal plate in my head with difficult surgery."

"Wait, a metal plate?" Dipper asked. "You're not serious, right?" Ford rapped his knuckles on his head, and we heard the metallic echo. __Oh, I am so not doing that.__ "Did that… hurt?"

"It took a week to recover from," Ford replied. "But the time I spent there, even in that state, was by far one of my favorite experiences in my travels. We had had many long conversations about Bill. His thirst for power caused him to destroy his dimension-including his friends, family, and everyone he ever knew." Bill's… family? Bill-I knew he had parents at some point, but I never gave a second thought about it. "She was not angry, but spoke with a calm and steady resolve to see his reign of terror end. We had partied one night once I was completely healed, after she informed me I had the face of the man who would defeat Bill. But when I had awoken the next day… she was gone, and I was in a different dimension entirely."

"How she knew so much about you is still a mystery," I commented, more to myself. I was drawing Jheselbraum in my book, mostly using the drawing of her in Ford's journal as my only basis, as I had never seen her before. Her hands moving around a ball of light, like the rift itself, smiling fondly. "Guess we will never know."

There was a silence there for a few seconds, as we digested his tale. "Great Uncle Ford, there must have been other Earths you've been too, right? Like where Elaine came from?" Dipper continued, coming up with a new topic.

"Yes. Many dimensions are parallel Earths, which was similar to our own, but with a few major differences. One had dinosaurs as the main rulers of the planet, tennis balls chased dogs, all music was screaming. There were many variations. After nearly 30 years, I had stumbled across a dimension that so close to my own, except for one crucial different. Stanley had listened to me, and took the journal away."

"Really?" Dipper asked, and we looked at each other. _I didn't know this._

Ford glanced downward, upset. "My parallel self was celebrated with his discoveries, as he had reunited with Fiddleford and found a way to use the portal without fear of connecting with Bill's realm. I would have stayed, I would have loved to revel in my parallel's success, but I could not stay there. If I had met myself, and touched, me and that entire dimension would cease to exist. It had fizzed like static, before vanishing altogether." Thank goodness I didn't exist in this dimension. That could have gone south very quickly.

"Thankfully, this parallel Fiddleford granted me the final supplies to finish my quantum destablizier. My return to the Nightmare Realm was one I had planned out for years. The moment I had entered, Bill spotted me and unleashed his goons on me. While I was thirty years older, I was more wiser, fit, and agile. Plus," he chuckled, "having a death ray had its advantages."

"While chasing Bill through his Quandrangle of Qonfusion-don't ask about the name-the portal became reactivated. I knew I had to get there first, as I could not let him nor his minions get through. Using a concussion grenade, I blasted myself to the opening and incapacitated the gathering demonic gang." That… was that. That marked the tale, while obviously summarized, of Ford's journey. "Elaine, are you alright? You look… pale." Was I? I-I didn't even notice.

"I-I need… Ford, I don't know what to think. Your story… most of it I already knew from Bill's stories. I already knew how you ended up back here, and the trouble you caused for Bill and the others with that gun. It's just… I never thought about the idea of Bill having a family before." Dipper seemed just as confused as Ford was, watching me steadily. No doubt my anxiousness was confusing them. "He's told me so much already, but never a thing about his past. I-I want to know though! Why won't he tell me anything!?" Why was I shouting? Why was I getting so worked up over this, even though it had nothing to do with me?

"Bill Cipher does not give up his secrets so easily, Elaine. Regardless of how much he favors you, it would make sense for him to not tell you everything about himself." I frowned, and looked at my journal tiredly. All he told me were very vague details. He told that someone long ago taught him the piano, which after hearing this… was that one of his parents? "Why though? Why is he so attached to you?"

"I… I don't know. Bill said can't feel emotions, yet… "I knew that wasn't true. All of that he felt for me… was real… but what was it? _I-I'm so confused…_ "Dipper, Ford… I don't know who to trust anymore."

"… us." Dipper grabbed my hands, and yanked me into a hug. My journal went flying out of my lap, skidding towards Ford on the cold floor. Dipper's arms wrapped around me, binding my arms down and preventing me from breaking free. "Elaine, you… you trust me and Mabel. Despite the secrets you've kept to yourself, and still are, you trust us. You've never lied to us, and told us the truth." __Bu-but I haven't!__ I never told the truth in where I came from! Sniffling, I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his shoulder. __I'm a liar, Mason!__ "You've got us, Grunkle Stan, your friends, Mabel's friends, and Grunkle Ford."

He… he called him… Grunkle Ford.

"Elaine, I'll never know what you've been through, but you're not alone. You have us. You have me." He stressed the end, and moved back so we were looking at each other.

"D-Dipper… heh… I-I was always such a… a crybaby." He let go of me, letting me wipe my eyes from under my glasses. "Thanks, kid." I had to tell him. I had to tell them. __B-but how? When?__ Ford picked up my journal, staring down his reflection in the shiny wings symbol. "Ford, can I have my book back?" He handed it back, and I held it to my chest tightly. "He's gonna come for that rift. He knows about our conversations, Ford."

"I was afraid of that," Ford grumbled. "Elaine, if he threatens you, or tells you about his plan for retrieving the rift, come straight to me, okay? No matter what time it is, yours and the world's safety is more important than a few lost hours of sleep."

"Yes, Ford. Come on, Dipper. We better get ready for bed." Standing up, we grinned at the older Pines.

"Thanks for that, Great Uncle Ford. It seemed like you needed to tell someone that, and I'm glad you trusted me and Elaine enough with that," Dipper said.

"You're welcome, Dipper. Goodnight, you two."

(Time Skip)

It was maybe close to midnight now. Everyone was fast asleep, except for me. I-I couldn't. How could I, after learning all of... this?

Bill had a silver tongue. No doubt about it. He could sweet talk anybody into giving him what he wanted. Cipher had played countless of humans before me, lying through his… eye, to get them to try and create the portal to connect this world to his. Lying to Ford, and to Dipper. Could… could he have really faked all of that? Faked all of the stuff we'd been through… just to gain my trust, so that I would not fight against him? His interest in me, he obviously meant. But… but the hugs, and snuggles, and… kisses…?

I glared up at the rafters of the darkened bedroom, diminishing those creeping ideas as fast as they were slipping in with a firm shake of my head. __No.__ _ _There was NO way all of this was faked.__

He's told me and shown me things that no one has ever heard or seen. He'd never have calmed me down from those panic attacks, or healed me and answered my questions while I answered his, or let me visit the Henchmanics otherwise. If it was fake, then why would he take me to the crystal forest dimension, or the Blood Moon Ball? There was no gain for him there, other than to make me happy after the earlier adventures with the twins. He enjoyed my company, and wanted me around. He was so ecstatic when I told him I was staying. There was no way that was faked. Bill… that was all real. Bill ****was**** real. This whole adventure was real, and I wasn't dreaming.

 _All of it… all of it was sincere, and real. He… he really cared for me._ Rolling onto my side, I finally closed my eyes. I was done. I was done bounding around the lies. I wanted the truth, and I was gonna get it.

It's time for Bill to fess up: what was his past, and how did he come to destroy his dimension?

* * *

 ** **The episode this was based around was kinda filler, but it served a great purpose of telling Ford's tale. Everything here came from the journal, which was fun analyzing his notes. Now, we're into The Last Mabelcorn… YEEESSSSSS!****

 ** **Until next time… I get to break out the eggnog! WOO HOO!****

 ** **Angel****


	59. The Last Mabelcorn

****Disclaimer: Over 50 000 views**** ** **,**** ** **and very close to finishing all these updates! This little part is just updating anyone who's been following along before the sequel's release.****

 ** **lex: Still can't legally drink, but I like where you're going.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Trust shall be shattered, for sure.****

 ** **Ms. Cipher16: Thanks for getting back to me on what you wanted to talk about!****

 ** **ultima-owner: Of course Rick has a bigger rap sheet. Rick is at least ten years older than them, and had been dimension-hopping for much longer.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Bill is pretty confusing. Thankfully, we will have the answer as to why he's like that very soon. In, like, two-three more chapters.****

 ** **Cynder: Journal 3 is pretty great. This coming from someone who has two copies. By the way… your friend sounds insane. Keep them away from all candles and sharp objects. If you want more Billaine, then these next few chapters are for you. After all… we're only 6 more episodes left of the series.****

 ** **CoolCuttz: Happy holidays! I guarantee, you're going to enjoy this chapter.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 8/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

The Last Mabelcorn was something I had dreaded since Ford had returned. Twisting in my sheets on my bed, I tried to let my mind calm down, but I couldn't. __Dang it, Elaine! You need sleep!__ My face clenched, and I rolled over onto my stomach. Nothing was happening tonight that I should be involved in, or should stress over. So then why could I sleep peacefully? Was it so hard to get a little… to get… "what?"

 _Something… something doesn't feel right here._ My eyes darted around the room, the feeling of a stare weighing on my shoulders. But what-? Oh. __He's... he's watching me.__ I felt the demon in the back of my mind, slowly fading away, and no doubt moving on to his true target. It was time, wasn't it? He was going after Ford. _Heh… not if I had anything to say about it._ It wasn't my concern though, really. I didn't have to listen, but I felt as if I should be there. Either to prevent anything terrible from happening, or to be there to keep Ford together. _But is it really him who needs that, or me?_

 _ _No matter.__ _ _Okay, Elaine. You got this. If you can will yourself into the Nightmare Realm, you can follow him into Stan's head. Just… latch onto his energy… and follow.__

I was definitely getting better at this, no doubt about it. The change in temperature was just as sudden as my first time attempting this, and I felt a cold wind blow through me. Hugging myself, I opened my eyes. How… odd. _Really, this was… interesting._

Ford's Mindscape was… well, dreary would be an understatement. It didn't shine a candle to my own, with the warm light and glowing ponds. I was in a dying wheat field that came up to my knees. Not much was around as far as I could see, except for a wrecked boat, a destroyed portal, and… the swing set from Stan's mind. It… it was rebuilt. "How odd, indeed." I started off through the field, feeling the wheat brush against my bare legs and feet. "Stanford? Ford, are you here?" A feeling of uneasiness began to creep over me, and my pace began to quicken. "Ford, where are you?"

"Elaine?" Turning around, I spotted Ford's shape in the distance, appearing out of nowhere just as I had. "Is that really you?" Hiking up my gown so I didn't trip, I ran over to him, sensing the same presence from my room slowly slip into the world around me. _Man, that sixth sense thing is gonna be the death of me._ Ford grabbed my shoulders once I got close enough, and looked me over. "Why are you here? Why are you in my dream?" Was he thinking I was his imagination?

"It's me, Ford. It's me. I'm real," I said urgently, prying his arms off. "Listen, you have to wake up right now. It's-!" Too late. The wheaten began to flatten in a line straight towards us, and I was dragged to Ford's side the moment the strange action passed by us. His arm was wrapped around me protectively, burying me partially inside his tan coat. The wheat's shape, once complete, glowed a bright blue. The wind fiercely whipped around us, blowing the bottom of my nightdress and his coat about as dark storm clouds crept over the already overcast sky. Maniacal laughter echoed around the Mindscape, and I hugged Ford nervously. "Oh no."

"I know that laugh… show yourself!" With that, we turned around as Bill materialized from the earth in a flash of blue and white. The glowing ground returned to normal, as did the wind, but the flattened field remained the same. __Is this in Bill's shape?__

"Well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well, well!" Bill multiplied himself on several well's, enclosing us into a circle. Ford glared at the demon, and I-I was just plain nervous. Being with Ford was one thing. Being with Bill was another. I never planned to be with both at the same time. My plan was to just observe, not get sucked into the actual conversation. "Aren't you a sight for sore eye!" The seven clones spun around us, mirroring each other's movements. "Stanford Filbrick Pines, my old pal! Nice to finally have a more pleasant chat, than having you try and 'kill' me with that gun of yours, huh?" Their eyes 'grinned', and I stepped further into Ford's protective grip. "Angel. Didn't think I'd find you following after me."

"Not like I wanted you invading his mind, Cipher," I snapped. The dream demon's copies rolled their eyes, and I hissed as my burn stung in a silent message to be quiet. Hissing, I glared angrily up at him. _Why the heck did he do_ _that for?_

"Bill Cipher," Ford growled out the name. He was not falling for the taunting, but addressed the demon stiffly. "What do you want from me?"

"Oh, quit playing dumb, IQ!" A clone on our right wrapped his arm around Ford's shoulders, 'smirking' at him. "You knew I'd be back!" The clone on the left ruffled his hair, and then flicked his nose. Raising a hand to hold his face, the clones zoomed away to reform a larger Bill. Not as large as what he could be in the Nightmare Realm, but around the size as he was when he came to see me and Dipper about the laptop. "You think shutting down that portal could stop what I have planned? I've been making deals." He cast a look at me, and I averted my eyes to the ground. __What was the point of saying that, and directing it at me?__ "Chatting with old friends, preparing for the big day! You can't keep that rift safe forever." He snapped his fingers, and a copy of the rift appeared in his hand. "You'll slip up, and when you do…!"

Bill threw the rift to the ground, and the effect was instantaneous. A massive upside-down triangle portal appeared, radiating the same glow as the portals I was used to seeing to travel to other dimensions. The inside was the same bubbling colorful nightmare I had come to know. And... fire. The portal had set the field around me and Ford aflame. Screaming in alarm, I buried my face into Ford's coat. Was this… was this what Kat suffered at the start of the summer? When Bill treated her with nightmares… and fire, was this just like it?

Ford looked down at me, seeing me absolutely terrified. I'd gone through heck so far this summer. Bill's already done so much to me and for me, but this? This… this was scaring me. "Get out of here! You have no dominion in our world!"

Bill's form was now entirely black against the portal's light. His yellow eye studying us, staring right through us… "maybe not right now, but things change, Stanford Pines! Ain't that right, my Angel?" Hearing him refer to me, I peeked my head out of Ford's jacket, and looked up, eyes watering. "Things… ****change****."

He ascended into the portal of untold nightmares, his deep insane laughter booming in my ears. The fire whirled higher and higher around us, trapping us in its scorching embrace. I felt Ford's mental form about to launch itself back into the real world, as his face was twisted in terrified concentration. Quickly, I threw myself into doing the same, wanting out of this infernal nightmare. __Wake up,__ _ _Elaine!__ _Three cryptic_ images flashed through my head, as I forced my mind to leave Ford's and return to my body. My necklace, a bleeding hand, and lastly… the zodiac, with him in the center and the Henchmaniacs around the outside looking in. __W__ _ _ake up, wake up,__ _ _wake__ _ ** **UP****_ _!_

With that, I bolted upright in my bed, somehow managing to a loud panicked scream in fear of waking up the twins. I panted heavily, holding my chest and feeling just how clammy I was. My entire body was in a cold sweat, probably from a fitful sleep in the last few moments before returning to my physical form. My poor heart was beating against my ribs, in fear of not being able to prevent the building panic as I took strangled breaths. I-I needed help. I-I couldn't calm down. __F-Ford. I-I need Ford!__ Snatching my glasses off the dresser, I dashed out of the room and made my way to Soos' break room, which now housed Ford when he wasn't in his lab. I-if my hunch was right, when he did those observations after the portal, h-he had to be there.

My bare feet thumped swiftly and silently down the rest of the stairs, and tore through the hallway and maze of doors before I sound who I was looking for. Throwing open the door without a second thought, I ran in and tackled a nervous Ford who obviously just woke up too. "E-Elaine!? What are you-?" He stopped, hearing me outright cry into his sweater. "Elaine, it's alright-"

"No, it's not!" I sobbed loudly. "Stanford, wh-what was that? Bill, h-he…!" I couldn't speak. What Bill did in Ford's mind had hurt me. I'd seen so, so many things because of this demon. B-but this? What nightmare had I seen? W-was this what Bill was planning? "I-I'm so sorry! I-I didn't want to hurt anyone!" I felt him guide me to the couch seat beside him, and sat me down before my legs could give out from shattered nerves. My eyes were still glued shut, but I could feel him stroke the top of my head.

"It's… it's alright, Elaine." He didn't say anything else, he was just… there. Ford was there, by my side, and listening. Out of everyone, he knew what I was going through the best. "It's alright," he repeated softly. My sobs quieted down, and I felt him adjust himself so that I was looking back at him. My hand was stained red, and it stung from the foundation that got into the openings. _It… really did bleed. Just like… when he thought I was trying to get out of… my deal._ "It's not your fault."

"It is." I was so quiet, and drained at this point. "I made that deal with Bill. I-I don't hate him. But what can I… I never knew his full plans for this dimension. I want to-Ford, can't I sway his mind?" My words were utter nonsense, not making any sense to him, but in my scared and lost mind, I made perfect sense.

"Such a feat is impossible, Elaine. You cannot alter his plans." I finally let go of Ford, and wiped at my eyes, avoiding the red on the back of my head. Lowering them to wipe the blood off on my gown, I sighed, seeing the studying look behind his glasses. __What else does he want to say?__

"You're hiding something else, aren't you?" I stiffened, looking away from him. "Dipper is right when he said you still kept secrets. Elaine, is something else bothering you?" __I-I…__ I wasn't ready. "Elaine, if you wish to tell me, I won't judge you."

"F-Ford… hehe… I-I'm a… a liar." __Was I really doing this?__ "I've lied to everyone all summer, an-and it hurt. When I finally came true about my deal with Bill, a-and about where I came from, there was one last thing I never told them. I-it hurt, ever since Bill and I got closer in our deal. I was reminded of what I've done, and even hinted to Dipper about the truth." __I guess… I was doing this. Would he be angry? Hate me?__ "Ford, I've kept a cruel secret about where I came from."

"This is about the truth of your dimension, correct?" I nodded, face downcast. "Elaine, what is it?"

"Stanford… your dimension… where I came from, this place, i-it existed as a… a.. a..." _here we go._ "A... cartoon," I finally forced out.

There.

I did it.

Ford flinched, and looked at me in shock. "A cartoon-Elaine, are you telling the truth?" He was confused, and alarmed. Who wouldn't be? If you had someone just flat-out tell them that they exist as a form of entertainment in another world, you'd probably be freaking out too.

"I am, Ford. I keep secrets, but… I would never lie about this." I was done with the lying. "Gravity Falls… is a kid's cartoon in my dimension. I-when I ended up here, I never knew I had jumped dimensions until Stan told me I was in the Mystery Shack. I was confused, and terrified. Ford… I-I knew who Bill was. I knew exactly what I was getting into when making my deal. I-I was so scared though! I knew what he could do! I knew how he could manipulate me, but I still made that deal! And I don't regret it!" The dam had burst, and wasn't showing any time slowing down any time soon. "I don't hate him, and it's put everyone's lives at stake!" My knuckles whitened as I gripped my head, keeping my head down. "I didn't want to hurt anyone!"

My rant finished, I collapsed into myself, crying. I… I had broken down, so many times this summer. When I realized I could die in this world, when Dipper found out about my deal, when I revealed my dimensional traveling to the Pines… and when I told Ford about my deal. This… this topped everything.

Freezing, I felt a large hand rest on my shoulder. "Elaine, dear, look at me." Shaking my head, I felt his other hand push my chin up, making me look at his face. "It… this is why you talked about books and shows existing as dimensions earlier this week, correct? The Mewni dimension, and Rick… they were cartoons too."

"Th… they are." Ford inhaled sharply, and moved around on the couch so that his back was against the wall. "Ford, I-I didn't know what… I'm sorry."

Ford closed his eyes, and sighed. "Elaine, come here." __Uh…__ I was confused, but the need for comfort outweighed that greatly. Leaning against him, he wrapped his arm around me. Hiccuping from my crying, I nuzzled my head into his sweater. "It is not your fault, Elaine. You were in a dark place, and Bill preyed on your weakness. He's not going to hurt you." __He never would… never.__ "We'll figure out how to prevent this from happening. You are not going to help him retrieve the rift."

"You… you mean it?" I mumbled. Ford nodded, and I sighed. The lack of sleep was starting to set in, as I didn't turn in until midnight, and then this happened. I… I'm gonna end up passing out in… his… room… "n-night, Grunkle Ford…"

(Time Skip)

Sunlight streamed into the room, and I blinked tiredly. "Ugh… too bright." I sat up, and looked down. I was still in Ford's room on the couch, with a wool blanket laying over my legs. __Wha… what happened last night-oh.__ I… I just told Ford that-oh. That… that really happened last night. "How badly did I screw up?" Sliding the blanket off, I got up from the couch. Though, what my head was resting against got my attention.

When I first woke up in the Mystery Shack, I had my head propped up on the arm rest and was under a blanket. Same sort of situation here, except for what my head was on.

Ford's tan jacket was folded neatly on the cushion as a pillow. I picked up the coat, and stared at it in my hands in confusion. Ford actually gave me this to sleep with. "Wow. That's… oddly nice of him."

"Family meeting! Family meeting!" Ford's voice echoed from the living room, and I turned to the door. _Oh, right. It's morning… I think._ Looking from the coat to the door again, I threw the article of clothing on, The bottom almost reached to my ankles, and but once I was certain I wasn't going to trip, I began to follow their voices. __Wait… I'm still in my nightgown.__ Okay, maybe changing was my first concern.

Running upstairs, I threw on my clothes as fast as I could. No way was I gonna waste hearing this. Still wearing the coat, I retreated to the living room and stood in the doorway, watching the kids and Ford around a table covered in scrolls. "Fortunately, there should be a way to shield us from his mental tricks. A way to Bill-proof the Shack." So I missed part of the conversation. __Wonder… how that could have changed, since Ford already knows that we've dealt with Bill.__ "All I have to do is place moonstones here, here, and here." He drew circles on a map on the table. "Sprinkle some mercury, let's see… I always forget the last ingredient!" Taking our journal one, he flipped through it before stopping to roll his eyes. "Ugh, unicorn hair."

"That's not like, rare, is it?" Dipper asked.

"It's hopeless. Unicorns reside deep within an enchanted glade, and their hairs can only be obtained by a pure good-hearted person who goes on a magical quest to find them." He showed them the entry in his book to prove his point.

"Aaahhh!" Mabel screamed, making me jump a little. "Grunkle Ford, can I please go on this quest? I am literally obsessed with unicorns! My first word was 'unicorn', I once made my own unicorn by taping a traffic cone to a horse's head." She hopped off her chair, and stood in front of the table. "Are you even LOOKING AT THE SWEATER I'M WEARING RIGHT NOW!? Not to mention that I'm probably the most pure of heart person in this room."

Dipper and Ford mumbled their agreements, and I nodded in agreement. I was a nice person, but after this summer… yeah, I wasn't perfect. "So can I go a mission to get that hair? Please, please, please? I'LL GIVE YOU MY BLOOD!" She yanked back her sleeve, holding up her arm.

"Very well. But it won't be easy." He handed Mabel journal one. "Take this." Dipper and I watched in surprise and slight worry as he handed her a crossbow next. "And this."

"Oooh!" Mabel looked it over curiously, fingers wisely avoiding the trigger.

"I haven't been in this dimension for a while. It's okay to give children weapons, right?"

"Pssh, come on, dawg." The crossbow went off as her finger slipped, making it slide in her hands and let the arrow shatter a nearby window. We could hear Stan's car alarm go off, and the sound of dogs barking.

"AH! IT'S THE COPS! GUN IT!" The squealing of tires followed, and the barking faded.

Mabel pulled out a phone from her sweater-where did she get it, I still had no clue-and dialed. _Maybe she finally got a phone after trying to hook Stan up with Lazy Susan?_ "Candy, Grenda, Wendy, Pacifica, clear the afternoon!" She ran past me, and shouted, "morning, Elaine!"

"Ah, you're awake." Turning around, I walked over to Ford and Dipper. "Are you feeling… better, Elaine? Did you sleep alright?" He still felt awkward about last night. This… morning? It made sense though, after telling him he existed as a character in a show. I probably just blew his mind.

"I'm fine, Ford. Uh, h-here." Taking the coat off, I handed it back to him, avoiding direct eye contact. "How good are our chances getting that hair?"

Ford slid it back on, leaving it open as he usually wore it. "Unlikely. I've dealt with unicorns before, and if I had to describe them in one word it would be… frustrating."

"So, what are we gonna do about Bill?" Dipper asked.

"Follow me." We walked back to the gift shop. As Ford opened the door to the stairwell, Dipper flipped the sign on the front door to closed. Heading to the elevator, I watched the golden light stop on the second floor. We-I didn't think this floor ever appeared in any other episode in my old world, other than this one. _This was going to be interesting._ The elevator door opened, and a well-crafted wooden door greeted us. Ford opened it, and we stepped out of the box into the room. "Welcome to my private study, a place where I keep my most ancient and secret knowledge. Even your uncle Stan doesn't know about this place." So many scrolls and papers, and so many shelves. It… was beautiful. I walked through the room, and over to where Ford was. He was in front of a large screen with smaller sets branching off of it. There were lots of turntables, wires, and controls that went far over my head in terms of what they meant. To Ford, they were easy to understand.

"Ford, what exactly is this thing?" I asked, wiping some dust off a TV.

"Project Mentem. If we can't Bill-proof the Shack, we're going to have to do the next best thing." He took out a helmet. A large wire came out and connected to the machine, with metal strips that encompassed the user's head. The helmet itself looked like a strainer. "We're gonna have to Bill-proof our minds." Dipper gasped behind me, the idea amazing him, and that this mess of a contraption was capable of doing such a feat. "Elaine, would you take a seat?"

"We aren't going to have Dipper go first?" I glanced at Dipper. Why me? Why not him?

"Bill has already gotten more use out of you than him. As your deal is still in affect, he can have you retrieve the rift. Having your mind encrypted is our top priority." He sat the helmet down on my head, squishing my ponytail. I should tell him that Bill was planning on using someone else, and wasn't going to use me to get the rift… but that would just lead to more arguing.

"So what is Bill, exactly?" Dipper asked as Ford flipped several switches. He pulled out a file folder from a drawer, and began reading it.

"No one knows for sure. Accounts differ of his true motivations and origins. I know he's older than our galaxy and far more twisted. Without a physical form, he can only project himself into our thoughts through the Mindscape. That's why he wants this." He held up the rift, bringing it out from a pocket on his person. "I dismantled the portal, but with this, Bill has a way into our reality. To get his hands on this rift, he would trick or possess anyone. Which is why Elaine needs to go through this first."

"So how do we keep Bill out of our minds?" Dipper continued, setting down the file.

"Well, there's a number of ways. As you already know, I had the metal plate installed in my head." He knocked the side of his head for emphasis. "But this machine is safer. It will scan your mind, bio-electrically encrypting your thoughts so that Bill can't read them." He held up a remote, and turned on the machine. "Now say hello to your thoughts."

"Holy… whoa." Images zoomed by the screens, and I saw snippets of the events after the bunker incident, telling the truth to the Pines about where I came from, and Dipper and me making up in Stan's mind. Ford and Dipper looked at them, and I wondered what else was being shown that I couldn't see from my spot. __Hopefully not anything private.__ Turning around in my seat, I looked up to see the images flash by. I did however, hear several thoughts being said out loud.

"I can't believe I'm doing this right now. I wonder how Gail's doing? Was this the right choice? Did my actions change anything? How much did I explain of my family to the Pines? I hope Dipper's not paying too much attention to these thoughts. That pine tree hat, though! Does Ford hate me? What's Bill's past? Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar." __Uh…__ Dipper and Ford gave me confused and sad looks at the last one, and I bit my lip. "J-just… ignore that last part."

"By the way, you never told us what your history with Bill was." Dipper thankfully saved me, asking a very good question. "The journal did fill in some things, but I want to know it from you personally."

"Dipper, do you trust me?" Ford knelt down to his height.

"Well, yeah, but-"

"Then you'll trust that that's not important. Now, focus. It's time to strengthen your minds." He went to sit down in a chair by one of the desks, and Dipper sat down beside me on my stool. Well… this was gonna take a long time.

"A long, long, while," I muttered. Sighing, I rested my head in my hand, elbow on my legs. "I'm gonna lose my mind doing this."

"Not like you had much left to begin with, Angel."

… that… that wasn't in my head, was it?

"Bill," Ford said, snapping back to attention. "He's speaking to you right now, isn't he?" Dipper jumped to his feet, and they watched the monitor behind me. Within the mass of my thoughts, there were several lines that most certainly not my own.

"Yeah… we've been doing this to keep in contact without going into the Mindscape." Ford had heard Bill sometimes when he was working on the portal, but it was more like he was losing his sanity. I liked to think my sanity was still somewhat in check.

"Angel, come on and say something. I know you can hear me." I remained silent. Though I had the helmet on, the memory scanning was still slow-going, and his presence was still felt in the back of my head. "Kid, say something."

"I'm not speaking to you," I finally said, aloud rather than in my head. "Leave me alone, Bill. I need to think."

"Angel, you're not still mad about what happened last night, are-?"

"I said leave me alone!" I shouted, before biting my cheek to refrain from arguing with him. I… I didn't need this right now. "Please, Bill. I-I just need to be alone." My thoughts on the screen echoed my concern, repeating the same phrase. "Please, I just want to be alone in my head. I need my thoughts to be private and my own for a moment. Please."

I could almost hear the sigh from the machine. "Alright, kid. Just… call me when you're ready." The buzz faded, and I was alone in my head again. Blinking, I looked from Dipper to Ford.

"Elaine, what happened last night?" Dipper asked. "Does this have to do why you weren't in the bedroom this morning?"

"He went to pay a visit to Ford, Dippin' Dots. I latched onto Bill when he passed through, and was dragged into his mind. It… wasn't a very great visit." I gripped my hand, still recalling what had happened hours earlier. "It's fine, kid." Dipper opened his mouth, but closed it. _Guess he knew I wasn't wanting to continue this conversation._ "Let's just… wait for this thing to finish."

(Time Skip)

It had been, what, three or four hours since we'd started this process, and I was only at fifteen percent. Ford had written earlier about the dream we'd had with Bill, and while I couldn't see what his words were, I could see the image quite clearly. An image of Bill, Ford, and myself in a wheat field. The title said " ** **Nightmares and Daydreams**** **.** " Under the first part of the title was Bill, his eye watching the two of us. On the second page was the two of us, running away from the demon with our faces painted in pure terror. Well, he was running. I was being dragged behind him. "You still awake, kid?"

"Yeah," Dipper droned. "Ugh, this is taking forever. How long have we been doing this for?" We looked over to Ford, who had passed out at the desk. The journal laid by his face, and his arms were under his head. Poor man. Last night drained both of us, and I didn't know if he fell asleep again after Bill's visit and me dashing to his room for comfort. "Why does he have to be so mysterious about Bill? I can handle the truth."

"No, you can't. You couldn't handle my truths. What makes you think so?" I groaned, remembering that I was still hooked up. Curse my thoughts being said aloud. "Sorry, Dipper. Forgot about that. If you want though… this thing could do the work," I suggested. "Besides, anything to get this off of me." I hesitated for a moment, before quickly adding, "on his own, he probably won't ever tell you the truth."

"I shouldn't though…" Dipper looked away.

"Just one peek! Don't listen to my head, Dipper! Just one peek! Stop it! Just one peek!" Ugh, why won't my mind shut up? Was this how Bill felt around me sometimes? "The more you know, the more you can help. The weight of this is probably hurting him more than you think." Come on!

"Wow, you ramble a lot in your head," Dipper observed, standing up. Taking the helmet, he took it off. Running a hand through my hair, I got off the stool. "Just a little peek." He sat down the helmet on Ford's head, and we turned to the monitor. "What are you hiding about Bill?"

The screens lit up in the demon's blue fire, with Bill on the main screen, and his crazed laughter filtered through the speakers. The scene then changed to Ford moving around in his sleep, clearly distressed. The two smaller screens showed the portal, and Fiddleford yelling at Ford, no doubt sometime around the time their friendship finally broke apart. "Where are these ideas coming from? Who are you working with!?"

" ** **I'm losing my mind! Trust no one****!" Journal passages, written viciously into journal three. Stan's voice came through, pairing with what we read. "My brother is a dangerous know-it-all…"

"He would trick or possess anyone." _That was just from a few hours ago…_ "then it's a deal." _Young Ford…_ the man stood on a floating rock in a cosmic setting, books and scrolls floating around him. _His mind from… three decades ago._ "From now until the end of time."

Bill's hand was held out, engulfed in fire. "Just let me into your mind, Stanford."

"Please, call me… a friend." Their hands shook, and the next image… a possessed Ford with glowing yellow eyes, cackling in Bill's and his own voice.

"FORD AND BILL!?" Dipper yelled, terrified at what we had watched. The audio and clips happened so fast, I could barely register them all. But the quick things we did see, was enough to rock us to our cores. We gasped, spinning around to see Ford had woken up.

"You shouldn't have done that." He took off the helmet, throwing it to the ground. It bounced once, and knocked into a black tarp on the wall. The cloth fell, and I felt close to shrieking; the sound building up in my throat, just catching at the last minute. Giant tapestries of the dream demon lined the wall behind the machine, his hands engulfed in balls of fire. Golden intricate status stood on the desk previously covered, with crystal pyramids lining its base. The green static light from the machines bathed the room in an eerie glow, making it look like every single eye was watching us intently.

"Wh-why were you shaking hands with Bill?" Dipper grabbed for the rift on the table, seeing his uncle's more shadowed body begin to slowly approach. "You said Bill could possess anyone so he could get this." The rift slipped out of his hands in his rush, and he scrambled to catch it.

"Careful! Hand me the rift! Now, boy!" Grabbing Dipper's shoulders, we began to back away from him. I knew it was Ford, I did. Yet… I felt as terrified as Dipper was. Hie emotions were my own, in that brief moment, and I completely forgot about all that I already knew.

"Why were you really scanning my thoughts?" Dipper tucked the rift under his arm, and grabbed for the memory erasing gun. Pointing at Ford, he continued, "are you Bill right now!?" My hands were right on his shoulders, gripping his vest while not looking away from the man's cloudy glasses.

"Now just-just calm down, p-"

"PINE TREE!? IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE GONNA CALL ME!?"

"I was gonna say 'please', kid!"

"Great Uncle Ford told me to protect the rift! Get one step closer and I'll shoot! I'll erase you right out of Ford's head!" Dipper threatened. I bumped into the wall, right beside one of the screens. Ford kept moving closer, hand reached out for the object.

"It's me, kids. It's your Uncle!" Ford repeated desperately.

"Trust no one, trust no one, trust…" the gun was charging, shaking in his unsteady hand. Whether or not he aimed it at Ford, it would have to fire.

"Hand it to me!" The gun fired, right as Ford moved closer, with the beam bouncing off his glasses. His head snapped back with a startled shout, catching him off guard.

"Hit the deck!" Ducking down, the beam bounced around the room and tapestries, before finally smashing into the machine, breaking it. The whirring of the equipment died down, and just as Dipper went to grab for the rift and memory gun, Ford grabbed him by the back of his vest and picked him up.

"Let go of me!" Dipper shouted, trying to hit him.

"Now-now just calm down. Calm down!" Ford adjusted his glasses, so that we could see through the glare. "Look into my eyes! Look at my pupils. It's me, Dipper. It's me." Ford sounded so emotional in that last line, wanting to reassure him, and correct what had happened. Dipper sighed shakily, and was put back down on the floor. I picked up the items, and set them back on the desk.

"I tried to erase your mind. I'm so sorry," he murmured, appalled at what he had just tried to do.

"It's okay, Dipper. Besides, my mind can't be erased, anyway, remember?" He knocked on his head. "If I really was Bill, though, you would've done great. I should have been more like you when I was young. Dipper, I was a fool to try and hide all this. The reason Elaine already knew was because of how far she became in her own deal. The reason I've been trying to prepare you for Bill's tricks is that Bill tricked me. It's the biggest regret of my life. Bill wasn't always my enemy, Dipper. I used to think he was my friend. Long, long ago." Dipper and me sat down on the floor, as Ford began to pace.

"I had hit a road block in my investigation of Gravity Falls. Until I found some mysterious writings in a cave. Ancient incantations about a being with answers. It warned me not to read them, but I was desperate. I read the inscription aloud. But nothing happened. Until later that afternoon, when I had the most peculiar dream. He told me he was a muse. That he chose one brilliant mind a century to inspire. What a fool I was. Blinded by his flattery and games. He became my research assistant. He was free to move in and out of my mind as he pleased. We were partners, just as Elaine and him are now."

"When he told me I could complete my research by building a gateway to other worlds, I trusted him. He said this was the way genius happened: with a little help from a friend. It seemed that I was on the verge of my greatest achievement! Until Fiddleford got a glimpse of Bill's true plans."

"What drove him to insanity," I cut in. "He saw Bill removing his exoskeleton to feed." The disturbed and confused looks sent my way… maybe I should have kept quiet about that one. "Trust me, you don't want to know."

"I'd been betrayed. I shut the portal down, severing the link between Bill's world and ours. I had to hide my instructions so no one could ever finish Bill's work. Bill's been waiting for the gateway to reopen ever since. All he needs to do is get his hands on this rift." He picked up the rift, and walked over to us. "To Bill, it's just a game, but to us, it would mean the end of our world." Dipper looked at the pamphlet about our world and the Nightmare Realm, and sighed.

"Oh, man."

"Oh, man, indeed." Ford rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Come. Let's get something to drink." Heading back up to the living room, one could easily feel the tension. Dipper and me sat in chairs at the table, while Ford returned with a can of Pitt Cola for each of us.

"Ugh, I'm so embarrassed about earlier. I'm such an idiot," Dipper said angrily.

"From now on, no more secrets between us," Ford advised. "We're not the first three idiots to be tricked by Bill, kids. But if we work together, we could be the last." He flicked Dipper's hat up, managing a small smile from the boy.

"But what about Bill? I broke the machine! Now we have no way to protect the Shack!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Did someone say 'unicorn hair'!?" Mabel slammed her fist onto the table, holding a tuft of rainbow hair. Her, Wendy, Candy, Grenda, and Pacifica were all roughed up. Messy hair, bruises, and covered in bluish-purple liquid.

"Uh, no, actually?" Dipper said, looking at them all in confusion.

"Oh. That would have been perfect. Either way we got some unicorn hair!" Mabel waved it in his face, beaming.

"Also some unicorn tears, unicorn eyelashes…" Candy gestured to Grenda, who was currently wearing them.

"They gave us this treasure for us to leave," Pacifica added. She and Grenda dumped a chest full of jewels and gold onto the table. I think I saw nail polish and sugar cubes in there too, oddly enough.

"It… can't be!" Ford was shocked. He obviously didn't expect them to succeed, and return with all of that in tow. "This is a great day, girls! With this unicorn hair, we should be able to completely shield the Shack from Bill's mind-reading tricks!"

"Is it okay?" Mabel asked, moving towards him. Ford got up from his seat, and examined the hair himself.

"Better than okay; it's perfect! You've protected your family. You're a good person, Mabel." The girl looked like she was about to cry, hearing that from him.

'Thanks, Grunkle Ford, but today I learned that morality is relative." We heard footsteps dash into the room, and watched as Stan grabbed a handful of the gold.

"MONEY!" He shouted, and ran out of the room on the other side. We all smiled, while Ford just looked confused at his brother's behavior.

(Time Skip)

I grinned, sitting on the deck of the Mystery Shack. Dipper and Ford were going around the building, stretching the unicorn hair along the wood. __It looks like they're almost done,__ I noted. My journal was open in my lap, with my book bag beside me. I had so much to add now, after Ford's discussion. A sketch of Project Mentem, a recipe for the creation of the barrier, and my own personal entry on what happened last night in Ford's mind. He wasn't done though. There seemed to be… something else he wanted to tell us, and Dipper seemed to have more questions for him to.

Which was why I had my bag, just in case it involved us going anywhere. "Perfect!" Dipper finally finished, and a barrier grew up around me, with symbols glowing on the walls. "This will protect us from Bill! As long as we're inside, our minds are safe."

"Does this mean Bill can't get into Elaine's mind?" Dipper asked. Sighing, I got up from my seat and walked over to them, hearing my name brought up in the conversation.

Ford nodded, glancing from him to me. "It would be no surprise that he comes to you about this. Though, you should be safe as long as you remain in the house's boundaries. He won't be able to access your mind outside of the barrier, leaving your mind free from his control."

"Okay. Bill, he-yeah, he isn't going to be particularly happy about this." I wasn't going to hear the end of this one, that's for sure.

"Now, I want you two to listen very closely to me." Dipper and me shrugged, but moved closer to the man, sensing a change of topic. "I understand I haven't been exactly… truthful, in my history in Gravity Falls. Which is why I want you to ask me any question you can think of about this town."

"What? Really?" Dipper asked, excitement creeping into his voice.

"There is no doubt things I still have things unsaid that I should probably tell you, so I want to hear what you can think of," he explained.

 _This is too good to be true._ "Really?" I raised a brow. "No more secrets?" He gestured his hand, brushing off my worry. _H-he's serious. He actually wants us to ask him anything._ But where to begin? There was so much I wanted to ask, where should I st-wait.

There was… one thing. Dipper and I had both been wondering about this ever since we arrived in Gravity Falls. I, myself, had been searching for this reason since I joined the fandom of the show, and if I wasn't going to find it in my world, I was going to find it there, from the author himself. We exchanged a knowing look, and nodded. I knew, from his expression, that our question was exactly the same. The same thing we had been wondering, ever since we came to this strange Oregon town. Together, we faced Ford, and asked what had been bothering us all summer long.

"Why is Gravity Falls so weird?"

* * *

 ** **I was on a roll with this chapter. Mostly because of how excited I was for it. Now though, before we get into Roadside Attraction, it's time for another chapter that isn't part of the actual series. I even managed to get a big jump on the next chapter while I was at it! It's all my idea, and journal three's information!****

 ** **Also, I will have Ford's chapter up in the small post GFA story I've written. Some things were edited to fit the canonical of this story, but if you're interested in more Elaine randomness, you might want to check it out.****

 ** **See you all in a few days! Maybe less, if I'm feeling excited enough for this chapter!****

 ** **Angel****


	60. The True Theory of Weirdness

****Disclaimer: This had been such a great Christmas! Even if the power went out for almost half of Christmas and into Boxing Day, preventing a few thousand from making dinner.****

 ** **On the plus side, I got a drawing tablet! Maybe now I can make some decent art for this story!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade (twice): We're so close, aren't we? Also, I blame this episode for triggering the shipping between them.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: She's not insane, though her choice in a partner is questionable. If you're wondering though about Bill's personality, this is the chapter for you!****

 ** **xForeverGamerx: No kidding. What doesn't tick him off?****

 ** **lex: THANKS!****

 ** **Cynder: Merry Christmas to you too!****

 ** **ultima-owner: Depends if you count the last episode as two parts, then it's 6. That doesn't mean Weirdmageddon won't be so straight-forward. I have a lot of chapters planned for that.****

 ** **Guest: Thank you!****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): So it was a dream within a dream.****

 ** **Guest (new one): Exactly.****

 ** **Guest (another one): It's not the first time she's snapped at him. Bill's defeat… no spoilers yet, since we're almost there. Shame that demon isn't real, but-let's be real, we wouldn't stand stand a chance. By the way, what is that link anyway?****

 ** **EntityNobody: Nice use of binary. Weird though, how all of those 0s and 1s leads to such a simple phrase.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Uh… why are you telling me this?****

 ** **Tatum: Can you please be specific? I've got Bending Reality on hiatus, Cuphead is almost over, and an Undertale story being rewritten. Do you mean stories in general after GFA, or for the Gravity Falls fandom in general? I have many ideas that I still wish to write about, which should span a few years at best. GFA is to have a sequel, and… A PREQUEL! No more to add there. Not to mention the added fact I have an Ao3 account which holds other stories too.****

 ** **Someone: Why would they say that?****

 ** **Victoria1676 (twice): You'll be seeing a lot of Bill and Elaine in the next few chapters. And no. There is no human form for Bill. That was made clear in a disclaimer many chapters ago.****

 ** **Tatum (again): Well, for posting, you have to use the Fanfiction site itself to post. As for writing, I use LibreOffice. It's free, and pretty easy to use. I add the finishing touches such as line breaks in the doc manager in my account.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 ** **Edited: Feb. 28/19****

* * *

Elaine's POV

Ford beamed in pride at our question, and clapped us both on the shoulders. "Why don't you two head to Stanley's car? There's something I need to show you two." Dipper and I nodded, and went to the red car parked in the front. I climbed into the passenger seat, as Dipper got into the back. Once Ford returned, he turned the ignition, and we began heading off down the road.

"The thing that Bill told you, about weirdness leaking into this dimension," I said, looking out the window at the passing trees. "It's a lie, isn't it?"

"Correct, Elaine. Bill was lying to trick me into making the door so he could claim Gravity Falls for himself. You see, you two, the truth is a bit stranger. When I first arrived in Gravity Falls, I was obsessed with this one question: why was this town so odd? What attracted all of these creatures to this one location? In order to have you understand, we're going to the border of the town itself." The border? I was close to reaching it when me and the twins were stuck on that train at the start of the summer, heading to Washington. We never got there though, so this would be the closest I'd actually left the town. Ford eventually pulled the car over as we passed by a wooden sign. " ** **Now leaving Gravity Falls****."

"Here we are." Ford got out of the car, and we followed right after him. "I'll try to explain this as best as I can." Reaching into one of his coat pockets, he pulled out ten jelly beans. "Everything in the universe is like a jelly bean-made of the same basic materials. We all vary in flavors and color, but conform to an expected pattern. However, every now and then, a bean will come out deformed… odd… weird." Showing us the beans, I looked them all over, and noticed one was more misshapen than the rest.

Ford knelt down on the small incline of the road, and dropped the beans. Each of them tumbled downhill, but what happened next amazed me and Dipper. The bean, that stood out from all the rest, began to magically roll backwards, up the hill, right towards us at the ****town border****. Dipper's eyes widened, and I think we were thinking the exact same thing. Was this… this town… "it's a weirdness magnet," I breathed.

"Oddness is strangely, mysteriously drawn to this place for ages. From misshapen jelly beans, to gnomes and fairies and dinosaurs, interdimensional tears, clones, crazy ex-presidents, even men with six fingers, boys with strange birthmarks, and girls from other worlds." Ford stood back up, looking ahead of him in thought. "When I came to Gravity Falls, I could have sworn… in my bones, it was not by mere accident. Same as you two. That we were destined to come to this place, due to this town writing our fate in stone."

This was-whoa. Ju-just whoa. I'd never thought about it like that before. Was this… did this mean perhaps I was drawn to this town by fate? "You kids and I are some of the strangest beans this town has ever seen, Dipper and Elaine," Ford told us.

"… Mason," Dipper blurted out. I raised a hand to my mouth, just as taken aback as the boy was at his sentence. He trusted Ford just as much as he did me, and chose in that brief moment to tell him his name. "My real name is M-Mason Pines. Dipper is just a nickname. But everyone got used to it, and now it feels too late to tell everyone the truth. And it's kind of a dumb name anyway," he ended, a little dejectedly.

"Hey, it's not that dumb of a name," I grinned. Ford smiled, and ruffled Dipper's hat.

"Your secret's safe with me, Mason," Ford said. "And I think it's a great name. The Masons are a great secret society, you know." Dipper smiled at that, while I was wracking my brain trying to remember who the Masons were. "Shall we return to the Mystery Shack?"

"Yeah. Yeah, let's head back," Dipper said, happiness and relief washing over his words. Ford scooped up the beans, and we all got back into the car. "Hey, Elaine. You don't suppose that whatever brought all of this weirdness to Gravity Falls, it being a magnet, is the same thing that brought you to this dimension?"

"I… no clue, Dippin' Dots. It's a mystery. I don't know, Time Baby doesn't know, and even Bill doesn't know." Twirling a strand of hair, I leaned further into the passenger seat, spotting the Shack's roof in the distance above the pine trees. "I might never know the answer."

"I'm sorry, Elaine. I don't believe I have the answer for that too," Ford added in a sad tone, joining in on our conversation. Once we reached the parking area, still with no cars in sight, I hopped out and looked up at the building. __Hmmm… I suppose… now's as good a time as any.__ "Where are you going?" The question came from behind me, as I had immediately turned and began to trek off into the forest.

"You said that my mind is protected inside that barrier. I refuse to have that happen until I get that triangular dork to answer some questions." Adjusting my book bag, I passed the tree line.

"Elaine?" Dipper called behind me, seeing I was almost out of sight. "Are you sure that's a good-?"

"I'm sure!" I shouted back. "I'll be back in a bit!" I needed this. I needed to do this. Not to mention, I needed to rant about the stunt he pulled in Ford's head. Staying on the path I've worn down over the summer, I made my way back to the hill and the overlook of the lake. It was quiet, oddly enough. The insects, and the birds were silent where I stood. Perhaps it was because of the weight of the topic I was creating in my head. Standing in the middle of the clearing, I tapped my foot impatiently. __Okay, now… one. Two. Three.__ "Bill! I need to talk to you! Now!"

My voice echoed a bit, bouncing around and over the hills until the demon himself finally appeared. "Feelin' better, toots?" Bill asked. The gray landscape settled in around us, and I crossed my arms. "Angel…"

"You have any idea how terrified I was?" I snapped. "Fire, and burning wheat fields, a-and-!" __Deep breathes, girl. You're losing yourself way too soon.__ "Bill, you scared me. I-I haven't been that terrified of you since… since…"

"Since when you were still new in your deal," Bill finished my thought. I nodded, head down. I couldn't look him in the eye. Not after… what happened. "Kid, look at me-"

"Why, Bill? Why did you destroy your dimension?" I brought myself to glare at him, anger blazing off me in waves. "Why!?" After all the time I'd known Bill, I had never once asked him about his home dimension. I never asked about what he did to end up in the Nightmare Realm. I was done being worrying about what he could do to me for asking this. I needed answers. "Why won't you tell me about your past!?"

"Angel, out of all meat sacks I've dealt with, you should ****know**** that I've been playing this game far longer than this galaxy's been around. I've got no reason to tell you anything." Oh, so he was gonna play this game, huh?

"That's a lie, and you know it!" I retorted. "Bill, you've hinted at your past all summer! Dodging questions, saying that someone taught you the piano-which I most certainly know wasn't any of the Henchmaniacs-even Pyronica told me you've all had a life before ending up in the Nightmare Realm. You were someone before all of this! Ford had told me and Dipper about destroying your dimension for power. I had to hear from Stanford, instead of the guy I've been around since the start of this summer!"

Bill's color flashed red, and he zoomed in close to my face. "Angel, get this through your thick skull. That is none of your knows ****NOTHING**** of the hell I've been through, and neither have you. If you won't explain your dimension to Pine Tree and Shooting Star, then why should I explain mine!?"

 _ _Curses, he had a good point.__ While I did say the truth to Ford, and Kat and Asger during the fair, it wasn't enough. I had to tell the others still. Th twins, and Stan. "I… I'm not honest. Far from it. B-but I want to be honest. I want to tell the truth. While it's a slow and painful process, I am working on it. If you went and tell me about your past, then... I'll tell the twins about my own. I'll come clean about everything." Bill floated back, facing away from me with his arms crossed just as I was. "Bill… I-you know I care about you. You wanted to know about me, now I'm asking about you. Please, Bill." Slowly and cautiously, I brought my hand forward, and rested it on what shoulder I could find. I felt him tense, and sighed. "I just want to know the truth, but… you don't have to tell me, if you don't want to. I will respect your decision."

We remained like that for possibly a minute, and I waited for a response from the dream demon. I couldn't see his eye, but judging from how his energy kept fluctuating, from red to pale yellow, he was going through a lot of different feelings and thoughts. Until finally… "you won't… our partnership will remain the same? You won't change your opinion about me?"

"Cipher, I've seen you as literal nightmare fuel ripping an alien to shreds, eating him in one bite. Whatever you say isn't going to sway my mind." Bending down, I sat on the grass, and tossed my bag to the side. No journal this time. One thing was letting the gang see my entries about them being characters in a show in my world. It was another thing to have them find out about Bill's past in book form. This would just between me, and him. Bill turned around, looking down at me. "Whenever you're ready, Bill."

"Hehe… always so eager to learn." He closed his eye, and at once, his entire form began to flash through several images. I couldn't catch most of them, but once they stopped, he reopened his eye. He wasn't red, no, but the rage within his eye… it topped the anger he had for Dipper in every way. "Let me make this clear, Angel. My dimension follows the same basic rules as that Flatland thing from your world."

"Different sides and stuff indicate your status in society," I supplied. Ford mentioned he came across a dimension like the book, which led me to believe that there were multiple versions of dimensions like that.

"Triangles, kid, were the lowest of the low," he growled. "Only several steps higher than an irregular. For me, I suppose it could've been worse. I was an equilateral, which is higher than an isosceles was. How cruel… to have a society base you on how many sides you had. It isn't even their fault. You were either born into it, or cast off as useless. Pathetic."

"That means circles would be the highest class, right?" I asked, sensing the animosity around the concept. "As they are… uh…"

"The perfect shape? They thought they were so high and mighty, they could almost rival Time Baby's ego." Pretty sure no ego could match Bill's. "Now, you wanted to know 'bout my family?" I nodded. "I never had any siblings. It was just me and my… my parents. My father, and my mother." A distant fondness crept into that word. Parents. It contrasted the bitterness when he described the class system, but it was the mother part that really caught my attention. "My mother was the one who taught me the piano. She thought it was hilarious that I wanted to learn after watching her play."

"You sound like she was the closest to you," I said softly, earning a small nod in agreement.

"I cared more for her than my father. He was a miserable janitor working in the court house. The treatment given to him by the hexagons, octagons, and decagons was cruel and bordering on harassment. He was a right angle, and my mother was an isosceles. Being an equilateral, people were amazed how these 'non-perfect' triangles could reproduce me. My mother didn't work, and tended to our house." He sighed, and took his hat off to hold to his chest. His eye was downcast, and if I didn't know better, Bill was… feeling guilt.

Sadness, and pain. I had seen so many feelings flow across that single eye since I met him, regardless of his constant denial. Happiness, joy… desire. This though? This was sorrow, and gloom. Bill put his floating hat back up, and looked back to me. "You're a lot like her, you know? She saw the best in everyone and everything."

"Would she… have liked me?" I asked, truly wondering about the answer.

"Heh… kid, she would've eaten you up." His eye clenched tightly, and reopened to reveal slow-growing anger. "When I had gotten older, I saw first-hand how the class system was corrupted. Friends, relatives. How they were pestered and assaulted just because of how different they looked. For the irregulars, it was the worst. I've seen… some were captured, and k- ** **killed**** all because of their appearance!"

His body flashed red several times, and I knew it was taking all of his will not to lash out. "I grew tired and angry of it. I wanted-no. I ****needed**** to change it. Things had to change, and if no one else was gonna do it, then I would. Angel, I-to do this, I needed power. I needed strength, to be feared. But… it failed. I found a way, to harness the power to free them… to change my world for the better. For everyone I knew, for my family… but it failed."

"You destroyed your dimension in your effort to change it," I whispered, more to myself. Bill, he… he sounded so broken. "You never did it for just yourself." That alien Ford talked about… guess she didn't say everything correctly to him.

"Everything I held close, kid, was gone. All in flames; that dimension burned. I… I liberated them. Not only the cruel circles, but everyone I knew. I murdered my family, and my own parents. All I remember about that day was floating high above everything, and seeing the horrified and pitiful look in my mother's eye. She was scared, but… she accepted it." His voice lowered again, and grimaced. "When I blinked, I wasn't there anymore. That disaster dragged me into the Nightmare Realm, and I've been there ever since."

"For over a trillion years," I said to myself. The demon nodded. "You've been there for so long, and as the millenniums passed by, the other demons arrived by their own crimes and problems. A trillion years… and who knows how much was spent alone, never aging, and never moving forward. All that power you developed, and the weight of what you've done… you lost your mind."

The triangle was done with his tale, but I could see he was shaking. Slowly, I stood up from the grass, and reached my hand out. "Bill-AH!" The demon's hand swung out to shove me back, and I gave a startled cry as his claws accidentally scratched my arm. Not hard enough to make me bleed, thank goodness, but enough to tear the sleeve of my flannel.

" ** **You**** don't understand ****ANYTHING****!" Bill screeched, demonic tone dripping into his words. Red cracks appeared around his yellow form, and his height increased in a jump to six feet. "You don't understand what I've been through!I've destroyed my dimension! I've murdered my parents! I've tortured your mind ever since you've arrived here! I've planned to make it look like Pine Tree committed suicide! I've destroyed Ford's life and everything that man worked for! So why don't you hate me!? I am a ****MONSTER****!" I stumbled back as his eye turned black with a red slit pupil, feeling torrents of heat pour off him. "Why, Angel!? Why!? W-why…!?" In his rage, in his anger, I heard that slight stutter, and the trace of fear in his question. __Oh… my gosh. He's holding back.__ Bill was actually holding back what he was really feeling.

 _ _I got to… I got to help him. But how…__ _ _wait.__ A look of realization swept over me, and I nodded minutely. __I know what I have to do.__ Inhaling deeply, I locked my eyes on his and stepped forward. Then, with what gathered determination I had, gripped his arms, instantly feeling the scorching temperature of his skin blistering my palms. He glowered at me, but I did see him raise his brow at my actions. "Because you're not a monster. You're only a monster if you act like one. And from what I've seen this summer, you've done good deeds. Maybe not to any humans, but you've helped your friends. You've given them hope that they would get out of there, and given them all company. Stuff they possibly haven't felt and experienced for who knows how long." His temperature slowly began to drop as I went on, but I didn't let go of him. Not yet. Ignoring the pain-filled tears in my eyes, I held onto him. "Bill, you're the one who's helped me open up and bond with the Pines family. You helped me through my struggles at adjusting to this world, when no one else could possibly relate to what I've gone through. You've shown me dimensions, how to use magic, and so many other things that I'd have never thought I'd experience in my life. "

Bill's eye widened, and was… that was a… tear. __He's… crying.__ The demon yanked me forward, wrapping his arms around me as the heat finally extinguished in a burst. Several times, as he decided to extend their length. His eye was placed in the crook of my neck, and I could hear him trying to hold back sobs, body trembling in silent cries. The once vibrant yellow had melted into a light blue, and his hat sagged at the top as he gripped me as if he feared I would disappear. This… this was the real Bill. This was the Bill that he locked away all those years ago, behind the insanity, and the sometimes sadistic nature. A lonely, heartbroken person who just wanted to belong… to change his world for the better. For himself… and for his family. "I-it's okay, Bill. I-it's okay." I brought my hands up, and rubbed his back, feeling the warmth I was so used to replaced with a cooler temperature to mimic his changed color.

I'd done this with Mabel, but I never imagined I'd be helping him like this. __Guess… guess I knew where his knowledge of dealing with panic attacks came from.__ He must have suffered with them himself when he was younger, so many years ago when he first arrived in the Nightmare Realm. "Ha ha… ha… Angel, w-why are you doing this to yourself?"

This was the second time he's asked me this since we'd met. The first time, I had responded with I liked his company. I… liked having him around. Was... the answer though... what was it now? "B… because I…" he was right when he said it two weeks ago at the party. "Because a monster has no who loves them. A monster is not recognized as a person, but someone who is loved, and is someone worth loving. And I love you, Bill Cipher." With those as my final words, I moved my head to look him straight in the eye, and pressed my lips to his quickly formed mouth. It wasn't intense, or long. It was a simple kiss, and yet, there so much meaning behind it. We had seen each other at our lowest points this summer, and we were always there for the other. We understood the other's problems, and never shunned them for it. It was so much more than the kiss we had in my Mindscape, and every other kiss before that. This… this was everything. There I was, still held in his snake-like arms, kissing the emotionally broken demon… and we both were cherishing every moment of it. Finally, I tapped his back, indicating my need for air. If I could, I would stay there longer. I didn't want that feeling to go away, but my lungs demanded it. His arms retracted back to their normal length as his color shifted back to his usual yellow, but I remained where I stood, less than a foot from him. "I-I love you, Bill. I love you, and I don't care what Ford says. I'm not gonna stop coming to see you. I'm going to be there for you, just like you've done for me." Was I rambling? Possibly. But I meant every single word of it, and I wanted him to know know it.

"Heh… hehe… glad you finally figured it out, sweetheart." Bill cupped the side of my head, studying my face fondly. His thumb rubbed my skin, stroking my bottom lip. "My queen."

And this time, I wasn't even bothered by what he called me. I was no queen, far from it. But it felt wonderful he saw me as such. Giggling, I took the hand he held to my face, and squeezed it. "You're insane, Bill. Not going to lie about that. But that's just one of the qualities I love most about you." I brought my arm down, and Bill let go of me. "Now what, Cipher?"

Now what, indeed. The road trip would begin probably tomorrow, which meant I'd be away from Gravity Falls. I would be outside of Bill's range, and Ford's. How safe would that be? Nothing would happen to me if I left the town, right? It's not like I was bound to it. Then again… it was the last shred of knowledge I had of this dimension. Once the trip was over, I was blind to what would happen next.

"Now you get back to ol' Sixer," Bill replied. "You've got some things to get off your chest to Shooting Star, Pine Tree, and Fez, now, don't you?"

"Y-yeah. Huh. I-I guess I do." How though, did I go about with that? My greatest and most difficult secret, besides my thing with Bill? "You think they'd understand?"

"Kid, if they're able to understand your deal with me, then this shouldn't be a problem. I expect you to see me when you're done though. I've got something special planned for you in the Nightmare Realm." I shouldered my bag, and smirked.

"You mean the others have something planned." No doubt, if Pyronica was watching this, she'd be squealing. "Okay, Bill. Until later." I pecked the left side of his front, right beside his eye. Though, before I did will myself back to reality, I allowed myself to smile, watching him. He needed this. Bill really needed this moment. __And I'm glad that… I was the one to help him.__ "Goodbye, Bill."

The setting sun greeted me, and I blinked out the sun spots in my eyes. "Ow. Okay, up we go." __Man, it'd be nice if I didn't fall over when I went into the Mindscape.__ Bag still on my shoulders, I started the trek back to the Shack. Fireflies had begun to fly around my feet, dipping into the darkness of the trees when I got too close, and crows cawed overhead from within the branches. I was almost out of the woods when I saw Ford, still outside, writing in his journal on the deck's couch. "Were you waiting for me?" I asked, once I was sure he would hear me.

"I needed to be sure that he did not try anything while you were outside of the barrier," Ford said. He snapped the book shut, and tucked it back into his coat. He got up, and I walked up the stairs and over to him. His eyes zoomed in on my shoulder, and he raised his brow. "Why is your shirt damp?"

"Uh… that's not really important right now. Listen, Ford. After my talk with Bill, I've come to the conclusion that… keeping secrets from people I care about leads to trouble. It's done more harm than good so far this summer. See, what I'm trying to say is… I want to tell the truth. A-about where I came from."

"Elaine, are you sure about that?" It made sense he was less enamored with the idea. He still seemed confused and scared about it.

"You weren't exactly thrilled with the truth, Ford. They were more-or-less understanding about my deal, and were better at handling the truth about me being from another dimension. I… I have to do this. They need to know." Ford nodded reluctantly, and opened the door for me. Entering ahead of him, I made my way to the living room. There they were, relaxing on the couch and watching TV. "Guys?" All three heads turned in my direction, and I exhaled through my teeth. "I need to tell you all something."

"Elaine, is something wrong?" Mabel asked. "You've been gone for almost two hours since leaving with Grunkle Ford."

"I-guys, I haven't been honest in everything so far." I glanced back at Ford, and he smiled back. __I can do this. I can do this.__ "By now-Stan, if Dipper and Mabel haven't explained yet, I've been dealing with… uh…"

"They already explained your thing with the demon, kid. You don't have to worry about explainin' it to me." Well… at least he's not shouting at me like Ford and Dipper were.

"Thanks for that. I didn't want to go through that again. Anyway, this is about… remember how I explained entering this dimension after we defeated Gideon?" They nodded. "And… Dipper, remember our conversation before the concert festival? In the woods?"

"Yeah? You said how this town bears some similarities to a book in your world, then you went on to explain about the dangers of saying what could happen if you said the truth about its status," he recited.

"Exactly. Well, when Ford here and me were bonding, I learned that some guys he met during his travels were the same people I saw as characters in my world. Same for when I went to that ball in the Mewni dimension a while back. Whoops." Seeing Stan and Mabel's confused faces, I shrugged helplessly. "I'll explain more on that last part later. Dipper… think about all of what I just said, very carefully."

We all turned to said boy, as he closed his eyes in thought, head down. I counted in my head, and by the time I reached seven, his eyes flew open. "We're a book in your dimension. Everything going on right now exists as a book in your world." Stan and Mabel spun from him to me in shock, and Dipper just… stared at the floor in disbelief.

"Kid, you can't be serious," Stan said, leaning forward in his seat.

"He's not exactly right, but he's close. You guys… you all exist as a… a cartoon. A kid's cartoon, made by the Disney company." That got Dipper to look at me too. "I… I wanted to say this, for a long time. But do you have any idea how much guilt weighed on me with this knowledge? I knew, almost everything that was going to happen this summer, and it near drove me insane."

"B-but you knew everything!" Dipper finally cried. Whether from anger, or surprise, I couldn't tell. "Why didn't you try and change things from happening!? Bill, he-!"

"It's just like I told you, and what you repeated, Dipper. Interfering with a dimension, no matter how much it resembles something in your own world, could lead to disaster. I didn't want to say anything, because I knew that something could go wrong. But now? Now there's no point in keeping it secret. I've already screwed up what could happen by just being here." I moved to stand in front of them, and Stan clicked the TV off; his eyes didn't leave me for a second.

"How so, Elaine?" Mabel asked, inching forward on the couch.

"Asger, Axel, and Kat. They didn't exist in this world until I showed up. This place… it's shaping to allow me to fit in it. I don't know if it's a good thing or not, but they were made to serve as my friends and confidants. Actually, that sounds kinda wrong. But the idea's there. Because of who they were, they were the first people I told about what this world really was. They weren't anyone in the show. Ford was the second, only because I knew he would be more understanding than you all would." Dipper stood up, glaring at me.

"What makes you think I wouldn't understand!?" He exclaimed.

"Because of how you reacted when you found out about my deal, and how long it took me to regain your trust after that." Dipper's mouth snapped shut at my blunt statement, and sat back down. "In the cartoon, Pacifica was harsh and cruel all the way to the golf game, and still hadn't fully changed until the party. All of the information in the journal wasn't accessible to the fans until the rumors of a journal 3 release in the far future after the finale." Taking a deep breath, I wrung my hands together. I was doing better than I thought I would. I haven't broken down yet, and was making sure to explain everything I could think of.

"Finale? That means you know what's coming at the end of the summer! You know Bill's plans!?" __He's overreacting again,__ I sighed.

"I don't. I was so new to join the series, I only reached the episode after Mabel's little unicorn adventure. After that, I'm out of ideas. But yes… I-I knew what he was capable of. Dipper, you have to understand. I was such a mess when he visited me, I wasn't thinking straight. Only less than 24 hours, I had woken up in another dimension, found out it mirrored a cartoon I watched for over a year, and looked like a mummy. I was so… broken, and scared, that I was willing to risk everything on that deal. How was I supposed to know I ended up befriending him, and everyone else?"

"That's why you were so quiet the first few weeks," Stan said, piecing it together. "You didn't want to get close to anyone."

"When I first came here, I kept thinking of this place as a replica of the cartoon. It wasn't until I got closer, and became more open, did I finally get it through my thick head that I was being an idiot for thinking like that." I tugged at my ponytail, groaning. "Oh, I was being such an idiot that first month!"

"Hey, easy there, Elaine. It's not your fault." Stan stood up, and pulled me into his arms. __Heh… he and Ford tend to go for hugs when it comes to calming me down.__ "You didn't know this was all gonna happen. You were just scared, right? Doin' what you thought was right at the time?"

"I'm going in blind now. After the road trip you have planned, I'm out of ideas," I mumbled into his jacket.

"What… episodes did you miss?" Dipper sounded so… weird when he said that, hesitating on the episode part.

"I missed the last four. The finale was three episodes, and the one leading into the finale. While the episodes came out by that point, I didn't want to spoil anything for me. Now, I'm kinda regretting that choice." Stan let me go, and I frowned. "You guys… you aren't mad at me?"

"Look, Elaine. If it was a few weeks ago you said this, I'd probably never forgive you" Dipper stated. __Ouch.__ That hurt. "But after hearing Great Uncle Ford's story, and bits and pieces of what you've already been through, I… it makes sense. This whole multiverse thing, and alternate realities… I know you didn't want to hide it from us, given the past times you told us the truth." __Oh, thank goodness.__ I let out the air I was holding, and my shoulders eased up.

"Elaine, how popular was this show?" Mabel asked curiously.

"Kid, Gravity Falls was by far my favorite Disney cartoon. Uh… maybe second. Phineas and Ferb was out for seven and a half years, basically half my life. You guys were around for almost four years, but went through many long and painful hiatuses. There were shorts, and books, and other things that were made to go along with the show, which was how I already knew a lot about what could happen." What else could I say to help explain this? "I also knew stuff that's already past though, that I wasn't around to see in person. Like the Northwest party."

"Really? Okay, uh… what happened after you left?" Dipper asked, deciding to test me. "What happened during the party before you showed up at the end?"

"Mabel, Candy, and Grenda got into a fight about that Austrian boy, not seeing the ghost until they were all turned to wood. When you and Pacifica came out of that secret room, you saw their petrified forms arguing." Judging by her face, I was guessing I was about right. "That's why I was so scared when you cornered me in the kitchen after Summerween, Dipper. I almost slipped up by hinting at your mistake with the candy cart."

"And you weren't told that, were you… that makes sense," he nodded. "When we talked after Mabel ran out of the attic the next day, you said that once you were ready, you'd tell us the truth. About everything. No more lies." Dipper rubbed the back of his neck, laughing awkwardly at the line. "You were being so obvious back in the woods. How did I not see this sooner? I just kept thinking of something more complex than what you were saying."

"You're not the brightest bulb sometimes, Dippin' Dots. You did figure it out after I told you to think over it more." I moved down to the floor, and held my arms out. "Now would you please give me a hug alongside your sister before I start crying? I can't believe I didn't break down during this huge reveal." I didn't know how, or why I didn't tear up, o-or panic. I think it's just… nothing scared me more than saying I was from another dimension, that I was involved with Bill, and that they were a cartoon in my home world. Already succeeding in two of those three… I was confidant that I could get through this. If Bill could tell me the truth, than I most certainly could too.

Dipper, with a huge smile on his face, came into the hug. Mabel, laughing, rushed off the couch and joined in. Wrapping my arms around the twins, I looked from Stan to Ford. "I know you two aren't gonna fully forgive each other, but come on! You cannot just stand there and not join in the love!" Stan chuckled, and went around to Mabel's side, hugging us all the best he could. Ford gave us all a look, before smiling and shaking his head. "Join the hug side, Stanford."

"We have cookies!" Mabel added from behind Stan's arm.

"Hmm. Very well." I think I might had been the first person in decades Ford had willingly hugged, since he returned from the Nightmare Realm. With my few panic attacks, and him comforting me after my break down from seeing Bill in his mind, I knew he cared deeply for his family. We did start at the same, I suppose, but our secretive and stubborn personalities were no match for the commitment this family had. Which was why, when he did raise his glass that supper a few days ago, and then willingly hug the whole Pines crew, I couldn't help but grin.

It was a huge work in progress, but Ford's behavior was improving. So was mine. I wasn't scared, antisocial, and avoided Dipper and Mabel like the plague. I didn't see this world as a cartoon, or a mirror image of a cartoon. This world, while it looked the same, was all its own. "Hey, uh, Elaine?"

"Hehe. Yeah, Dipper?"

"If you said that we're a cartoon… then what do we look like? Who voices us?"

Well, that's an interesting question. "I never really noticed anything at first. You guys in my world were hand-drawn. But… uh, h-here. Let me show you something." They all let me go, and I fished out my journal. Flipping to a page, I grinned. Just as Ford had done, I gave myself my own bio. For reasons that I didn't fully get though, I drew in cartoon form. "Large eyes-not crazy large, mind you-sometimes odd shaped noses, and the heights of some people were pretty weird. Children and teens even had four fingers while the adults had five."

"Cartoon logic?" Mabel suggested.

"Maybe. But voice actors? Well, there were a handful of guest stars. One of the demons I befriended was Topanga, a character from Girl Meets World. The lumberjack ghost's actor was the same person who voiced this alien whale in Lilo and Stitch. Dipper is voiced by Jason Ritter, and… despite the fact he's in his late thirties, the guy doesn't need to change his voice to sound like a pubescent boy." Stan and Mabel laughed at that, and Dipper punched me in the arm. "Same with Mabel. Kristen Schaal is two years older than Jason, and nothing really changed in her voice either."

"So, wait. We're… we sound like adults who voice kids?" __Gee, Dipper, when you say it like that…__

"Yeah. What else…? Ford's actor is pretty much the same age as him. Almost twice the age as everyone else. Only difference between him and Ford is the man's balding." Stan laughed even harder, and I cracked a small grin of my own. "Stan's probably the most unique out of everyone. His voice is the creator of the show, several years younger than yours and Mabel's, and voices a ton of people in the town."

"For example?" Ford asked, casting a quick glare to Stan.

"Let's see." Holding up my hand, I began to count. "Fiddleford. Jeff the gnome leader. Soos. Trembley… Bill."

(Time Skip)

"I swear, I've never seen them all so speechless before!" Bill and I walked across the meteor, and II continued to laugh loudly. "Ford, like-ha ha! Wow! When I told him that, he looked close to having a mental breakdown! As if his brain just shut down." Bill remained quiet, watching me talk about the reveal. "Okay, okay. Calming down now. So! Hehe. What's going on now?" Bill chuckled, and lightly pushed towards the edge of the crater where the other demons usually hung out. The moment I was within eyesight of everyone, I heard Pyronica give a loud cheer. The other beasts and monsters followed suit, raising glasses in a toast at the visual of me and the triangle. Bill's eye curved in a pleased smile, and I blushed under all of the sudden attention. "What, uh, what's going on?"

"Told you you'd make a fine queen, toots. They're cheerin' for us. For you." He poked my forehead with an index finger. "You have any idea how ecstatic they were when I told them the news? About you choosing to stay in that dimension to be with me?" That wasn't all… the details are a little off there. "We're celebratin', Angel! You're one of us now! Not like those fleshbags Drake and Pine Tree, and nowhere near as close as Sixer was. You're at the top of the pyramid, kid."

"So I'm basically queen of the demons now," I commented. "Eh. Could be worse." Bill rolled his eye, and looped his arm around mine. "Shall we?" __Don't have a choice here, do I?__ "Nope!" Walking to the party-actually, it looked more like a… a rave. Never knew Bill was one for those types of parties. Pyronica raced up to me, and ripped me out of Bill's hold. Hugging me to her chest-couldn't she wear clothes like a normal person!?-she grinned toothily at my blushing mess of a face.

"Congrats, fleshy! It's about time!" She dropped me, quite literally, back into Bill's arms. He let me stand back up, and I readjusted my shirt. "C'mon! 8-Ball spiked the punch!" We looked over, and sure enough, several of the lesser demons were stumbling about, cackling loudly. Kryptos looked about as drunk as the time he won that bet on who'd ask who out first. Impressive though, as he was the only one to bet on me. Though… I was pretty certain those were eyeballs in that bowl there with some sort of salsa. __Ugh… okay?__

"M-maybe she'd be into playin' a round of Spin the Person," Keyhole suggested.

"N-no, no. I'm good with that," I said back to the blue demon. __Where would they get a person anyway-wait. What the heck do they do in that game anyway?__ "I'll be right over in a moment, Pyronica." The succubus grinned, before dumping a bundle of clothes in my arms. "What?"

"If you need any relationship advice, just ask away, sweetie. You're gonna need to know how to handle being a demon's mate," she winked. The hot pink monster strutted back to the table, snatching a shot glass out of Kryptos' hand before he could down it. I looked back to the clothes, and examined them.

 _Lingerie. She gave me, of all things, lingerie._ "… seriously?" Bill chuckled, and I elbowed him in the angle sharply as my cheeks lit up once again. "Ignoring the fact we both clearly know I'll never wear anything like this-and that I know this is more of a joke gift-what was that about being your mate?" Bill kept snickering, and took the clothes from me. They vanished into thin air, and he once again looped his arm around my shoulders.

"Some demons are a little more primal in their choice of partners, kid." _Well, she's a succubus, so that's to be expected._ "She's just trying to help you out, that's all. Now then, let loose and have fun, Angel. Parties like this are gonna become a regular thing once I get that rift." A quick kiss to my head followed, and I couldn't help but laugh alongside him.

"Alright, you crazy triangle. Let's have some fun." Sliding his arm off, I intertwined his fingers in mine, and skipped to the table while dragging him behind me. __Ha ha. My Bill.__ M… mine. I l… I loved him. _Wow, hehe. That… wow, that's gonna change a lot._

 _And, heh,_ _to be honest… I was fine with that_ _._ I really, really was.

* * *

 ** **This chapter… now this was my favorite. Out of everything I've written, this was number one.****

 ** **Well, I'd just like to wish everyone a happy new year. Let's hope that 2018 will be an improvement than 2017.****

 ** **See you all in the new year!****

 ** **Angel****


	61. Roadside Attraction Part 1

****Disclaimer: I posted the last chapter around midnight, and in less than 12 hours**** ** **it**** ** **already got so much attention. My most reviewed chapter so far! Woo!****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Elaine figured it was time. I mean, imagine trying to confess about this in Weirdmageddon. Earlier is better, and the upcoming days for them are going to be intense. Happy new year!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Right handed. Who knows. All depends on what the fans decide.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: I've had this chapter planned out for months. I loved writing every part of it.****

 ** **nightmarehunter676: Yay! I exceeded expectations!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Thank you!****

 ** **Guest: Both, I guess?****

 ** **Sixer: It's my favorite too.****

 ** **DomesticatedPiggy: Glad you love this story!****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: They are, aren't they?****

 ** **Cynder: Saw the trailer already. Loved it. Pyronica can't tone it down. She's a demon who seduces men, which can lead to a destroyed mental/health state or death.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: I already knew that. He also voiced the juice box cop in a Phineas and Ferb episode. You know. The one with the grape juice and the platypus?****

 ** **Guest (another one): … I'M GONNA BURN YOUR HOUSE DOWN, WITH THE LEMONS!****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): You know, it's funny that you asked that. Weirdmageddon… I have two possible endings. One of them being much darker than the other. In that idea, Elaine actually ends up dying. I've been wondering whether I should throw that ending out there as a 'What If' outside of the main story. Thoughts?****

 ** **ultima-owner: She's willing to look past his mistakes, just as he can look past hers.****

 ** **Guest: Things are gonna be different, that's for sure. However, I won't say anything else. Why should I, when Weirdmageddon will be up in a few weeks?****

 ** **Cynder (again): Weirdmageddon will start soon. I'm having Roadside Attraction be two chapters, and the next episode will be one chapter… then it begins. Three chapters away, my friend. Best prepare yourself.****

 ** **Galinn: We all like the improved bond between the two.****

 ** **QueenKara671: He's been jealous of Pine Tree for months. I got a Wacom Intuos tablet. It's… weird, but I like it. Gonna take a while to get used to having a pen like a mouse.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: Thanks for helping me get that last review to reach the milestone, CM! How have I not realized that I could mention fangirls now? Imagine Dipper's reaction when he finds out about all of the ships involving him?****

 ** **I own Elaine, Kat is RillFipher's, and Axel and Asger belong to the core of justice.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 9/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Alright, Elaine. You remember what I told you, correct? " I rolled my eyes at Ford, adjusting my bag on my shoulders.

"Make sure we're gone long enough for you to find a way to seal the rift," I repeated. The man had told me, what, three times, now? "I can't change how long this is gonna take, you know. But it shouldn't be too hard for you to find a solution. You're smart. You can figure it out."

The day certainly started out in an interesting way. I woke up, went to breakfast, only for Ford to drag me to the side to talk. And by side, I meant into his bedroom. It turned out the rift had already begun to crack, which of course, sent me into a panic. I didn't expect this to happen so soon, and definitely not be the first to be told about it. The containment system, while it was doing its job at the moment, couldn't seal something so potent forever. This was why Ford had convinced Stan to go on that road trip bright and early, so he would have plenty of time to puzzle over the problem. In my opinion, I couldn't think of anything that would seal it in this dimension. _Though… I do wonder about the UFO._ Where else would he find something strong enough to seal that glass containing a rift in the fabric of the universe but in there? It wasn't like there's something in that lab of his that would do the trick.

 _ _I'm starting to think like him, oh boy.__ "Elaine." Ford smiled briefly at my compliment, but shook it off just as quickly. "This is serious. We cannot let Bill's nightmare dimension leak into this one." Nodding, I patted his arm in understanding.

"I understand, Ford. I just don't want to be already stressed when I go out on the road with Stan and the kids. This is my first time leaving the town, excluding dimension-hopping and the Nightmare Realm. I've never been to the USA that much in the past, and even when I did, it was always the east coast. I'm excited!"

"Fine, fine. Just be careful. I am not entirely sure how much Bill can follow you outside of the town." __I'm sorry, what?__ Ford, taking note of my confused look, went on to explain. "I am not sure how far Bill's ability to maintain contact with you in the Mindscape can reach."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see. And hey! If he can't reach me at all, then that just means a night without him dropping by. A perfect sleep for once." I heard Stan's voice outside, yelling at the kids to get on board. "Time to roll. Bye, Ford!" I quickly hugged him, and dashed out of the living room and out one of the Mystery Shack's doors. _I wonder if I took him by surprise with that hug._ To be honest, I was just as shocked that I did it too.

"What took you so long, kid?" Stan asked as I closed the RV's door, hearing it lock behind me. The entire vehicle was old, and had several pieces taped in place. Though, even with its rough state, the entire still felt warm and livable.

"Just had a list minute talk with your brother. I'm fine." Stan rolled his eyes, and put the vehicle into drive. Moving to the back as we began our trip down the dirt road, I looked at our group. Dipper and Mabel, Mabel's gang, and my squad minus Wendy. "Surprised you couldn't fit in the dragon, Asger. What gives?"

"Axel's following from the air. Didn't really think it was a good idea to shove a fire breathing lizard into a moving car. Even one as big as an RV." I sat down in between him and Kat, and watched the kids talk on the other side. There was only one table, but our seat had a ledge that could fold down from the wall. "There we go. We are officially outside of Gravity Falls."

"Really?" I leaned to look out the window, seeing the farewell sign begin to approach us. Oh, I hoped this would work. For my health, and that Bill wouldn't be too upset that I left without him knowing. Closing my eyes, I mentally counted to five, choosing a number that I knew I would reach once we passed the marker. _Hmm… nothing._ I reopened them, quickly scanning over how I felt. __No headaches. No instantaneous combustion.__ "I'm good," I sighed. _Now to see how this affects Bill later on._ "First time out of Gravity Falls, here we go."

"Man, RVs are amazing," Grenda said. "I can't believe we're sitting at a table in a moving vehicle!" She slammed her hands on said table, grinning at Candy.

"Ooh! Informational travel pamphlets." Candy took two of them, pressing them to her cheeks. "I want to read them all and gain their travel knowledge." Pacifica and Mabel laughed, and Dipper smiled at the four of them. This was nice. All of us just doing wacky fun stuff together. What a nice break from all the paranormal hullabaloo.

"Kid, those useless pamphlets have never helped a single person," Stan called back to Candy. "The only wrinkly old travel guide you'll need is me." Candy narrowed her eyes, and opened one anyway to spite him. Still, it didn't seem as if Stan even noticed, having turned back to the road. "Now look alive! We're coming up on an attraction run by the most black-hearted proprietor in all of Oregon."

The attraction was fast approaching, and Kat giggled at the cutesy old lady sign by the parking lot. "Oh my-it's so adorable! How can this woman possibly be vicious?" Stan got up from his seat, and looked back at her.

"Don't let the face fool you. This woman lit my car on fire on two non-consecutive occasions. Now get out and help me." Taking our cue, we all followed out and went over to the attraction. __That is a very large yarn ball.__ At best, twelve feet.

"I've died and gone to knitting heaven," Mabel whispered. "I'm going in, girls. Waaah." With that, she dove into the yarn headfirst, wiggling to hide herself. Candy and Grenda laughed, and followed after her. Pacifica hesitated, but after a quick encouraging smile from Asger, she joined the girls inside the yarn ball.

"I'm gonna check out the gift shop," I announced. "It's a thing for me on road trips to try and pick up some souvenir at every place we go and see. My favorite place was this tourist trap in Maine with fudge and gemstones." Asger and Kat laughed at my enthusiasm, and I ran into the small log building. Granny Sweetkin stood behind the cash register, ringing in a customer.

"Hello, dearie!" She called. "Looking for anything?" I paused, looking around. Okay, maybe this would be harder than I thought. Everything was all kitten whiskers and knitting needles. __Next time. Next time, I'll buy something.__

"No, thank you. Have a nice day." Stepping back outside, I watched everyone sprint back towards the RV, the ride already slowly starting to pull away. __Time to go.__ I ran around a parked car and jumped into the vehicle, just as Stan punched the gas and Mabel closed the door behind me. We, meaning everyone but Soos because as he sat in the passenger seat and managed to put his seat belt on in time, went flying across the floor from the momentum. "Oh. Ow."

Pacifica spat out a mouthful of blonde hair, giving a soft glare up above her. "Mabel, you're like, crushing my ribs with your elbow."

"Whoops. Ha ha, sorry!" We all got untangled, and made our way to our seats. "What's next, Grunkle Stan?"

"Upside-Down Town. If anything of you get sick from this, don't complain to me." _Fair enough._ Reaching for my bag under the seat, I fished out my journal and pulled out my pen. _I suppose doing some reflecting would help pass the time._

I flipped to a new page, but just before I could mark the date, I paused. "Ah… hmmm…" I never really thought much about this, but since Dipper knew about-well, the truth… there's no harm in showing him my journal now. "Asger, Kat, can you go over there with the girls and send Dipper over? I want to show him something." They shrugged, but moved further to the front of the RV. Asger moved to sit beside Mabel and Pacifica, while Kat wedged in next to Candy and Grenda. Dipper, puzzled, moved back to sit beside me. "Kid, seeing how we're gonna be heading to a lot of places today, I figured I'd make the best out of these drives in between. Would you like to see my journal entries?"

"Wha-really?" Dipper's face lit up, and he leaned in to look at the blue book in front of us on the table. "You'd really let me see what you wrote about the town?"

"Not just the town, Dipper. While I've wrote about our adventures and monsters and junk, I've also documented my time with Bill, and my journey to accept this dimension for what it really was. Eh… about that… yo-you aren't upset with me, are you? That when I first came here, I was thinking in terms of cartoon episodes?"

"Elaine, it's fine. You had trouble adjusting and were in shock for… h-how long did this last until it finally set in?" He asked. "When did it finally make sense that we weren't what you expected?" I hated this. While he didn't specifically hate me, it still sounded like he felt nervous and angry about the fact I saw him as a character, a thing from a fictional show, for a while.

"Truth? I think it was… during the Mabel's date, when I jumped off of the cliff to get to you. I just… reacted, without much thinking. But the real game changer was when I was with Bill after he healed my gremloblin bite. Dipper… i-it never occurred to me that I could die here. I could die here and never see my family again. Reality for me kinda crashed there and I… sorta… broke down crying in front of Bill." I sighed, and looked out the window. My arms were crossed on the table, and I rested my head on them. "Dipper, I know you aren't going to fully forgive me. For my deal. For the dimensional secret. For this. I can accept that."

"Yeah. It's-you're right about that. It's taken a while to be somewhat alright with you and Bill. This, it's… Elaine, you kept the portal a secret from me. I want to trust you, but… it's hard." Dipper reached forward, and pushed the journal closer to me. Sitting back up, I stared at my reflection in the symbol. "I don't want you to force this on yourself. You're… there's much more you're hiding, and I think that… it might be best if you think wisely on what you want to show me."

"I know, Dippin' Dots. Uh, by the way… do you like, still have… feelings for me? After all that went down since that confession weeks ago?" Dipper blushed, which was enough for me. __He never got over me.__ That actually meant... a lot. Even though his ability to trust me had been damaged several times, he still cared about me. "Gee, we're a complicated bunch, huh?" The RV slowed down, and I stood up. "We're at the next attraction. When we get back, I'll show you some entries. How about it?"

"Sure. Uh, Elaine? Thanks for talking to me." I giggled, and followed after him out of the bus. "By the way, Grunkle Stan, there is a giant knitting needle stuck to the back of the RV," he called over his shoulder. I strolled into the gift shop with Asger and Kat, as Stan began to try and yank the needle out from the vehicle.

"You seem to be working things out with him," Kat commented. The teddy bear she held had its head sewn upside-down. Creepy, but kinda cute. __Or… was it just the face upside-down. Hmmm.__ "How'd they take it?"

"Depends. Did Mabel already talk about it?" They nodded, and Asger chuckled at the snow globe he was holding of the house itself.

"She did. It makes sense to inform everyone who's close to the Pines about it. The girls know everything now. And I'm guessing Wendy and Soos know too." Asger set the object back on the shelf, running a hand through his bangs. "Pacifica is really thankful for what you've done for her. For trying to cheer her up, and get past the treatment her parents dish out."

"How's that going, anyway? Since the party?" Kat walked to the cash register, and paid for the bear. Mabel, Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica just entered from the attraction, although Grenda was still on the ceiling. There was still nothing worth buying there that caught my attention, sadly. Maybe the next area would be better.

"They've been doing everything to 'keep her in line'. I had to call in my parents and set up a video chat with them to finally persuade them to let her be friends with whoever she wanted. Girl can finally have as much as a normal childhood as she can. Although, that didn't stop them from grounding her for the party and the townsfolk coming in. No electronics, mall, or chicken for two weeks." Asger chuckled at the end as we stepped outside. "Chicken. They got her with the chicken."

"Lovely." Dipper walked out of the house backwards, cheering loudly. "You certainly seem happy."

"You have no idea, I-!"

"Now, Soos!" We watched the house begin to roll on its side, and quickly the four of us ran for the RV. The moment we got into our seats, the others bolted in and we took off down the road. "Not so upside-down now!" Stan shouted out the window, laughing. Dipper went up to talk to Stan for a moment, so I got my journal out again.

"Let's see here. What can I show him?" _Definitely nothing involving Bill's romantic interest._ "No, no, no-yeesh. Definitely not!" Okay, this was harder than I thought it'd be. Did I have anything worth mentioning that he didn't already know or shouldn't know?

"Find anything?" I looked up, seeing Dipper had walked back towards me. "Stan's gonna be stopping soon at a gas station to refuel. After the next tourist trap, we're gonna eat a late lunch before going out again."

"Then we'll hit the other place and find an RV park for the night?" He nodded. "Sounds about right. Usually, on trips like these, I always end up spending the night at a hotel." Dipper slid into the seat beside me, as I thumped through the pages. "Honestly, I don't see why I'm having so much trouble with this. It should be easy!"

"I think you're getting too into this, Elaine." Dipper slid the book towards him, and went straight to the start. Opening from the cover, he raised a brow at the very first page. A picture, the exact same picture that Stan had on his desk of me and the twins, was taped to the page. "This is…"

"The same picture Mabel showed you that was in the lab. Stan, without you knowing, had developed it when he went to town. He gave me a copy to keep. Figured the safest place for it would be in there." Dipper put his hand beside it, and he seemed… confused? "Is something bothering you, Dipper?"

"You… you're so confusing." Chuckling, I nodded in agreement.

"You got that right. Well, there's this. This is my bio entry. I did this for everybody I've met this summer." I showed him the image of me, drawn cartoon-like as usual, since I was terrible with realistic. Dipper's drawings in his entries always maintained a mix of realistic and cartoon, and Ford's were so real looking that they could almost jump off the pages. With a shy, yet knowing grin, I was waving to the reader. My hair wasn't in a ponytail in the image, and the flannel was unbuttoned to show off the tank top underneath. My other arm was holding the journal, pressing it close to my chest. The last detail was the book bag sitting at my feet, slightly unzippered.

"Not bad," Dipper smiled. "What about the rest of us?" I grinned back, and continued to flip through the book. I'd show him entries later. Pictures were a good stepping stone. Mabel was twirling her grappling hook, wearing her shooting star sweater and giving a childish smile. Stan was in mid-stride, holding a cash register with dollar bills flying out of it.

"I, uh… this idea came from the show opening. Don't judge me." Dipper chuckled, and I flipped again. Soos was adjusting a shelf on the wall. Wendy was behind the counter, giving a lazy salute. Asger, and at this time Axel as an egg, were lying by a tree. The egg was in his lap, and his hat was down over his eyes. "I asked him for drawing ideas. He said he fell asleep with Axel's egg in his lap one time for several hours in the woods. Pacifica was terrified when she couldn't find him."

"These aren't half-bad, Elaine. You're a pretty good artist." Blushing at the compliment, I waved him off.

"Dipper, I suck at realistic. Cartoon style is my preferred interest. What else do we have…?" Kat relaxing on our couch, fiddling with her bracelet. Pacifica, Candy, and Grenda, all laughing to each other over a joke. Candy and Grenda's bios were on one side of the opened pages, and Pacifica's was on the other side. With the amount of bonding she had done with the Pines, I knew a lot more about her than before I came there. She was one of the last ones I had done, so my opinion on her wasn't as harsh as it would've been. Besides the bios, there was also a sketch of Astralia from the ball, with Star, Tom, and Marco in the background. I'd love to have made a larger bio on her, but there wasn't much to go on from our small chat. Well, except for the fact she could see me despite being in the Mindscape.

"I made a thing on Rick based on Ford's stories. Could only go so far on that though. I'm running on stories and memories of his show. Then we have Ford's bio." Ford was holding journal one, with a pen in his other hand. The drawing showed he was writing something in the book beside a half-drawn desk with journals three and two on the top, but was looking up at the reader just like I was. Despite my care in making sure his outfit, with all its small tears and the faint glimpse of his gun on his belt, it was the eyes I took the most time on. He had the same introverted, paranoid look in his eyes that I'd come to know. Certain people, I took a fair amount of time in creating their pages. Ford's... his was one of the most important bios I'd written.

"What about me?" Dipper asked. "Can I see my entry?" __I… I never showed him, did I?__ I wasn't nervous showing him, but-okay. Yeah, I was nervous showing him what I wrote about him.

"Oh, uh, h-here." Flipping back to where Mabel was, I showed him the journal. Dipper, unlike Ford, was holding journal three. He seemed twitchy and nervous, but was pushing those feelings aside to get towards his goal. I think I captured the determination in his eyes quite well. "What do you think?" Dipper stared wide-eyed at his chapter, and I think I actually made him speechless. Completely, and utterly speechless. _And I thought all of those secrets I told him would've done it._ "Dipper?"

" ** **Dipper Pines. To be frank, what couldn't be said about this sweaty, awkward kid? He's been suspicious of me ever since he came to the Mystery Shack, but after seeing how close Stan and Mabel were with me, he started getting closer and closer. He's a nerd, a dork, but the most determined boy I've ever met. It's hard... being his f... friend, while keeping this secret. How was he going to react when he found out about my deal with Bill? My deal to return to my dimension?**** " And then... there was the other side of the page.

" ** **It's been one week since I've experienced the comfort of home. So far, I've been hanging with a demon, mauled by gnomes, and fought cursed wax statues.****

 ** **Mabel and Dipper have really grown to like me, despite the latter not fully trusting me at the beginning. I understand though. If your friend made a life-or-death deal at the cost of theirs, and possibly your safety, I wouldn't be so trusting either. It's probably due to being such a recluse when we first met.****

 ** **I tried, really I did, at keeping my distance. At not wanting to get close, in fear of hurting myself… and I guess, them too. But that failed, obviously. Mabel has a way of getting people to like her, even if it's a little aggressive.****

 ** **Of course, I don't want Dipper**** ** **or anyone else to find my journal. Who knows what would happen if they discovered what I'm from another dimension where they don't exist**** **.** " This was just when I was starting my journal. Now... this book was over halfway full. What was he thinking? What did Dipper think, reading this?

"We're at the next stop!" Stan yelled, ushering the girls, Asger, and Soos off the RV. "You two! Let's go!"

"We'll be right there, Grunkle Stan," I called, and closed my journal. Sticking it into my bag, I threw it onto my back and headed for the door. "We'll continue this later, Dipper."

"Ye… yeah. Yeah." Dipper sprang up to join me, and I took pride in seeing the slight spring in his step. "Thanks for… that, Elaine. I'm glad you felt that way, even when you had trouble getting used to all of this."

"It wasn't easy. I'm just glad your sister was determined enough to break down those barriers I tried to keep-water flume!" I completely forgot all about that! "To the logs!" Grabbing Asger and Kat's hands the moment I stepped out of the machine, I dragged them to the loading dock. "Log ride! Log ride! log ride!"

(Time Skip)

"Ugh. Elaine, you're soaking wet!" I plopped down beside Dipper in the RV, patting my hair down with a towel. "Couldn't you and the others have at least changed into swimsuits first?"

"No time. Stan managed to sneak a beaver in there. I haven't been on a ride like that in ages." I had left the flannel in the washroom to dry out, same as Mabel's sweater, and Pacifica's cardigan. Now the three of us were in our tank tops and t-shirts. "Hey, Grunkle Stan? Where are we headed for lunch?"

"We've been on the road long enough, you may as well call it an early supper, seein' that we left late in the mornin," Stan replied. "How do you kids feel about burgers?" The group and I cheered loudly, and we turned onto a side road off the highway.

"Hey, Elaine?" I glanced over at Pacifica. "Mabel said that… this dimension resembles a cartoon in your world? Are there any similarities between the town and your Oregon?"

"Well… I think there are a few. The show was based on the childhood of the show's creator and his twin sister. Stan was based on their grandfather, who was also named Stan. But in terms of your question? The Mystery Shack is based on something called the Oregon Vortex. It's a tourist trap that specializes in gravity hill optical illusions." The RV finally came to a halt, and we all hopped out. The diner wasn't anything special. A small building, with an eat-in or take-out option posted outside. A few picnic tables with umbrellas were set up on the right, with several people already occupying them. _Guess we're eating inside then._

"Go and order your food. None of you have allergies, right?" I grinned, and bean to head to the order window outside. We were on a bit of a hill, I noticed. Nothing too grand, but there was what looked like a small trail going out into the forest behind the restaurant. __Wonder what's out there?__ "Kid, what do you want?"

"J-just a cheeseburger and onion rings for me, Stan. I'll be right back." Shouldering my bag, I walked through the small path, hearing their voices fade away behind me. The path started to take a small dip uphill, and I felt a sudden change in temperature, like a cool breeze. The trees swayed in it, branches drifting back and forth, and I could make out the smell of… salt water? __Where are we?__ Picking up the speed, I jogged over the roots in the dirt ground, and went up rest of the small incline. "Holy… wow."

We'd reached the Pacific Ocean. It was far below us, as we were still relatively far up on a side road. But this trail went to the cliff face that overlooked everything. "Elaine, the food's ready. Are you coming or… whoa." Dipper stood beside me, watching the waves crash against the rocks below.

"I've never seen the Pacific Ocean before. Atlantic, yes. But never this. It's… beautiful." Inhaling deeply, I let the salty air fill my lungs. "Ha. I missed this, kid. This is the closest I've been to… to…" home. It... reminded me of home. "You're not mad about what I wrote on those pages, are you?"

"No. It's... weird, you know? How much you've changed since you came here. You're more open, friendlier, and... and I like that." I could swear, there was an unspoken 'I like you' hidden in there. "You know, Piedmont is on the ocean too," Dipper added, looking up at me. "J-just a reminder."

"I know." We stayed like that for a few minutes, listening to the gulls above our heads, circling over the rocks."We, uh, should probably go before our food gets cold." Dipper coughed, nodding. The sun was already setting over the coast, bathing it all in an orange glow.

"Right. Right." Together, we turned around and began to head back to the picnic area just outside of the food shack. "Hey… M-Mason?"

"Yeah? _ _"__ I skipped ahead of him, and gave a knowing grin back at him. He was a little dumbfounded I referred to him by his real name, but it was a special thing. Whenever I called him that, it made it seem like we were much closer.

"Whatever Grunkle Stan is telling you about girls and dating… if you keep that playboy thing up this entire trip, I will personally send you back to the Mystery Shack by tying you to the top of this RV. Are we clear?"

(Time Skip)

Poor kid. He was so terrified during the next girl at the corn maze. By the time we arrived at Septic Ridge RV park, he kept glancing at me like I was about to stab him in the back. __Gee, I'm not that insane.__ I had standards. If I was going to 'end' anyone… I'd tie them to a chair, and throw them into the Bottomless Pit. Unfortunately, that ended up scaring him off from continuing our journal conversation for the rest of the day. Seeing that tomorrow, only Mystery Mountain remained, I'd have plenty of time to talk to him then.

"Should we remind the others that we forgot Soos at the corn maze?" Asger asked. He, Kat, and me were relaxing in the RV, drinking mugs of hot chocolate. Dipper and Stan headed to the hot tub, while the girls were outside at a bonfire set up a few feet away from us. Axel had finally landed, and Asger managed to sneak her into the vehicle without raising suspicion. The dragon was curled up on the floor, half-asleep. __If I was flying all day, I'd be exhausted too.__

"I'll remind them later. The guy can't be lost forever." Waving him off, I took another sip. "Oh, man. This is good."

"You're welcome," Kat grinned. "By the way, what did you say to Dipper at supper that got him all… worried?"

"Told him it's a bad idea to flirt with all those girls we saw him with. It's gonna backfire, I tell you." Biting into a marshmallow from the bag beside us, I frowned. "He knows that I know he's trying to get over me. If I never showed up, he'd probably be trying to get over Wendy."

"Instead, I'm with Wendy which means he's trying to deal with his feelings for you," Asger finished. "By the way, what do you the girls are talk-?"

"AAAHHHHH!" I jumped, hearing the sudden shrill screaming of Mabel and the others slip under the door's crack. Kat quickly scrambled to grab my mug before it tipped over, and we all looked at each other in startled confusion.

"What was that about?" The blue haired girl asked, reaching for a napkin to clean up the small spill.

"I think that was the girls," Asger said worriedly. Sitting down their cups beside my own, we poked our heads out of the door. Candy, Grenda, and Mabel were giggling like mad around the warmth of the fire, and Pacifica was blushing madly- _wait, WHAT!?_

"Oh man," I muttered. "The dimension changed things up again." Candy, I could handle. I had never expected it to be Pacifica, of all the girls, to be the one to admit she had a crush on Dipper.

"She is… wow." Asger chuckled, and I resisted the urge to smack him in the face. "It's kinda… you can't deny it. She and Dipper had been getting pretty close. It's no shock she has a crush on him." Grenda fell over off the log, squealing loudly about not being able to breathe. Pacifica seemed to explain something to Mabel, and soon the brunette was shoving marshmallows into her mouth, speaking through the sugary goo.

"She says she has a plan," I explained, partially making out the words. "Oh, boy." This worried me. If anything like what happened with Candy and Dipper happened tomorrow… "this is not going to end well."

* * *

 ** **I don't normally deal with Dipper and Pacifica shipping, but I saw an opportunity. Besides, I thought this was a better idea than Candy and Dipper. This doesn't mean they're going to become a couple, but I figured it was a nice change. Besides… there's always the sequel.****

 ** **One thing to ask though. Do any of you have ideas on what Elaine can show Dipper in the journal? I want to have opinions because I'm plain stuck on this.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	62. Roadside Attraction Part 2

****Disclaimer: I seriously can't wait at this point. One more chapter, and then FREAKING WEIRDMAGEDDON! HA HA, YES!****

 ** **Sorry, sorry. J-just got… a little excited there. C-carry on!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Yeah, it ain't my favorite ship either, Dipper and Bill. To be honest… I don't really have a favorite pairing in this fandom. Dipper and Pacifica won't be a huge thing in this story, and I have no clue about the sequel. I'm just using it because I really hated what they did with him and Candy in the episode. No plot growth there at all. Dipcifica: only time will tell if it will continue.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (twice): The second ending would be its own story, of course. But I think people would enjoy it. Your idea is interesting, but it sounds like Elaine is haunting them? Why would Ford not believe them, after all he's seen and been through?****

 ** **Hahaha: Links from pms and comments don't work well with my laptop. What is it-wait. I just looked up Gravity Falls Lemons on YouTube. Never mind. Yeah, we all love Cave Johnson.****

 ** **Guest: What is it?****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: It won't end well at all. Thanks for the suggestion!****

 ** **Guest: Like the few trips she went on into the forest…! Nice!****

 ** **ultima-owner: It is. Not everyone's fave ship, but better than a lot of the ones out there.****

 ** **Sixer: Keeping in mind, you'd be dating a triangle.****

 ** **L.A Taiva: Keeping in mind, it was the first story I've ever written, let alone published. Mistakes had been made in the beginning, and I have gone back and corrected the older chapters multiple times. In fact, I redid at least ten chapters over the winter break. Italics are thoughts, and bold is usually either Bill speaker or reading. I use them because I find it easier to distinguish between everything else because it gets confusing. And with caps… because Bill expresses himself loudly and angrily! As for your last note: yeah, it's not my favorite episode. I like it more than Little Gift Shop of Horrors though. At least this somewhat served a purpose. That Halloween disaster was a non-canon wreck. The episode itself, not the chapter.****

 ** **Cynder: I might try, but that will be hard. That bleach line was actually gonna go along the lines of having the liquid eat their insides, but that seemed too intense.****

 ** **Ms. Cipher16: There's chapters that don't involve romance. Specifically, most of what happened in season one.****

 ** **Guest: Good point. She can explain some of the changes from this world and hers. Axel being a significant one. First story, so people being unsure is a common thing. Still trying to wrap my own head around it. As for your main point, it is an AU. Things aren't the same as the original Gravity Falls, and that's the point. Elaine makes references because she's from another world. As for the Blood Moon Ball thing, it didn't really occur to me at the time that some people weren't familiar with the show (whoops). The OC in that chapter was because I have a Star story in the works, and she's a part of it. When I start working on that, Elaine will be appearing in there too. Since they exist in the same multiverse, I figured it'd be nice to cross them over. There was an AMA with the character Marco, that even said he and Star came across Bill at one point. That, and he had a Sev'ral Timez poster in his locker. I went overboard explaining my weirdness. Sorry!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Yeah… no. Dipper is many things, but he respects Elaine's wishes-sometimes-about keeping secrets. He wouldn't pry into her journal, just as she never looked at his own entries in Ford's.****

 ** **ScribbleSongs: Actually, you did sign it. ToT was written at the bottom. Don't think I'd be doing any more with songs in this story, except for Weirdmageddon when we have We'll Meet Again by the razzle dazzle demon himself. Love Panic at the Disco though. Great band.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited: Oct. 13/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

I could just smell the awkward in the RV. Breakfast was just a bunch of granola bars, beef jerky, and flavored water. Not great, but Stan really wanted to get to our last destination as it took a long drive from there to get back to the Mystery Shack. __Speaking of Stan…__

"Alright, campers. We got another day 'a breakin' laws and breakin' hearts." Dipper and him smiled at each other; the boy's hair blew in the wind from the open window. "Everything up until now has been a walk in the park compared to our next attraction."

"Is it a walk in the world's largest park?" Mabel asked, sticking her head off into the isle from the seat. Me, Asger, and Kat were in the backseat again, and the girls were in the booth.

"Eh, sort of. There she is, kids. Mystery Mountain." __Oh my… whoa! This is huge!__ I thought the Mystery Shack was half-decent, but this blew me out of the water. The mountain towered over the foggy treeline, and I could hear crows cawing outside the vehicle.

"Dark, misty, and creepy. I love it," I stated, inching forward in my seat to get a better look.

"Five times the size of the Mystery Shack, and what's worse: she has real attractions." So, the mountain was a she. _That's… not weird._ Candy oohed at the explanation, and fished out a pamphlet from the box.

"Oh! I have read about this place. It was sky tram. And a mummy museum. And sightings of half human, half spider creatures." She showed Grenda, Pacifica, and Mabel the images, and I watched Mabel's face frown slightly at the last comment.

"Half spider creatures?" She repeated. "Hey, Dipper? You don't suppose that thing Trembley mentioned about having nothing to fear but giant man-eating spiders was true, do you?" That was from the VHS tape, right? The thing Blubs showed them? _Which I was… passed out for._ I never really thought much about that, but it looked like Mabel was right back on the train. The guy's actually a genius.

"I seriously hope not," he replied. I couldn't see his face, but I could tell his sister's revelation was a little concerning to him.

"Even their made up legends are better than ours," Stan grumbled. "Today, the mountain falls."

"Question. The back seat makes me car sick. Can I sit up front today?" Mabel asked loudly, raising her hand.

"Also question." Mabel grinned mischievously, as Grenda followed suit. "I'm the size of two people. Can I have a whole seat to myself?" Pacifica was blushing, while Candy giggled beside her behind her pamphlet.

"Eh, I don't know, sure," Stan replied, seemingly not caring. Mabel ran up front, while Grenda motioned for the three of us to get up and move over to their table. Pacifica scurried to the back seat, buckling herself in. The three of us sat across from the girls, as Mabel pushed Dipper to the back as he tried to register what was happening.

"But wait! That means it'll just be me and-" Dipper looked beside him, and jumped in surprise. "Pacifica?" Guess that was the last thing he expected to happen. I didn't know if he really was expecting Candy, but he seemed less awkward than he could have been.

"Hey, Dipper," she greeted. She kept her voice sounding as professional as usual, but I could tell she was internally a nervous wreck. She must have never dealt with crushes before. Giggling, Grenda closed the curtain to the back seat, and blocked our view of them. "So, you excited to go on this sabotaging mission of your uncle's?" Pacifica began. Dipper didn't say anything, but he must have nodded as she continued. "I'm personally looking forward to the mummy tours. I, uh, don't really have anyone to go with though…"

"What about Asger? Can't he go with you?" Dipper asked, finally breaking his silence.

"He's going to go off with Kat and Elaine. So, I was wondering if you'd like to check it out with me? You know, if that's not too much trouble?" The five of us were as quiet as we could be, leaning forward to listen. Mabel was squealing in her seat, trying and failing to contain her excitement.

"R-really?" Dipper stuttered. "You, uh, w-want to go with me? Isn't that what we were already doing?" Wow, he's making this awkward. I hoped he wasn't blushing as much as he was when I was digging that hole for the monster trap or when I kissed his cheek before the camping trip.

"I mean like, just the two of us," Pacifica explained. "You know, like a... a date?" The brakes immediately slammed down, and I rammed my head against the wall.

"Ow! Stan, give us a warning next time!" I yelled to the front. We all got out of the booth, and began hearing Stan cheer Mabel on.

"Alright, road dogs! I got five bucks for whoever can tip the big blue ox! Go, go, go!" Grenda and Candy rushed after her, with the rest of following right behind them. A sky tram led all the way up the mountain, a huge Paul Bunyan statue with Babe beside him, and wooden buildings at the bottom for tickets, washrooms, and gift shops. _Thank goodness for all these signs. It looks easy to get lost here._ All in all, a pretty nice looking tourist trap.

Only downside being the spider people.

Glancing over my shoulder, I watched Pacifica say something to Dipper before walking away. The moment she was out of hearing, Dipper began explaining in a panic to Stan. __What do you know? You can actually feel the awkward tension in the air.__ I would go after him, but the kid needed to learn from his own mistakes. If that seemed harsh, then so be it. It's his fault for playing those girls just to get over his crush on me. __This actually sounded much worse in my head,__ I thought. Indirectly, it's my fault. "He better not mess this up for her," I growled, loud enough for the others to hear. "With the lousy advice Stan's been giving Dipper, I'm worried it's gonna backfire on him and hurt Pacifica's feelings."

"Give Dipper a little credit," Kat said, patting my shoulder. "Now, come on. Let's go watch the show!" There were a lot, and I mean a lot, of trails covering the mountain. The trees were much taller than the ones back in Gravity Falls, making me feel like a bug beside them. Even if I knew that this stop was going to be a disaster, I loved to let my mind wander and enjoy the scenery.

"That misty air, the smell of pine sap…" I breathed deeply. "Oh, this is gorgeous." The group laughed, and I playfully stuck my tongue out. "Hey, I can't help it with I like seeing new places. W-wait. Can't forget this." Fishing out my journal from my bag, I quickly began to write out a chapter on the Mystery Mountain. "Man, Ford is gonna love this."

"You seem really close to Grunkle Ford," Mabel said. We finally settled behind the bushes outside a cave, and watched Dipper finally catch up to Pacifica. The blonde was adjusting her cardigan as he walked up to her, and together they walked inside the attraction. "How's, uh, how's that going?"

"Pretty great," I smiled. "We've been discussing stories about the multiverse, sharing our views on certain creatures in the forest. He's really nice, Mabel. Even if we started on rough terms, it's getting much better between us." It wasn't as great as my bond with Stan, but Ford and I got along much more easily than we initially did.

"Does this mean you're staying with him?"

I almost dropped my pen, hurrying to catch my book before it fell out of my hands. I whirled around to face her with wide, startled eyes. "Wh-what? Mabel, what do you mean?"

"Ellie, Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford said it'd be too hard for you to live outside of Gravity Falls. If Grunkle Ford knows the most about this dimensional junk, and can protect you from Bill, then why wouldn't you stay with him?" She sighed, looking away from me to the cave. "You're so close to him, and I… don't want to say goodbye to you and… and lose Dipper too."

"Whoa, back up there." What was she talking about? Losing Dipper!? "Who said anything about losing Dipper? Mabel, he's your brother," I stressed. "You're not going to have him just drop everything and stay here with Ford. Y-yeah, I… I'm staying in Gravity Falls. With who is still up in the air. But I'm making this clear, Mabel. I told you dorks that I wouldn't let the Mystery Kids break up, remember? Nothing is going to split us apart. No matter where I end up, who I end up with, or what your awkward sweaty brother decides at the end. Besides, I'm not through with you two. We'll keep in contact through emails and calls, and I can try and get down to California to visit. I've always wanted to go there anyway." I wrapped an arm around her, and she smiled softly. "Enjoy this trip, kid. I know it's a painful thought, but just try and have fun in the last few moments we got together." She rested her head into the crook of my shoulder, and we continued watching quietly.

"Mummy Town, huh?" Asger asked, thankfully ending the silence after our conversation. "Please tell me I'm not the only one getting a red flag here?" A soft thump came from behind us, and I watched Axel's head pop up beside him. "Hey, girl." The dragon nuzzled into his side, but it didn't seem to ease his worries.

"You're right there," I said. "Where do they get the mummies? The way they say the name makes it sound like they have a lot of them."

"Oh! I can't believe this is happening. A real date! I wonder what they'll name the baby," Mabel gushed.

"If I had a baby, I would name it Grenda 2: The Sequel!" Grenda announced.

"You would make such a good mother." I winced, seeing one of the girls from a previous tourist trap enter the cave. __Oh no.__ We were too far away to hear the commotion inside, but soon she and two other girls walked out in disgust. Pacifica followed afterwards, dabbing at her eyes with her jacket sleeve. "Dipper, what did you do?"

"Come on." We made our way out to a trail, and cut the girl off. "Pacifica?" Asger knelt down, brushing a strand of her out of her face. "You alright?" She frowned, and looked at her feet quietly. "Oh boy. Let's find a seat."

The Stump Bench wasn't that far off, and we sat under a hollowed out section of a large tree's trunk. A wooden bench was inside, and Pacifica, Asger, and Mabel sat down. The blonde was in the middle, and the rest of us surrounded her. "I was such an idiot," Pacifica said, head in her hands. "I shouldn't have been so quick to rush in."

"There, there! Let my calming voice sooth you!" Grenda bellowed, blowing our hair back. I heard the birds take off above us due to the girl's voice echoing around the entire forest.

"It's… helping?" She replied hesitantly, trying not to smile at Grenda's attempt to cheer her up.

"Girls! Asger! There you are." Dipper ran up to us, panting heavily.

"Betrayer!" Mabel shouted, jumping off the bench.

"Now what do you want?" Candy asked, crossing her arms. Pacifica still sat on the seat, and it looked like the three girls had enough fire to fuel her rage for her.

"I need your help," Dipper said, looking at all of us. "Guys, I completely understand being mad at me right now, but we have to hurry! Mabel was right! Stan's been captured by one of those spider people! Guys-Elaine especially-you can kill me later, but right now, we gotta go!"

"Alright, but I'm seriously taking you up on that offer for revenge!" I shouted. As a group, we began to sprint up the hill and past the geyser and sky tram, still covered in the mist overhead. It shouldn't have taken us so long, and I was confused on how we were beating the tram carts, until I remembered how fast the thing moved. It wasn't that high of a hill, just a perspective thing. "Asger! Stay at the exit and get Axel down here! She might be able to buy us some time on escaping!"

"On it!" He branched off from us, just as Dipper pointed to a cave tunnel up ahead behind some trees. The dirt path under our sneakers changed to rocks and overgrown roots, showing we were going off the actual trail we were supposed to take.

"Mr. Pines!" Grenda yelled, her voice bouncing into the cave. As we ran in, Grenda tore through the silk holding Stan in place, making him fall to the ground. __Holy-that's a lot of corpses.__ So many dead people were strung up in the roof of the caverns, with their shriveled faces mounted in everlasting terror. Avoiding a large gob of webbing beside me, I instinctively pulled Mabel close. __Not liking this! Definitely not liking this!__

"Quick! Before the rest of the venom sets in!" The other kids and Kat tore through the webbing as I nervously looked around the hollow for Darlene, and the blue haired girl quickly yanked him to his feet. As fast as we came up the hill, we booked it out of the cave. Glancing back nervously, I could see Darlene about to start chasing after us from the entrance, only for a blast of fire to strike her, knocking her back into the hole with an echoing shriek.

"I'll catch up!" Asger shouted. He and Axel, with smoke drifting from her maw, stood off to the side and out of sight from the spider.

"The sky tram! Everybody on! I have a plan!" Candy yelled, pointing at a tram just below us. Before it took off, we all climbed inside, and Stan shut the door. Mabel and Grenda cheered loudly, and Stan pointed off towards the bottom of the hill.

"Ride like the wind, sky tram!" We did make it off the platform and over the trees, but the speed! It hurt so much!

"Welcome to Trambience, the world's slowest treetop tram ride. Enjoy the sights at 0.1 miles per hour," a recording said above us from a speaker.

Grenda gave a frustrated groan, and banged her feet on the metal floor. "Move, move, move!"

"Ugh, can't this thing go any faster!?" Dipper yelled, looking out the window below.

"No, it can't. This is Tramience."

"Why on earth would they even include that line in the recording!? Seriously, do people complain that much to make it a thing!?" I yelled, tugging on my hair.

"Enjoying the view?" A loud bang came from above us, and I leaned away from the window. "Take a picture!"

"AAAHHHH!" Darlene's head appeared in the window, sending us into a panic. She began to crawl around the tram repeatedly, encasing us in webbing until we could barely see outside. __Spiders and webbing and human vengeance!? Is this what it's like fighting Muffet from Undertale!?__

"We're doomed!" Stan yelled, putting his hands on his fez.

"We're all gonna die!" Dipper shook Stan, clear horror in his voice.

As the two guys panicked, I watched as Candy's face hardened. _Okay, time to grab hold of something._ If this going where I thought it was going, then grabbing a handle was a very wise decision. "Listen carefully! This sky tram has an emergency drop switch. Below us is Oregon's largest Paul Bunyan statue! And Old Reliable goes off in 5…" Candy looked at her watch. "4…"

She grabbed said drop switch,and Stan and Dipper hugged each other tightly. "Candy, wait! Don't pull that lever!" Dipper protested as she continued to count down.

"Kid, are you crazy!?" Stan yelled.

"Now!" She finally announced. With such an easy pull that made me wonder why the tram didn't have more precautions to prevent it from being pulled accidentally, we were dropped out of the sky from the ride. Just like every other high drop I'd done, gravity kicked out on me, and I floated in the air as we descended. So, I could fall from a giant robot and only get glass shards stuck in my skin, but what happened when you're stuck in a ride wrapped in spider web with said giant spider still attached!?

A huge burst of energy hit the tram from below, letting me know that the geyser did its thing in shooting us upwards. I couldn't see outside, but all I could do was hold Mabel and Pacifica tightly to me as we rolled around in the inside. Kat had her arms around Grenda and Candy, and Stan still held onto Dipper. Figured it'd be best to try and keep everyone together, instead of risking someone getting an elbow to the eye. We bounced around the trail before I felt us falling again, and then slowly roll to a stop. "Are-ugh, are we done?" I asked weakly. __Don't puke, don't puke, don't puke! I hate thrill rides!__

"Y-yeah," Stan answered, equally shaken. He reached for the handle, and the door swung open. He fell out, and the rest of us stumbled dizzily into the open air. Mabel and Dipper bumped into each other a few times before they regained their bearings. Kat and me leaned against the tram, mostly because we didn't feel as if we could stand just yet.

"Guys!" Asger shouted. I sighed, seeing the other member of my group run over. Panting, he looked at the two of us worriedly. "Are you alright? I saw what happened when I was coming down the mountain on Axel-hey, are you alright, Kat?"

"Just… just fine." Kat clearly didn't seem fine. Her face was sporting a very interesting shade of green. "I think… I think I need to lie down for a little while. Oh man." Asger and I took her arms, and wrapped them around our shoulders.

"I'll get some pills for you when we're in the RV again," I replied.

"Staaaannnyyy…" Darlene called out weakly. I shivered at the sight of her pulling her human head back on, and the three of us stepped back cautiously. Darlene twirled a strand of hair, playing innocent. "I'm sorry. I dunno what came over me. You'll let me out, right?"

"What!?" Stan shouted. He pulled himself to his feet, standing with the kids. "After all that? Seriously, do I look like an amnesiac?" He put his fez back on, resting his hands on his hips.

Darlene laughed, pulling her extra legs in under the giant boot. "You're so funny. Have you ever considered becoming a comedian?"

"… you know, I actually have." __Stan.__ "Comedy is too subtle these days." __Stan, no.__ "My style involves more over-sized props." __Oh, no you don't! Stan!__ Before he could make a move to help her out from under there, or even say anything else, I slid out from Kat's arm and dragged the man back.

"He ain't fooling for your tricks no more, Darlene," I growled. "Get someone else to fall for your tricks."

Just as quick as before, she reversed back into her spider form. I couldn't say who she was looking at, Stan or me, but yeesh! Those eyes freaked me out! "You win this round, Stan! But mark my words, as long as there's men like you out there, with their dumb one-liners and pickup moves, I'll never run out of prey!" She hissed, and spat acid at our feet.

"Aah!" We jumped back, as the green goo burnt a hole in the ground. "Get in the car, get in the car!" We all sprinted for the RV, jumping in as fast as we could. Stan, just as he had done before, gunned the gas and pulled out of the parking lot before we could sit down, sending us tumbling to the floor.

Pacifica rolled Candy off of her, giving an annoyed groan. "Seriously!? Urgh… Mabel, you're elbow's in my side again."

"Sorry!"

(Time Skip)

Dipper was up front with Stan, while the others were fully immersed in a game similar to Uno. I mean, I think it was Uno. There seemed to be a lot of yelling and creative half-appropriate swears coming from the booth. Pacifica refused to participate, and decided to sit in the back with me as I looked over my journal. I think I had a good idea on what I wanted to tell Dipper. No more secrets. I promised I'd be more honest, and that's what I would continue to be. _I'm honest._

And… I could do this.

"Hey." Looking up, we saw that Dipper had walked back to see us. I slid my journal behind me, keeping it out of sight. Pacifica sighed, looking out the window instead. "I think I found a pamphlet I don't think Candy made you look at yet." He handed her a pamphlet, and I smiled as she face slowly melted into a smile. "I'm sorry, Pacifica. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

She turned to look at him, as he slid down to sit on the other side of me and buckled himself in. "It's cool, Dipper. I don't blame you for whatever nonsense your uncle was filling your head with. Although, I'm kinda less enamored now after seeing you scream like a girl while we fled from that spider," she said teasingly.

Dipper blushed, and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yep! Yep, I deserve that. I, uh, guess I owe you an apology too, Elaine. You were right. As… usual."

"Kid, really? I've made a ton of mistakes this summer, and broken your trust so many times. I'm not right all the time, but I am when it counts." I hugged the two close to me, grinning. "Though, I am curious. Pacifica, is this gonna kill any shot Dipper might have with you?"

"What?" Dipper broke out of my hug. "Elaine, you can't be-!?"

"Maybe." We turned to the blonde, and I slid my arm off of her. "But then again… you do have your brave side that I don't mind seeing now and then." __She's either talking about the Summerween fight, the golf fight, or the ghost fight. Probably the ghost fight.__ Dipper's face could rival a tomato at this point, and I struggled to contain my laughter. "I'm gonna go join in the card game." She got up from her seat, and gave a wink to Dipper before moving to the front.

"Dipper, you sly dog! Way to go!" I punched his arm, smirking. "Maybe you'll get a chance with her yet."

"I highly doubt it," he replied, but I could see he was somewhat hopeful. "Besides, it's kind of hard to date when this summer's almost over."

"Never stopped a lot of people, kid." I pulled the journal back out from behind me, and began to flip through the pages. "Listen. I've given a lot of thought to this, and I think I've finally settled what to show you." Dipper, the moment the sentence left me, moved closer in the seat to look at me. "Hehe." Opening to one of my chosen chapters, I smiled nervously, hoping he liked what he saw.

What I had decided to show him was a chapter dedicated to my first visit to the Nightmare Realm. Different thicknesses of pen ink helped detail the kaleidoscope of colors it was made of, and just like Ford, I drew detailed meteors drifting around the paper. What really caught Dipper's attention was once I turned the page, he saw the slightly… unnerving Bill sitting in his throne, 'grinning' maliciously at the reader. His legs were kicked back, and his position was relaxed yet confidant. The passage detailed my second deal with Bill about keeping my body healed in exchange for questions. I had made more passages about the crawlspace several times in the book, but those got into Bill's growing interest in me.

"Wow, Elaine. This is amazing," Dipper murmured, running a hand over the parchment. "These pictures are so detailed. And your entries are… they're as well thought-out as Great Uncle Ford's."

"Stop it, kid. You're making me blush," I teased. "There's more, though. If I don't have time to show you what I deem is important, then we'll keep it up until you dorks head home." He frowned lightly at that comment, but seemed satisfied with the rest of it. Snapping the blue journal shut, I stuffed it away in my bag. "I hope this pacifies your curiosity, Dipper. I want to show you what I've written, but it's sort of similar as to why I respected not looking at your entries in the journal. I didn't want to pry into your thoughts and what you thought of other people… of me."

"I understand, Elaine. That's why I'm not forcing you. But… you really mean it? You'll show me more of your journal before I go home?"

"No, Dipper. I mean I'll have us and Mabel rub ourselves in sweet mustard and sing show tunes." I grinned at his deadpanned expression at my sarcasm, before noticing everyone else was gathering to the front of the RV. "It looks like we're approaching the town." Unbuckling our belts, we got up and moved up with the gang. Overhead, we sans Stan gave a loud whoop as the Gravity Falls sign passed us. __I wonder if Bill's aware that I skipped town?__

 _ ** **Gee, Angel, what do YOU think?****_

 _I'm gonna take that as a yes._ _ _Uh… sorry?__

"I still feel a little bad about wrecking those tourist traps," Dipper commented to Grunkle Stan, sitting down in the passenger seat. Ignoring the demon's annoyance and anger in the back of my mind, I chose instead to focus on the drive. The girls, Asger, and I stood around Dipper and Stan; the old man was driving down the dirt road to the Mystery Shack.

"Ah, come on. Everybody loves my pranks!" Stan said casually. "And the best part is, I never have to face any consequen-SWEET LORD!" Stan slammed on the brakes in front of the building, and we stared up in shock. He jumped out of the RV, not even taking the key out of the ignition, and stared up at the Mystery Shack. The entire building was defaced with spray paint directly insulting Stan, yarn bombing over the roof and totem pole, and backwards signs. "Aw, come on!"

A corn maze worker ran up to the RV, and smashed one of the headlights with a baseball bat. "That's what you get! That's what you get!" Dropping the bat, he sprinted off down the road with the other tourist trap owners, leaving us to the mess.

"I don't understand. I completely don't deserve this." We filed out of the vehicle with our bags, and stood beside him. Axel landed behind us, and we all just stared blankly at the house. _And this happens every year, apparently._ Oh, I hoped that if this wouldn't happen in the future while I was around.

"Oh, this is gonna be such a mess to clean up," Kat complained.

"Do we have to clean this up?" Dipper asked, turning to his sister.

'Nah, I'm sure Soos will take care of it. Where is Soos, anyway?" Mabel asked.

"He's, uh… still in that corn field?" Everyone looked at me, and I grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I was so focused on the spider monster and chase thing happening, I forgot to say it sooner."

"I'll ask my mom about driving out there and getting him," Kat spoke up, raising her hand. "The rest of us should probably be heading on home."

"Thanks for the trip, Mabel," Candy said. Together, she and Grenda grabbed their bags and began heading off towards their homes. Asger gave a small wave, and climbed onto Axel.

"Thanks, Mabel." Pacifica gave the brunette a quick hug, and smiled at her and Dipper. "This was fun. But, um, let's try and skip the whole spider thing next time we do something like this." Dipper and Mabel laughed, and Pacifica joined her cousin up on the lizard. Wrapping her arms around the older teen, the two took off through the woods, leaving me and the Pines alone.

"Uh, guys? This question just popped into my mind, and I'm a little worried about it… but what do you think happened to Ford, seeing as we just left him here by himself when this all went down?" Stan's eyes widened, the idea obviously never occurring to him, and began to briskly make his way to the front door. Exchanging looks, the twins and I followed after him.

"What the-ah ha ha ha! This is a nice look on you, Poindexter! Ha ha!" Stepping into the gift shop, I wondered what exactly Stan was talking about-oh. __You have to be kidding me__.

"Ford?" The man, I had no clue how it happened or what led up to it, was taped to the ceiling with a yarn ball shoved in his mouth and his glasses upside-down. He scrunched his face up, and spat the ball onto the floor. "How long have you been up there?"

"Would someone explain to me why I had three people storm up to my property and deface it?" He asked angrily. "Stanley?" Stan opened and closed his mouth, before shrugging.

"Business rivalry?" He finally answered, making it sound like a question. "Dipper, go get a chair. We'll have you down in a few minutes, Ford. I'll go get some scissors." He leaned down to Mabel, and I heard him whisper, "go get the camera." The three broke off and headed into the house, and I walked closer to get a better look.

"Hey. So… you got that plan for the rift?" I rocked back on my heels, watching him struggle under the tape.

"I assume you might already have one yourself?" He turned the question back on me, making me grin.

"Well, the only thing I could think of was the UFO. From what I've read in the journal, nothing made in this dimension, or at the very least this planet, could ever seal up a rift like that." I paused to chuckle. "Dipper can be pretty dense in reading the journal. I'm not sure he read it over enough or analyzed everything carefully for it to really set in on the fact there's a spaceship under this town." I moved over to the counter, and sat on top of it. "I've talked to Bill about the town's past, and previous people he's tricked. Not much different than what you already knew."

"It appears as if he's told you most if not more than what I already know. Elaine, can you get me down?" Nodding, I took the stool from behind the counter, and walked until I was right under him. Taking my pocket knife out from my bag, I got onto the stool and began to cut away the tape. "Elaine, doesn't it upset you that you won't ever find out what brought you here to this dimension?"

"A little," I admitted. __There goes one arm__. Ford began to help peel himself out as I began to work around his torso. "But if I am to know, then so be it. I don't want to go hunting for answers. Time Baby doesn't know, and neither does Bill. I'm fine not knowing, Ford. Oh. One more thing." I gripped the last piece of tape that I knew was keeping him hanging there. "Bill couldn't follow me out of the town. The moment I passed the boundary and returned, he expressed how unhappy he was, that I skipped out on him for so long. Brace yourself." With a loud ripping sound, the old man gave a cry as he fell flat on his face. "Told you."

Stan, Dipper, and Mabel came running back into the gift shop, and stopped in the doorway. "Aw, come on! You couldn't have waited until I got a picture?" Stan complained, camera in hand.

"It is nice to know your priorities are straight, Grunkle Stan," I remarked. Ford got to his feet, dusting himself off. The remains of the tape still clung to his clothes, which no doubt would have to be washed off. "Come on, guys. We've got a lot of cleaning up to do. I, uh… I should probably deal with an angry demon who's upset I ditched him for almost two days without a warning."

"Elaine," Ford started. I made my way towards the door, only for his hand to gently wrap around my wrist before I could step out. I froze for a moment, and turned to look up at him. "Think about this carefully. Do you really want to-?"

"I do, Ford." I ripped my hand free, holding it to my chest anxiously. "He's not going to hurt me. Contrary to what you think, I can handle Bill. Besides, it's only for a brief chat. I won't be too long." His paranoia was starting to get to me, honestly. After Bill's and my last meeting, where I... told him I loved him, I knew something changed. I think, after I managed to actually make him break down, I had awoken something that was almost dead inside him. Before Ford or anyone else could get a word in edgewise, I dashed out of the Mystery Shack and made sure I was just out of the barrier but still close enough to step inside to satisfy Ford's worries. "Hey, Bill."

"Angel, you have any idea how angry I am right now?" _I c_ _ould_ _take a few guesses._ Bill's arms were crossed, and his normal yellow was a warning orange color. "You really thought I wouldn't figure out you skipped this town and went on a joyride with Pine Tree and the other fleshbags?"

"Look I'm sorry, but I really needed that break," I defended myself. "Bill, after everything that happened these last few days, I just needed some time to think. About… well, everything." The remains of my conversation with Mabel still sat in the back of my head. "Also, I wanted to check out the rest of Oregon before your 'plan' kicks in."

"You're making it sound like you're doing air quotes, kid. You know you can't stop my mission, right?" He circled around me, eyeing me like a piece of meat. Which, to be fair, I kind of was. "Whatever you're cookin' in that collagen dome of yours, it ain't gonna work. You can't stop this."

"Maybe I just have to persuade you then," I smirked, despite how serious he sounded. After everything we'd been through, there must still be a chance to change things. His plans for this dimension, and everyone in it… was it really too late to hope I could stop it, and sway his decision? "I'm certain I can do that."

"Sure, and I'm that rainbow, laser-firing goat monster you talked about months ago," Bill mocked. The orange glow slowly faded, until he resumed his normal yellow hue. "Besides, after our last meeting, I would've thought you'd understand why I have to do this." He sounded disappointed, which was hard to tell if that was true or not. But, going back to our last conversation… I think he really was being truthful. "Changin' the rules, and making this place so much more worthwhile to live in." I averted my eyes, biting the inside of my cheek. He was right, in a twisted way. But his sense of morality was messed up since he lost his sanity over the trillion years he had existed. "Angel, sweetheart, you know I don't plan on harmin' you, right?"

I didn't even have to think it. Bill read my expression perfectly. "I know… but I'm worried. For my friends, and everyone else." __Like, should I sign up for those therapy sessions now? Or should I wait until the nightmares kick in?__ He gave a small laugh from behind me, and I felt his arms pull me against his smooth body. "Mmm… you're warm." He was like an electric blanket, but not soft. Just… warmth. Warmth that didn't feel dangerous, or threatening.

"Hehehe. You better get goin', toots. Looks like you've got a busy day ahead of you. Those humans didn't go easy on this dump, did they?"

"Really makes me wonder what Stan did to get this reaction every year," I added. "Oh well. I'll tell you about our trip afterwards. You'd get a kick out of the spider monster." Spinning around in his arms, I pecked the demon beside his eye. "Bye, Bill. I'll see you tomorrow."

The dream demon chuckled, his voice close to dropping an octave at the end. "Trust me, my Angel, it'll be sooner than you think."

* * *

 ** **There we go, everyone. Next chapter is the last before we enter Weirdmageddon. Hard to believe it, but we've reached the finale. It will certainly be a long group of chapters, of course, but we've reached the ultimate climax in Gravity's Fallen Angel.****

 ** **Everything from this point on is gonna up in tension, action, bloodshed… and other stuff. Hold on to your seats, people! You're in for a ride!****

 ** **One more thing though. Winter term started up again, so be wary on delayed updates in the future. Just putting that out there now.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	63. Dipper and Mabel vs the Future

****Disclaimer: Here it is. The chapter that leads us into Weirdmageddon. It's all led to this. Everything I've wrote has led up to this point. It. Is. TIME!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: WOO!****

 ** **QueenKara671: I have too many Undertale stories. I have no clue where that ending there came from. Hehehe... heh.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Probably. No doubt about it.****

 ** **ScribbleSongs: I've been planning all of season two since last summer. No way is anything swaying my mind at this point. Planning helps get me through chapters a whole lot faster than it could be, which helps when you're in university. I mean, time is hard to find here.****

 ** **lex: YES!****

 ** **Guest: Second. He was first mentioned in Boss Mabel Part 1.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Let me make this clear that you're gonna love what I'm plotting for the sequel. I won't say anything because I don't want to spoil the rest of this story, and for the new one.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Easy, Mettaton.****

 ** **Ultimate Spider Girl: Well, it has been going on for over a year now. Weirdmageddon itself is going to be several chapters, and there's more happening after that. It will be a while before the story ends, but yes, Gravity's Fallen Angel is almost done.****

 ** **Nekolover3: Not bad! Kinda reminds me of my own drawing except the hair's more brown than orange. Thanks for drawing fan art of my story! I hope you make more!****

 ** **the stargazer: Yes, there is a sequel, but it will be a while before I write that. Winter term, and the fact I want to devote myself to another fandom for a while. I'll take a break from Gravity Falls once this is over, and then start working on that.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: Elaine is going to be scarred for life. That's all I'm gonna say for that.****

 ** **Sixer: I've got two pine tree hats! I don't do human Bill. The reason for that has been mentioned in a few disclaimers in past chapters. Basically, I don't see the point in changing him, because that changes it too much from the original work.****

 ** **Cynder:**** ** **I agree with you there. Alex even said so himself that a human version of him was weird.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: You'll find out… in the next few chapters!****

 ** **RillFipher: Well, Bill does have some angst in his past.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 ** **Edited: Oct. 14/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

 _ _Well, I'm blind now.__

Not like I had misplaced my glasses or anything. The only problem with them was the large scratch on one of the lenses from when Gideon blew up the Mystery Shack. Which, now that I think about it… just gave me another thing that I had in common with Ford. Blind as. I no longer had a single clue as to what was coming at me.

I no longer had any knowledge backing me up for the rest of the summer, and I was okay with that. For one, this dimension wasn't the Gravity Falls I once thought I knew. So even if I did know what could possibly happen, it wouldn't play out the same. That thought brought me much relief, since it had created way too many problems for me. I wouldn't be hiding the truth anymore, in regards to the layout of what could happen. __Doesn't mean I'm still not keeping stuff from them, for obvious reasons.__ Number two was it would have driven me insane if I knew the truth about the last week. If I knew what Bill had in store for this dimension… that would have put a massive dent in our relationship.

I was just freshening up in the bathroom, applying a fresh coat of foundation to my hand when I heard Dipper cry out from the bedroom. "Seriously? It's not even breakfast yet." Tightening my elastic in my hair, I made my way out into the hall, seeing Soos and Stan enter the room.

"That's not the only good news coming up!" Stan announced, holding up a magazine as I poked my head in. "In one week my senior citizen's ponytail kit is coming in the mail. I'm… I'm kinda going through some things." Tapping his shoulder, Stan glanced back at me and let me pass through the door. "Sorry, kid."

"In one week, my grandma is finally letting me eat crackers on my bed!" Soos declared. "The future is coming for us all, dudes."

"The future," Stan echoed.

"The future!" Dipper and Mabel repeated before Dipper started laughing. "I'm sorry, I can't take you seriously with that face on your chin." __Face?__ Looking at the girl, I saw a set of googly eyes glued to her chin, mimicking a face. __Yeah, it's too early.__ I'd be laughing too, but I still wasn't fully awake. I need some caffeine in my system, or at the very least a slap to the face.

"What face, Dipper?" Mabel asked in a goofy voice.

"You're-you're doing the voice so you obviously know what I'm talking about-"

"Bi don't bnow bhat bou're balking about," she continued, making him laugh harder. He pushed her back teasingly, and we made our way out of the door and down the hall.

"There is something wrong with you," he informed her. The four went down the stairs to the kitchen, and I heard Mabel reply to his statement in front of me.

"There's something wrong with both of us." Pausing at the top of the steps, I chose to retreat to the bedroom for a quick moment. Tossing my hairbrush that was still in my hands on my bed, seeing how I forgot I still had it, I spared a glance at Mabel's side. There, pinned on the wall, was a calendar detailing their birthday. 13 years old. Their heads were cut from photos, and taped over formal adult clothing. Why was it that… when I look at that… I felt like something's about to go horribly wrong? Was it that, with not much summer left, the threat of something huge happening was more likely? Or was it that… I had no idea what my future in this world held? __Elaine, you're being paranoid again.__ Shaking my head, I started down the stairs. __Nothing's gonna go wrong, okay?__ _ _Nothing.__

"… nothing."

(Time Skip)

Mabel, now donning a pink birthday sweater, sombrero, and sunglasses, set up a birthday party display on the table in the living room. Her model of the Mystery Shack was covered in streamers and glitter, with the calendar standing beside her on the other side. "Alright, party planners. In one week we become teenagers, and our summer vacation winds to an end. So we need to throw the greatest party of all time!" She threw her glasses to the table, throwing her hands in the air. "I'm talking pinatas with tinier pinatas inside."

"Boom, dreams comin' true!" __Where did he even get all of those mini pinatas anyway?__ I raised a brow at Soos doing that chore already, and turned back to Mabel.

"I'm talking inviting everyone in town. Let's see, where do we stand with the gnomes?" Dipper was jotting down the information on a notepad with a pencil and a Stan head on the end for an eraser. Mabel walked over to him, leaning over his shoulder to observe.

"Not so fast, goofus and girl-goofus." Stan walked in on us, and I got up from the couch. I was busy inflating a ton of balloons, having them floating around the room with the streamers me and Soos pinned up. My lungs… so, so empty. "After that zombie incident, no one's throwing another party at my house. I keep finding little bits of the undead in the couch cushions." I inched away from where I was sitting as Stan lifted the cushion up, showing a decaying arm that I was sitting on.

 _ _Eugh… block it out, Elaine. Block it out.__ He tossed the bat in his hands to Dipper, probably for the pinata. "But Grunkle Stan, we need some roof to raise," Mabel explained.

"Dude, you could rent out the Gravity Falls High School gym, and have your party there," Soos said, tucking the pinata under his arm. "That place is empty all summer long."

"The gym's a great idea, Soos. To the high school!" Mabel shouted, only for the house to suddenly rock violently, startling us. "Was that-?"

"Dipper, Elaine, my face is on fire!" Ford shouted. Dipper and I exchanged a look, and he pointed to the door behind Stan.

"We'll be right back." The two of us sprinted into Ford's bedroom, seeing him hunched over with a towel, rubbing his face. __Was that smoke?__ "Great Uncle Ford, are you okay?"

"Did you get GlaDOS to help you construct combustible lemons?" I asked quickly, not registering what I had said before I repeated it to myself. __Smooth, Elaine. Real smooth.__ Dipper shot me a confused look as Ford turned around. He dropped the towel on the couch, and walked over to us.

"Oh yes, I'm fine. I just said that to make sure you two come in here quickly," he said as if lighting yourself on fire was completely normal.

"But your face is on fire," Dipper stressed. A strand of smoke still drifted from his lower left cheek, and Ford calmly patted it out.

"Yes, it's much faster than shaving. Now, listen, Dipper. I have a very important mission, and you and Elaine are the only ones who can help me." Kneeling down, he brought out the rift from within his coat. "Remember the rift in dimensional space-time I showed you? It's cracking." I watched a hairline fracture slowly grow along the glass, and the insane laughter I heard the first time I was near it seemed so much more louder. Dipper seemed to hear it too, and he stepped back cautiously. "This is what Bill has been waiting for. If it breaks, it will cause reality as we know it to completely unravel. A hypothetical and catastrophic event I call Weirdmageddon."

 _ _Weirdmageddon? We__ gazed at the blackboard in the room, watching Ford walk over to it, and I felt my heart drop. The earth-he can't be serious. Bill could split the fabric of space and t- _ _was that the planet torn in half!?__ I knew something bad was coming. I knew he was going to wreck havoc on this dimension? But this!? This wasn't what I figured he had in mind! __J-just calm down. The moment you fix the rift, the quicker you can talk to him about this.__ Because this? This was horrifying. "Bill is out there, and he'd use any trick, from deception to outright possession, to make this happen. But for the sake of humanity, we mustn't let it."

"We patch the rift," I said. My voice shook slightly, trying to control my emotions. "Only sealing that crack could at least buy us some time before we can figure out a way to deal with the problem. Make a more permanent solution."

"Exactly, Elaine," Ford agreed. "I'll explain more on the way." He moved to a table, and put the rift into a protective case, locking it shut.

"Wait, what about Mabel?" Dipper asked.

"It's okay, Dipper." We turned around, seeing Mabel in the doorway. "You and Elaine should totally go with Grunkle Ford to save the world or whatever." Two book bags of different shades of brown were in her hands, and she smiled at him.

"Are you sure?" It's nice seeing he had his priorities straight. He didn't want to do anything without it running by Mabel first.

"We're going to be doing birthday junk all week. Plus, I packed us walkie-talkies." She handed him the lighter bag. "Here's one for my party mission, and one for your smarty mission." Dipper and her laughed at the pun, until Ford cleared his throat.

"I did mention that the fate of the universe is at stake, didn't I?" __Okay, that was a little rude.__ He tapped his watch to emphasize his point, and dashed out of the room. "Hurry, we haven't much time."

"Okay, Dipper. It's your first big mission with Ford. A chance to prove yourself. Don't mess this up." And… he ran into the wall and missed the door. Mabel grinned at her brother, while I walked past them and went after Ford. I could hear Dipper trip on the way out of the door.

"Smooth, Dipper. Very smooth." I found Ford outside, waiting for us to join him. Snatching my bag from the living room on the go, I ran out to join him on the deck. "Ford, do you really think this will work? Patching the rift before the Nightmare Realm spills into our dimension?"

"I don't know, Elaine. But what other choice do we have?" He patted my head, and I smiled sadly. __Yeah... other choices.__ He must have seen how distressed I still was, and added, "we'll try to keep you from drifting into the Mindscape. We don't want Bill catching wind of our plan."

"R-right." Dipper rushed out to meet us, giving a determined nod. "Here we go." The hike, wherever the UFO was, did take a fair bit of time. It seemed as if we were heading straight the opposite side of the cliffs; territory that I myself had yet to fully explore. We did pass by the hill I always went to when I needed to think, and began to go upwards at the start of a hill. Gravity Falls, besides the town itself, was about the size of my hometown. Only difference being more nature than buildings. Slowly, the amount of trees began to decrease as we climbed up the elevation, before stopping in a large clearing overlooking the town below. I walked beside Ford the whole way, as Dipper was trying to talk with Mabel through the walkie-talkie.

"I'm going through a bad patch, Mabel. We'll talk when we get back. Mabel?" All he got was static through the machine. Dipper rapped his hand on the side, trying to get it working again. "Mabel, you there? Ugh."

Ford finally stopped, and I shivered as the cool air blew over us. "Listen, Dipper. In order to seal the rift for good, it's going to take an adhesive stronger than anything on earth. Something… extraterrestrial in origin."

"W-what do you mean?" Dipper stammered. Ford moved back and knelt beside Dipper, with one hand on his back and the other gesturing to the cliffs.

"Dipper, look at the peculiar shape made by those cliffs. Does it remind you of anything?" Dipper squinted at the rocks, trying to piece it together as Ford pulled out his UFO key chain from his jacket. Holding it up until it aligned with the cliffs themselves, he jingled it up and down, and the switch finally clicked inside the boy's head.

"Shut. Up," Dipper breathed. I had the same reaction when Bill explained the town's past to me. While I was certainly soaking up the history Ford was saying, I wasn't as shell-shocked as Dipper. Still, I did have a small amused smile, watching him figure it out.

"According to my research, the entire valley of Gravity Falls was formed when an extraterrestrial object crash-landed here millions of years ago." Ford stood up, gazing over the town. From the water tower, to the lake, to everything in between, we could see it all. My view from the hill overlooking the lake had nothing compared to this. "Did this craft cause the town's strange properties? Or, did the town's strange properties attract the craft? The answer is still unknown."

"But, that's crazy!" Dipper yelled, standing up. "Where did the saucer go!?"

"That's what I would love to know," I finally spoke. "If it was millions of years ago, then…" my face slackened in realization. With how those cliffs were positioned, and the fact the town was almost like a valley… "we're standing on top of it, aren't we? Vegetation grew over the object, hiding it all these years."

"Precisely, Elaine," Ford smiled at my thinking. "Sometimes the strangest things in the world are right under our noses." He pushed a rock on the ground out of the way, revealing a metal panel. "And our feet, in this particular instance. Now you two might wanna stand back. This magnet gun can rip the fillings out of a man's mouth from a hundred feet." Pulling out a black ray gun, he twisted the end, and used a bright blue beam to pry open the hatch.

"Whoa!" Dipper said. We all looked down into the hole, seeing a rope ladder still hanging from the inside.

"I used to raid this thing for parts for years," Ford explained. "Where do you think I got the materials to build my portal?"

"You… I… words… not working for mouth." Dipper tugged on his hat, and I could only stare blankly down at the hole from behind him. __The-it's just-wh-what?__ How had I not seen some of this sooner? There was no way he was able to build all of that from scratch!

"Now come. Take these." Dipper stood up, and Ford tossed two magnet guns at us. Dipper scrambled to catch his, and I got mine with ease. "Don't worry, I've been down here countless times; all the aliens have been dead for millions of years." Ford began climbing down the hole, before popping up. "Probably."

We looked around, getting our last glimpse of sunlight. We didn't know how long we'd be down there, so feeling the warmth of the sun on our backs before we descended made me feel a little better about it. "Ready, Dippin' Dots?" I slid the gun into my bag, leaving it halfway opened just in case.

Dipper gave me an excited grin, and nodded. "Ready." Taking a deep breath to reel himself in, he slid the gun into his vest, and went into the hole. "I can't believe there's been a giant UFO under the town this whole time," he called down to Ford, as I began to climb down after them.

"Kid, he talked about it in journal three. This shouldn't be as much of a shock to you," I replied, earning an annoyed glare and blush. Honestly, did he ever read it thoroughly?

"I wish my mind could be where yours is right now, kids. When confirmation of extraterrestrials still had that punch. Now its just sort of 'eh'." __Holy… this is huge!__ Giant runes that didn't make any sense to me were engraved all other the infrastructure, slowly gathering moss from age. A flock of birds flew past, probably from another entrance to the UFO as light from the outside world slipped in through gaps in the ceiling. Once we got to the bottom, we set off through a tunnel, and I continued to survey the spacecraft. "McGucket and I used to come down here all the time to raid their tech and study their language."

"This is so cool!" Dipper exclaimed. I watched him pause to take a selfie with a wall full of alien symbols, while I caught up with Ford.

"I have to talk to him about this when this is all over," I said, more to myself. "I wonder what his thoughts are now if he reflected back on coming down here."

"The substance we need to seal the rift is an alien adhesive," he said, ignoring my comment and reading through journal two. "Strong enough to keep the hull of a spacecraft together. Just one dollop of this adhesive should be enough to seal a crack in space-time. Also, if it touches you it will seal up all the orifices in your face." He gestured with his hand to his face, and then cocked his magnet gun. "Now, use your magnet gun and follow me. Hup!" Before we could say anything else, Ford jumped off the platform we were on, and used the gun to attach himself to the pillar. The momentum spun him in circles as he descended further into the ship, until we couldn't see the blue sparks from the gun anymore.

"Great Uncle Ford!" Dipper shouted. A light lit up at the bottom, signaling us he made it down.

"Your turn! Say 'hup'! It helps!"

"O-okay. Okay. I-I got this. I got this." Taking out my gun, I cocked it with little problem. Smiling at Dipper, I took a step back. "See you at the bottom." Here we go, here we go! "Hup!" Gravity left me the moment I threw myself off the ledge, and I swung my legs out under me as I aimed the gun at the metal surface. A distinct thunk let me know I hit it, and I began to slide my way to the bottom. Not as gracefully as Ford, mind you. I slid down in a straight line. But I did it, none the less. Detaching myself a few feet from the ground, I landed beside Ford. "What a rush!" I laughed, nerves making me sound shaky.

"Your turn, Dipper!" Ford shouted back up at him. Dipper, poor kid, did leap off the cliff… but didn't aim his gun correctly and got magnetized to the ceiling.

"Uh… a little help?"

(Time Skip)

It took a few minutes to free Dipper from the top of the saucer, but we eventually made our way to our designated location. Thank goodness Ford had that light on him. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to see in front of us. Ford pushed aside a broken door, and led us into a new room. "This is their storage facility. This place would've been heavily guarded, but now everything's defunct. Go ahead, flip any switch. They've all been busted for millions of years." Dipper stopped walking, and pressed a button three times, earning no reaction. "The glue should be around here somewhere, so keep your eyes peeled." We walked for a few minutes, checking out the room, before Ford spoke again. "Dipper, Elaine, let me ask you two something. Have you thought much about your future?"

"No, not really," Dipper replied. "I mean, beyond graduating high school with a high GPA so I can get accepted into a good technical college with a photography and media production minor to start my own ghost hunting show."

"I myself am almost the same boat as Dipper. Except I wish to get accepted into an excellent research university, major in computer science with a minor in English so I can build a successful fantasy video game franchise" I added after Dipper was done. __Or book series, but there's more fun with the other idea.__ With everything I was learning about monsters and different dimensions, I could make an empire.

"Ha, heh heh!" Ford laughed, and sat down the lantern in a corner of the room. "It's like talking to younger versions of myself. If you're so sure of what you want out of life, why wait? Why put up with the drudgery of school?" Ford asked. He moved to the other side of alcove, and began shuffling through panels. Taking his example, we moved to the other side and began looking.

"Not sure school is a possibility when you don't have any identification that links you to a dimension," I remarked, dropping a panel to the floor. "I have no clue how that's gonna work when this summer's over. Home school, probably." It all depended on who I chose to stay with.

"Heh. Trust me, I'd love to fast-forward the whole thing, but it's not like I have a choice," Dipper threw in his thought on the subject, moving the tiles beside me that I hadn't touched yet.

"Dipper, I've been thinking. I'm getting too old to investigate Gravity Falls on my own. I need to train an apprentice to help me fight monsters, solve mysteries, and protect this town. And I think I'd-I'd like to keep it in the family." __Old man said what!?__

Dipper shot up, dropping the panel in his hands. "What are you saying?"

"Ford, are you-you really mean that?" I whirled around to face him, equally stunned. Dipper's mouth was working like a fish, opening and closing with no sound coming out. I, myself, was trying to wrap my head around this craziness coming from Ford.

"I've read your additions to my journal and I'm impressed with your potential." He showed him the gnome page before putting journal three away. "What would you say to staying in Gravity Falls after the summer ends and becoming my apprentice?" He turned to me, still smiling. "Elaine, the same offer stands for you."

"I-what? Ford, I-but I'm not family," I stuttered, tugging on my ponytail. Did he burn some brain cells when setting his face on fire!? "I'm just the random girl thrown across the multiverse by means unknown! I never even added anything in the journal except for Dipper's possession!" I couldn't be an apprentice! Heck, Mabel added more to the journal than me! It was all Dipper's work! That was all Dipper!

"Your work in your own journal shows that you know much about the multiverse. How this town works, different creatures, and many other things that I've yet to see myself. You've already chosen to remain in Gravity Falls, correct? Why not stay here with me?" __Is… is he really offering this?__

"W-what about school?" Dipper added.

"Dipper, I have 12 PhDs. Your parents would be thrilled I could give you such an advanced education. And that would solve your concerns, Elaine, too," Ford pointed out.

"But what about Mabel?" I finally shouted, jumping in before the eager man could continue. "Dipper, we promised we wouldn't leave her, remember?" Dipper's face drooped at that, and I knew I got him there.

"Mabel will be fine on her own." Ford waved off my worries. "She has a magnetic personality. I watched her become pen pals with the pizza delivery man in the 60 seconds he was at the door."

"Gosh, we've never been apart before," Dipper murmured, holding his head as he turned away from Ford.

"And isn't it suffocating? Dipper, can you honestly tell me you never felt like you were meant for something more?" Dipper and me stared at our reflection in a piece of metal, as Ford moved up beside us, puffing his chest out.

"B-but Ford, we aren't you. We aren't you and Stan." Ford's shoulders dropped at my statement. Pulling at my ponytail, I tried to calm myself down. "It's been the Mystery Twins, then the Mystery Kids, a-and I don't want this offer to stop us. Mabel… she has a great personality, yeah, but she can't handle Dipper just dropping out on her like that." Mabel was sensitive. She would never stand for her brother, her best friend, to just leave her behind like that. And Bill. What would he think about that offer?

"Elaine's right," Dipper added. "Sounds like a dream come true, but I'm not sure I have what it takes. I was tricked by Bill, I was wrong about Stan's portal. Heck, I can't even operate this magnet gun right." The gun went off in his hands as he took it out, taking a piece of metal with it. Dipper struggled to remove it, and Ford and I saw something pink and glowing seep from the other side.

"Ha! Yes! Dipper, you've found the adhesive!" Ford laughed.

"I did!?" Dipper looked at the metal, shocked. "That, uh, was just a coincidence."

"Hoho, you really did it, kid. Elaine, huddle in, let's get a picture of this." He took the panel as the magnet gun deactivated, only for a loud noise to halt our celebration. Ford snapped to his feet, pulling out his gun and aiming it in the direction of the noise.

"Uh, Grunkle Ford, you said everything in here is dead, right?" Dipper whispered.

"Yes. Unless somehow we've reactivated the-" Ford gasped in horror. "Security system!" Spinning around, two large glass orbs floated out of a hallway. Each had an upside-down orange triangle on them. Moving closer, I found myself getting backed against a wall.

"What do we do!?" Dipper asked desperately.

"Listen to me very carefully: I've studied these, they're security droids and they detect adrenaline. You simply have to not feel any fear and they won't see you." We hit the wall, and Ford kept his aim on the droids.

"What!?" Dipper and me yelled.

"It's okay. I've done it before. Just take a deep breath, focus on your intellect, and control your fear." Ford narrowed his eyes, as the drones got even closer.

"Huh-wha-wha-wha-that's crazy! I-!" Dipper stammered, panic-stricken.

"Follow my lead!" Ford shouted.

"Great Uncle Ford!"

"Focus, Dipper!" _ _F… focus, yeah, yeah. Easier said than done when you weren't backed against a wall with a droid about to blast you to bits!__ Our hearts were racing, and as Dipper continued to stammer and my breathing caught in my throat, we knew that the moment the droid produced its gun… we failed.

"I can't!" We shrieked together.

"Get down!" Ford tackled us, sending us sprawling across the room. A crater was just where I last stood, smoldering. Quickly, he sprang to his feet and aimed the magnet gun and fired. Unfortunately, the droid he hit also fired, landing a blow to his arm and knocking him off his feet. The struck droid made a high pitch whistle from the magnetic pulse, and zoomed around the room until it hit the wall, blowing up. The second droid, still functional, opened its dome, releasing four arm-like appendages and ensnaring Ford in them. Ford struggled against them, but the machine easily began to drag Ford towards it.

"Wait, no!" Dipper got up to run, only to trip at the last minute on a piece of metal.

"Stay back! It's too dangerous! Sealing the rift is what's important now! Take this!" Fishing into his jacket, he pulled out the rift which was no longer in its casing, and slid it towards Dipper. Dipper picked it up, just as Ford was trapped inside the droid. __Where the heck is the casing for that!? It could have been smashed to bits already!__

"You're gonna have to do it without me! Use the adhesive! Fix the rift! Save the universe, you two!" With that, the droid took off back through the tunnel, leaving us behind in a cloud of dust.

"GREAT UNCLE FORD/STANFORD!" Dipper and I screamed. Sprinting after the machine, Dipper placed the rift in his bag, zippering it up as we gave chase. The tunnel was full of cobwebs and dust, curving to the right, and we ignored the strands of webbing getting caught on us. "Hang on, I'm coming for you!"

"We'll get you out of there!" I shouted, our voices echoing in the small space with the sound of our footsteps. Th-this wasn't happening. It couldn't be happening. I just met the only person in this entire dimension who fully understood what I'd been through! I couldn't lose him now!

Entering a large room with several saucer-shaped doors on the opposite wall, we watched Ford and his droid pass through one of them. "Where is that thing taking you!?" Dipper shouted. The room began to glow purple under our feet, and a symbol under the UFO Ford was in lit up. Above our heads was an alien map, circulating transportation details.

"It's an automated prison droid! And wherever it's going, I'm not coming back!" Ford yelled down at us.

"What!?" A loud bang came from behind us, and we turned to see a door to the surface open up, revealing dirt and other debris. An alien countdown began as an arm moved the ship out of its hole and towards the opening.

"No, no, no… don't worry, I'll think of something!" Dipper yanked his gun out, and I followed suit. Together, we began running after Ford, and cocked our guns. Dipper pulled out a roll of tape, fastening the machine to his hand. "Hold on, Great Uncle Ford," Dipper said in response to something Ford yelled down at us.

The arm let go of the droid, letting it hover in the air. Stopping underneath it, we aimed up at the machine. "We're getting you out of this, one way or another!" Dipper tried to fire his gun, but nothing happened. "Oh no!" Punching it only got sparks to flicker from it, and with the pod about to launch-

"Ah! Forget this!" Grabbing his gun, I chucked it across the room and grabbed hold of him tightly, pinning him to my side "Hang on!" Aiming upwards, I let the gun zap us upwards and attach us to the droid. Dipper's arms wrapped around me, keeping himself from falling off. Ford stared at us incredulously as the ship dipped down… and blasted off.

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Hands down, this is the most insane thing I'd ever done. Screaming our heads off, Dipper gripped onto me for life, while I held the gun for my own. As fast as the takeoff started, we burst through a grate at the surface, and into the air. Flying high over the town, Dipper's hat went flying into the breeze, lost below us.

Grunting, Dipper used me and the gun to pull himself closer to the droid, and began to pound it with his fist. "Let go of my uncle!" The droid shook from the attack, beeping. Screaming, the robot began to swerve around, flying over the trees were it first came out, and then zoomed towards the crack in the cliff. Shrieking in panic, I pushed Dipper flat on of the top of the droid as we burst through on the other side, getting soaked from the waterfall.

Passing over the town below, the droid went through the water tower, drenching us again and hitting a bump while soaring over a tree. Glancing behind us over the edge of the craft, we gasped as we saw Ford had gone unconscious. His head must've cracked against the roof. "Ah! Grunkle Ford!" I shouted. We looked at the magnet gun, and I gripped the end of it with my free hand as Dipper wrapped his arms around my waist. "Brace yourself! Magnet pulse!" Turning the knob sent a wave of energy through the droid, making it plummet towards the forest.

Screaming, I didn't have time to let the gun deactivate from the machine, and we hit the trees. Hard. I went flying backwards from the impact, taking Dipper with me as the droid capsule burnt the woods around it where it landed. Groaning, we slowly and painfully sat up in the huge rut, looking at all the snapped trees. Covered in bleeding scratches and bruises, we got to our feet; the gun was still in my hand. "Oh no!" Following Dipper's eyes, I found him staring at Ford, still unconscious inside and slumped against the glass dome. "Oh no, no, no, no!" Running up to it, we pounded on the container, trying to wake him up.

Sticking the gun under my arm, I pried the door open, letting us slip inside and drag him out. "Ford, you gotta wake up before-!" Another droid showed up. Sparking and smoking, it moved close to us, watching.

"Hey, uh, I'm warning you! I have a magnet gun!" Dipper yanked the gun out of my arms, and aimed at the robot. Immediately, it brought out its own gun, charged and ready to fire. Ford laid behind us, unaware of what was going on. I gripped Dipper's shoulders, glaring up at it. "Oh yeah!? You think you can scare me!? Do your worst! Nothing in this universe is gonna take away my uncle! So go ahead! Give me what you've got!" The robot remained still, until its gun retracted back into itself, and landed with a loud thump into the ground.

"Did… did we… win?" I panted, before hearing laughter from behind me.

"Ah ha ha ha! Oh," Ford coughed, struggling to his feet. "Oh, I thought I was a goner, kids." Dipper dropped the gun, and we rushed over to help him stand.

"Ford, are you alright?" I asked, checking him over. Just like the rest of us, he was covered in bruises and a nasty burn from where the droid shot him. "What happened back there?"

"The-the orb didn't detect any chemical signs of fear. It-it assumed the threat was neutralized and self-disassembled. Ha ha ha!" We leaned him against the side of the rut, and stepped back.

"W-we did it?" Dipper asked, looking from Ford to me in reassurance.

"You did it," Ford reconfirmed. Stunned, I stepped back, and moved towards the droid. I… I did do it. I actually did it. Staring at my reflection, I didn't see the same girl I was when I first arrived in Gravity Falls. I-who was that girl, staring back at me? The same sarcastic and weirdness was there in her eyes, yes, but… there was bravery. Bravery, in being able to handle the anomalies that plagued Gravity Falls. "This is what I was talking about. How many other twelve and sixteen year olds do you think are capable of doing what you've just done." Ford nodded at his own question, and Dipper smiled back, turning away from the droid.

"Are you okay?" Dipper asked, climbing up out of the embankment.

"I'm fine," Ford replied, and gave a small hiss in pain. He rolled over to his knees, struggling to get out.

"Let's get you out of there," I said, climbing out next.

"Listen to me, Dipper and Elaine: this town is a magnet for things that are special. And that includes the two of you and me. It brought all of us here for a purpose! Stay here with me, you two. Become my apprentices. Don't let anyone hold you-" Ford erupted into a coughing fit, stopping him from continuing. When he looked back up at us, Dipper was holding out his hand, ready to help.

"I'll do it; I'm gonna stay." I grinned behind him, and nodded in agreement. I was going to remain in the town no matter what. The question that bothered me was with who. Ford, I had never even thought about. But listening to him now, and seeing exactly what he meant… who else could teach me on how to better handle my situation?

"Excellent." Taking Dipper's hand, Ford used him to help pull himself out of the ditch. "Now who wants to save the world, apprentices?" Laughing we made our way through the woods, and I watched as the sun began to set, bathing the land in a red glow. "Elaine, is something wrong?" I turned to Ford, biting my lip.

"I'm really happy about this, really. But ignoring how Mabel's going to react to this, and how we're going to break it to her, there's… something's wrong here. I don't know what it is, but… but I feel like something horrible is going to happen tonight." It wasn't like I felt we were being watched, but… it was a feeling. A cold feeling. The two gave me a concerned look, and I nervously laughed. "But, hey, that's-you know, that isn't going to happen, right?"

(Time Skip)

By the time we arrived at the Mystery Shack, Ford split off from us to deal with the adhesive. Dipper and I ran upstairs, the boy eager to tell Mabel what had happened today. Bursting through the door, he tossed his bag to the side next to hers. "Mabel! I just had the best day of my life! UFOs are real and there's one under the town and we saved Great Uncle Ford's life and-and…" Dipper stopped, seeing Mabel was curled up in a ball on her bed, not facing him. "Mabel, what's wrong?"

"Tell me it's not true, guys. Tell me you were joking." She sat up, and when she faced us… my heart dropped. The walkie-talkie. She… she heard everything. __Oh no, Mabel.__ What had we done? "Ford's apprentices? Seriously?" Mabel asked, voice raw from sobbing.

"Look, I was thinking and… this is a huge opportunity for me," Dipper began slowly,, not wanting to break her heart even more than it already had.

"Well it's a horrible opportunity for me!" She cried out, startling him. Climbing off the bed, she moved away from us, tears streaming down her face. "I had the worst day of my life! When we turn thirteen, the summer ends, and I have to leave everything behind. I can accept Elaine staying behind, but you're the only other person I can count on and now ****you're**** leaving me too!?"

"Mabel, Elaine discussed it with me on the way back. I won't be gone forever, okay? I don't want to leave you either, but we can make this work. I'll visit home every month, and we can chat online. We'll make this work," he tried to reason.

"I don't want it to work. I just wish summer could last forever." Mabel dropped to sit in front of her scrapbook, holding it close and trying to contain herself. Dipper and me walked over to her, and we sat down on either side of her, resting a hand on her shoulders. This… this was exactly what Mabel was afraid of, back at the Mystery Mountain. The thing we feared about happening, about Ford breaking up the Mystery Kids… it all came true. __And I… I broke my promise. I swore I'd keep us together… b-but now…?__

"But it can't, Mabel. Look, things aren't gonna stay frozen this way. It's part of growing up. Things change. Summer… ends." Mabel looked up at him, those two words looking like they had stabbed her in the heart. Before we knew it, she ripped herself from our arms, dashing out of the room and leaving Dipper flat on his face. "Ah!" Mabel grabbed her bag, and we heard her run down the stairs. Quickly, we ran to the bedroom door. "Mabel, wait! I didn't mean it like that! Mabel, come back!"

"Dipper, you go straight to Ford and tell him what happened. I'm gonna go find your sister." Snatching my own bag, I ran down the stairs and found the door swinging in the breeze. How could I had possibly forgotten how fragile Mabel was? How sensitive she was to what her family was doing around her? "No! Mabel, no, come back!" Dashing out the door and off the deck, I ran off down one of the paths into the woods. The orange sunset bathed the woods around me, creating dark shadows and a cool wind snapping at my clothes and hair. "Mabel! Mabel, sweetheart, where are you!?" I called out, praying for a reply. A shout. Anything. "Mabel, I-I'm sorry! We didn't know what you went through!" How could I have been so selfish!? Thinking that the girl was okay with her brother just up and leaving him!? And ME! Wh-why did I agree like that!? I knew I was going to stay in Gravity Falls, but why did I just agree right off the bat!? It was so impulsive and foolish! "Idiot!"

"That's… odd." My head snapped up, hearing a voice in the wind. "This it?"

"Yes, that's it!" I spun around, hearing another voice respond to her question. __Is that… Blendin?__ Blendin, why was… he… oh no. No, no, no! The rift! Did-Mabel didn't take her bag, did she!? __Did she take Dipper's by accident!?__

"Mabel!" As fast as my legs could carry me, I darted off the path, hearing Blendin's voice. Th-that's not Blendin. That couldn't be him. Bi-Ford said he would trick or possess anyone. There-he didn't. He couldn't have! __It all makes sense! With me skipping out for two days and him being alone without his puppet, of COURSE he'd try something!__ And with Dipper and myself away from her all day, he knew that Mabel was weakened. No one was around, except for a demon watching from the shadows.

Heart racing, I continued to sprint through the trails until I skid to a screeching halt, now frozen in absolute terror. There was Mabel, face lit up in the soft light of the rift, and Blendin right across from here, sweat dripping from his forehead in barely contained excitement. She stood up, arms stretched out in offering. __No, no, no, no, NO!__ I dashed as fast as I could towards them, wind picking up around us as if it was ready for this moment all this time. Even then, it felt as time itself slowed down, just long enough for the rift to be passed over. __NO!__ "MABEL, STOP! THAT ISN'T HIM!"

Mabel's eyes widened as she looked at me running at her, and she turned to Blendin. With carelessness and mockery, the object of our doom slipped through his fingers, and crashed to the earth at his feet. "Oops!" The object, the one thing that prevented Bill from accessing this world and keeping it safe… gone. Just. Like. That. Blendin brought his foot down, guaranteeing the thing was shattered.

Skidding to a stop, I dragged Mabel into my arms protectively, the two of us shaking in utter terror. "Elaine, I-I'm sorry!" Blendin's laughter melded into the same haunting maniacal howling I'd come to know, and he removed his goggles. Bill's cat-like eyes stared back, wide open and insanely ecstatic. "Wait, wait, wait!" She shouted, desperately wanting to take it back, but it was too late.

Bill snapped his fingers, and Mabel collapsed into my arms with a groan. "Mabel!" I gripped her tightly, lowering ourselves to the ground so she wouldn't hurt herself. Blendin's body contorted unnaturally, and Bill burst from his chest in a bright flash, leaving the man unconscious on the ground beneath him. The scenery around us flickered from gray-scale to color, and settled to normal. N-normal, h-he did it. He broke through. No. No, no, no! NO! No, please! __This is just a bad dream, Elaine! You're just in the Mindscape, that's all! Wake up, wake up! WAKE UP!__

But no matter how hard I wanted to believe that-that everything was alright, i-it wasn't. I could feel the energy flowing into the town. The same energy that could only be found in the Nightmare Realm itself. "At last! At long, long last! The gateway between worlds has opened! The event one billion years has prophesied has finally come to pass! The day has come! The world is finally mine!" Bill flew up into the air, his words echoing around the forest. I gripped Mabel tightly to me for her safety as the rift sparked and opened, unleashing a burst of energy into the sky.

"AAHHH!" I dropped Mabel into my lap, screaming out in pain. My right eye felt as it were pierced with a thousand needles, ripping into the cornea before being roughly yanked out. Quickly, I lifted my hand up to rub at it, only to see it was now bleeding profusely; the reopened burn stung with the dirt and foundation covering it. Twitching, I looked down at it, wondering what was happening, until spots of b… blood began to drip down on top of it. A sharp inhale, and the realization clicked. __I-I'm bleeding.__ Droplets of crimson ran down my dirt-stained cheek, dyeing my clothes as I yanked my head away from the burn to gaze upon the torrent of nightmares pouring upwards into the air, ripping apart the sunset in a giant X.

He was right. F-Ford was right. I got too close. This… all of this; Mabel, Blendin… all of this was… "it's all my fault." Just like Ford, all those years ago, I… I failed.

* * *

 ** **I wrote this all in one afternoon! Yay, progress!****

 ** **Buckle in, everyone. We're in for a wild ride. Weirdmageddon shouldn't be too hard to write up, but it all depends. I've got a lot of labs this semester. Two of them are in robotics.****

… ****if I can make my own BB-8, I'll let you know.****

 ** **By the way, I started another poll on my profile page about which story I should write next. I recommend checking out the list of what I have in store. While I already have a lineup made, I want you guys, the readers, to have a say in what should come next.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	64. Dvoxlnv gl Dvriwnztvwwlm

****Disclaimer: Everyone, please read the warning before the disclaimer ends, okay? It's REALLY important.****

 ** **Also, thanks for getting GFA past 60 000 views and over 550 views!****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: You're gonna find out, right now!****

 ** **ultima-owner: Well, her goal was to sway his mind and avoid Weirdmageddon altogether. Plus, with the bleeding from her eye and hand and… all of that, it's hard not to feel like she had failed. The game between her and Cipher, in her mind, was over. He won, and she lost.****

 ** **RainbowCelin**** ** **(**** ** **reviewed three times): Yes, it was! I'll keep your vote in mind! By the way, which Gravity Falls story? There's the sequel and the prequel that you can choose from.****

 ** **Cynder: Lovely.****

 ** **Guest: Well, get off of that hype train, 'cause here we go!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: I take it you're happy?****

 ** **EmmieSauce: You're welcome!****

 ** **LEX: Love how that was just stretched out far enough to not get bleeped out.****

 ** **ScribbleSongs: Yes. Yes, it did.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: It is. GFA is ending, but that doesn't mean the fandom around it is. I plan on having a prequel and sequel, and if you haven't already… VOTE FOR ONE!****

 ** **Sixer: Cosplay is alright, but I still enjoy a good triangular demon.****

 ** **Guest: I read that story too. Glad you enjoy Elaine's character.****

 ** **Guest (another one): I think I mentioned lemons one too many times in my disclaimers, but I did say I would try and include a Portal reference if I could try.****

 ** **Guest (another one): It's Weirdmageddon. What did you expect?****

 ** **Cynder (again): Well, wait no longer! Here is your answer! I think the reason with the polls is because I posted that chapter before this one, so more people went to vote for that. You wanna have a say in the poll?****

 ** **QueenKara671: Don't we all? I gladly take a break from writing due to school work. Yay, economics!****

 ** **Galinn: Be careful what you wish for, pal. It ain't going to be a pretty apocalypse.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: I've already got the next chapter started and planned out. Hope this holds you over until the next update.****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: Everyone's excited! This last chapter got more reviews than chapter 60! Over 20! Everyone can't wait to see what I've got in store for Weirdmageddon!****

 ** **WARNING! This chapter, while not the start,**** ** **contains subject matter that may not be appropriate for all readers. I**** ** **f you are sensitive and/or wish to skip that part, then once you reach Bill and Elaine after the journals are destroyed and she is taken to the Fearamid, skip to the end. I will make it clear where you should skip if you wish to do so. If not, read at your own risk.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Oct. 16/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Bill and I… we had this… game, that we started months ago. A game on who would best the other in the end; who would come out on top. It was during my unexpected trip to the Nightmare Realm when I was darted by Blubs where I announced my intentions to best the demon, and no longer willing to let myself fall for his lies and bribery, seeing that this plan of mine all began the moment he gave me my beloved journal. Ever since then, I was determined to prevent the so-called 'Weirdmageddon' from ever occurring. I thought it'd be even easier, with the strong trust we had in each other. We-we told each other stuff we never said to anyone else before, and I was confident I could talk him out of it.

And yet I… I lost. Bill had bested me in a way I wasn't planning for.

Psychotic laughter rained over the land; the screams of the townsfolk were quite noticeable. Pained, terrified screams, mixing with the howling wind blowing through the trees. Struggling with how drained I felt, I stumbled to my feet. Rocks were drifting up into the air directly under the large rip in the bloody orange-red sky, the lack of gravity in the Nightmare Realm already affecting the dimension.

"Oh, it's happening! It's finally, finally happening!" High, high above my head was Bill, and what appeared to be light blue particles swarm and envelop him in muscle fiber. "Physical form? Don't mind if I do!" Thunder boomed around the demon as his form began to change again. A sheet of metal encased him before it broke apart, leaving him as a white triangle, streaming light down over the woods below. __Physical… form.__ I, uh, I… oh. Oh man, I couldn't think straight.

Blendin got to his feet, holding his head in pain with squinted eyes. "Huh!? What just happened?" Lowering his goggles, he glanced at me worriedly before turning to Mabel, still passed out on the ground. A pink light slowly began to creep over her, and the girl and several rocks caught in the glow lifted into the air. "Oh. Oh man. This is bad! This is real bad!"

"Mabel!" I yelled as a pink bubble appeared around her, sealing her in with heavy metal chains. __The shooting star from her sweater.__ I knew that symbol on the front anywhere. __Shooting Star.__ I-I had to do something! "What do I do? What do I do? What-? B-Blendin!" The man looked at me, just as nervous as I was. "Get Time Baby! We've got to stop this now!"

"R-right!" He stammered, holding his watch up to his mouth and pressing a button. "Guys, we've got a situation!" In a flash of bright light, Blendin vanished, leaving me alone as the bubble ascend faster into the sky. I-I couldn't leave Mabel, but there's no possible way of rescuing her right now…. I needed Fo-

"Aahh!" Hissing, I cupped my right eye with my left hand. Blood was still oozing from it, smearing across my cheek, flannel, and arm. Not to mention my other hand was still seeping fluid too. My burn had reopened leaving the blackened skin raw and gory. "Sorry, Mabel, I'll-AH-I gotta go!" With that, I booked it as fast as I could, I ran back through the trails to the Mystery Shack, throwing hopeful thoughts back to her that she'd be safe for the time being. In my pursuit for the one place I knew I was safe, I spotted the water tower come to life far off in the distance. It still with a large hole in it from the droid, but now with a mouth and large jagged teeth as it lifted the roof up in a loud roar. Gritting my teeth and pushing past the pain of my face, appendage, and all of the bruises from the flight, I hollered out for the one person I knew could help me. "F-Ford! Ford! We've got a problem!"

 _ _Th-there they are.__ Dipper and Ford were standing outside of the Mystery Shack, staring at the madness laid before them. "Is that-oh my gosh! Elaine!" Dipper's shout carried over to me, and I hurried out of the edge of the forest. The two ran to meet me halfway, and Ford quickly grabbed my shoulders. "Elaine, you-your eye!" __Gee, I didn't notice!__

"Bill, no doubt," Ford muttered. "It appears even without being in contact as long as I was, he still had enough influence over you to result in… that." Slinging my arm over his shoulder to keep me from unexpectedly dropping, he looked down at Dipper. "Dipper. Listen to me. We can find your sister soon, but first we have to stop Bill. If he can blast him back through the rift he came out of, we just might be able to stop him before his weirdness spreads across the entire globe."

"Are you sure defeating Bill is even possible?" Dipper looked from the sky to me, and how weak I was. If this was just from the rift opening up, then who knew what else was coming at us.

"No. I'm not sure. But being a hero means fighting back even when it seems impossible." He moved to rest a hand on the boy's shoulder, a sober and determined expression meeting us. "Will you follow me?"

All worry melted away from Dipper, his face matching his uncle's. No more fooling around this time. Everything he had done, and experienced, was about to be put to the test. For now, the real fight had begun. "To the ends of the earth."

"Good. Because that's where we're heading. You two also might want to step inside." Looking behind us, we watched as a psychedelic wave of energy rose up over the forest. We ran back to the house, and Dipper slammed the door shut right behind him as fast as he could. The house rocked violently from the tidal wave of madness swept over us, but we remained unharmed. __Th-thank goodness for that unicorn spell.__ It didn't look like anything related to Bill's weirdness could break through. "Phew. Now, before we head out, let's deal with this first." Ford led me to the kitchen, sitting me down in a chair. "Dipper, go get the first aid kit." Nodding, the boy ran out of the room, leaving us alone. "Elaine, what happened out there when you went after Mabel?"

"Blendin happened. You know, the time travel agent that Dipper wrote about in the journal who we ran into on a few occasions. Bill tricked him into possessing his body and got the rift from Mabel. I was just seconds too late from warning her. Bill, h-he trapped Mabel in some sort of bubble." Dipper came back with the box and a new pine tree hat, and Ford gestured to my burn. Holding out my right arm, he rolled up the bloodied right sleeve and began wrapping the gauze around it. "I-I'm so sorry, Dipper. I didn't-I-I didn't get to her fast enough."

"It's not your fault, Elaine. You didn't know this was coming. How were we gonna know Blendin of all people was going to be tricked?" He asked, slightly surprised at the idea. Once the hand and part of my arm was wrapped- it didn't stop the crimson liquid from slowly dripping through to the other side-Ford pulled out a square cloth patch with a thick piece of gauze in the middle.

"Now, this might sting a little," Ford warned. "Tilt your head back. Dipper, take her glasses." Following his instructions, we watched as Ford gently positioned the pad diagonally over my eye. Making sure I closed the bleeding one as he did so. I twitched violently from doing it, but remained as still as I could. With my other eye, I saw Ford tape down the patch around my forehead, and then apply a shield over it. The two straps went from above my left eyebrow to below my right ear. "There. That will have to do for now." Sitting up, I took my glasses from Dipper and carefully put them on.

"You realize there's no use in me staying here, right?" I asked, standing up once Ford went off towards the gift shop. "Whether you like it or not, he's gonna come looking for me. Even with the barrier, he'll find a way to get me out of here. This place will be the first stop Cipher makes in his search for his 'Angel'." I knew I was mocking the once affectionate nickname, but I was ticked. Ticked at what he had done to me, my friends, and the town. And it... hurt, knowing how angry I was at him. Only a few days ago, I actually admitted I loved him. I loved Bill, and now... _now what do I do?_

"I know." Buzzing in the code, we went to the lab as fast as we could. Ford threw all three journals into a brown bag, sliding it onto his back. "That's why you're coming with us. Where is it-aha!" Reaching under the desk, Dipper and me stared at the large case he dragged out and sat on top of the table. "This should do the trick."

"We better get going," Dipper reminded him. "We're running out of time." Carrying it by the handle, we headed back to the elevator. However, as we began to ascend, I noticed he was studying my face. My emotions, and hurt must have been written plain as day, since I was too focused on other matters to hide them. "Elaine, are you sure you're-?"

"Dipper, I've never been more sure in my life." He flinched at the stare I gave him, until I let it soften. "I'm.. sorry, kid. Just more on edge than usual. I'll be… I'll be fine soon." I would be fine, once we correct what should have been prevented long ago. "Let's do this..."

(Time Skip)

The hike into the town never seemed as long as it did until now. Ducking in through alleys and wrecked buildings, it was hard to ignore the fact it was a war zone out there. Screaming people scattering for their lives or hiding themselves. Eyeball bats from the Nightmare Realm were turning any unfortunate mortal in their path to stone with their gaze, and used their magic to carry them off towards the pyramid in the sky. It was huge, at best a thousand feet above us. During our struggle to reach a location to use the weapon, Ford was writing a passage in the journal, stopping and starting whenever we had to hide.

We only had one shot left, he explained. With how rare the material was to power it, and the fact he had used it already before when up against the Henchmaniacs, we were pressed for time and luck. Striking Bill with this, according to him, would turn the demon into a weirdness black hole, sucking up all of the dangerous madness running around Gravity Falls. But for all of this to work, we had to aim directly at the center of his body.

It was hard sneaking up to the clock's steeple, but it was the only place high enough where we could get a perfect aim at Bill. Dipper, with a set of binoculars, discreetly swung open the window of the tower where the bell could been seen and looked out. Bill, Pyronica, 8-Ball… there they were, happy for their freedom, and ready to rock this dimension until nothing was left. "Ready to cause some havoc, boys?" Bill cheered, making them laugh eagerly.

Now that they weren't in the Nightmare Realm, their heights were increased by several feet. It wasn't as much as before, but they all towered over me now. Except for Teeth and Keyhole, who were already the shortest demons of the group and only grew a few more feet. Bill though… i-it was much different seeing his 30 foot form in the Mindscape. In real life, it was downright nerve-wracking. "Ah, my quantum destabilizer. I've been waiting a long time to use this." Sliding the bag off his shoulders, and lowering the case, Ford opened the lid. __Wow, that's a big gun.__ The metal was old and somewhat rusted, but it appeared to be in decent shape, resembling a futuristic bazooka. "We're only gonna have one chance to take this shot." Hoisting it into the air and turning a valve at the end, he stared down the sight. The end of the ray gun opened up, showing a beam of building, crackling blue energy as a sound similar to a jet engine starting up filled the small space. "Steady… steady… and…" a sudden crash of a weirdness wave came over us, and while Dipper and I quickly glanced at ourselves to see that we were fine. The bell though… wasn't.

"Woohoohoohoohoohoohoohoohoo! I'm alive now!"

The instrument was ringing loudly, making Ford jump and jerk the gun. His finger slipped with the motion, and the one blast we had flew through Bill, piercing his hat, and blowing up the pine tree behind the demonic gang. "Oh no!" Ford gasped, a look of pure horror at his mistake.

I shivered as Bill's hat healed itself. The thin bone and muscle stitched back together, before the black color returned as a whole. The monsters all turned to look in our direction, and Bill's body flipped around to stare at Ford. "Well, well, well, and here I thought today couldn't get any BETTER!" There was no time to dodge the blast of magic sent flying from Bill's fingertip. It perforated the tower, missing us, but we had no time to avoid the explosion that preceded it. Dipper and I were sent flying onto our backs, covered in dust and bruises. If we weren't injured enough from our spaceship flight, this had done it. Sitting up in a groan, we looked to where the third member of our group was.

"Great Uncle Ford!" Dipper shouted, scrambling to his feet. I stood up, putting more weight on one leg, and gasped at what sent the twin into a panic.

Ford was pinned underneath two large beams, preventing him from escaping. The author tried to push himself up, but it was no use. He was stuck. "Dipper, Elaine! Take my journals!" He slid the bag over to us, and Dipper picked up journal three as it fell out. T-take them? F-Ford, what are you doing? "Listen, I know of one other way to defeat Bill, it's-!" The humming of the demon's magic got closer, something Ford and I both were familiar with, and his face turned to panic. "Oh no! Dipper, Elaine! Run! Get down!" Dipper grabbed the bag, and we ran down the crumbling stairs to the bottom of the clock tower. Keeping to the side with the handrail to avoid plummeting to the bottom, we could hear Bill's mocking voice address Ford.

"Good old six-fingers. I've been waiting an ****ETERNITY**** to have a chat face to face." The demon's deepened voice shook the building, sending several loose boards falling to the floor from above us. Dipper hit the bottom first floor, and we crawled out of a shattered stain glass window. "Everyone, this armageddon wouldn't be possible without help from our friend here. Give him a six-fingered hand!" Cheering and clapping rang out from the group as Ford continued to fight the red glow surrounding him. "This brainiac is the one who built the portal in the first place! Now don't look so sour, Fordsy." Stretching his arm out, he pinched Ford's head and whirled him around. "It's not too late to join me, just like sweet Angel already did. With that extra finger, you'd fit right in with my freaks." Toying around with his arms like a doll, he lowered the man until he floated right in front of his giant eye.

We dashed behind the melted statue of Nathaniel Northwest, watching the scene unfold by peeking out around the corner. Pale, terrified expressions watched the demon make the offer, and I mentally begged for Ford to not listen to him. __Please, please, Ford. Don't say yes!__ There was no way he would. Especially not after all the sadistic beast had done to him over the decades. Ford stared down at his hands, and clenched them into shaking fists, teeth clenched in rage. Ford had wanted a place where freaks like him fit in, a thought he had ever since he was Dipper's age, but this was by no means what the man meant. At all. "I'll die before I join you! I know your weakness, Bill!"

"Oh, yeah? And I know a riddle?" Bill struck a pose. "Why did the old man do this?" Ford raised a brow, confused by the question.

"This?" Ford copied the posture, hands out like they were claws. Immediately, before Dipper, me, and Ford could react, Bill's eye lit up as he fired a laser at Ford. There were no screams, or fighting. No sign of a struggle at all. It all happened in a blink of an eye, and the next thing we saw was Ford dropping to the ground, petrified in gold in the same pose he took.

"Because I needed a new backscratcher!" Bill picked him up, waving him in the air like a toy. Reaching behind him, the dream demon proceeded to scratch his back with Ford, all while laughing with his friends. Tears. Regular, and bloody, ran down my cheeks as I trembled convulsively. __Ford.__ __N-no. No, no, n-!__

"That's ****enough****!" I jumped backwards, watching Dipper climb atop the podium, holding journal three in his hands and throwing the bag with the other two journals to the ground on the other side of the platform. "Hand over my uncle! Or else!"

"Dipper, are you mad!?" I shrieked, trying to keep my voice low enough for Bill not to hear. "Get out of there before Bi-!?"

"Now isn't. This." A bright shining light stunned us momentarily as Bill zoomed up to Dipper. His eye was pure white, watching him intently. " ** **INTERESTING****?" His demonic and normal tone were swirled together, and I plastered myself against the back of the statue. It was always one voice, or the other. Hearing them at the same time, was just… wrong. "My old puppet is back for an encore. You think you can stop me?" The beam of light vanished as his eye returned to normal, and he held Ford behind him with a third arm by his feet. Holding up his other two arms, he proceeded to punch the air, drifting side to side. "Go ahead, Pine Tree, show me what you've got."

"I… uh… I… uh…" Keeping myself still, I watched as Dipper flipped like mad through the journal, shining his black light onto Bill's chapter as beads of nervous sweat stained his brow.

"I, UM, I. Do it, kid. Do some brilliant thing that takes me down right now," Bill taunted him. "Whattdya got, Pine Tree, everyone's waiting. DO IT!" Dipper's face clenched together, and he threw the book and the light to the ground as he shot off the statue straight at the demon.

"Augh, BILL!" Scrambling to the side, I watched as Dipper got inches from his eye, only for him to hit a force field and be thrown backwards into a tree; his body bent inhumanely as he tumbled. A gust of wind left his lungs on impact, and he slid to the dirt. "Ugh…"

The Henchmaniacs laughed at the show, while Dipper struggled to for the journal in front of him. The bag sat right beside it, just out of his fingertips. To his horror, the journals were carried into the air in the same red glow as Ford was once in, and Bill held them all above his free hand while Ford was brought back to his side. "That's right. Don't be a hero, kid. This is what happens to heroes in my world." He waved Ford, and… he did it.

With a pointed finger and not even a second glance, the journals were caught on fire. The parchment curled in on itself as the blaze tore at them; the hand symbols crinkled into black dust. Dropping them in front of Dipper, the poor boy could only stare at them as they burned. "NO! THE JOURNALS!"

"Not much of a threat now, are you?" Bill leered. __Bill. You… you…!__ I snapped. I was already furious at him, but going the extra step to hurt someone I took the effort in befriending thanks to his sister… all common sense had left the area.

Shoving away the statue from my side, I booked it around to where Dipper was, and stood in front of him with outstretched arms. "Elaine!" Dipper shouted. "What are you doing!? Get out of here!" The journals were by now mere ashes, and their smoke waved into the air past my face. Regardless of having only one good eye, I glared defiantly up at the demon. Blood streaked down my face, and I couldn't care less how weak I looked right now. He wasn't going to lay a finger on Dipper.

"That's ENOUGH! Leave Dipper alone, Bill! NOW!" Bill's eye widened in slight surprise, before giving a loud taunting laugh. "Grrrrr!" I couldn't do anything physically to hurt him. The only thing I had was that fire spell, and even then, I was too exhausted to conjure any flames. All I could do, was give him a frustrated and... heartbroken stare.

"About time you finally showed up, kid! Been wondering where you've been hiding!" The red glow swept around me, lifting me into the air and dropped onto Bill's outstretched hand. I wanted to get away. Far, far away from him. To Dipper and get him to safety. To Ford, who was feet from me in a petrified form. But… I was too scared. The way Bill stared down at me had me frozen in fear. "Isn't this deal payin' off, toots? Look at what we've accomplished? Told you I'd change things for the better! Gotta say, love what you've done with yourself. Blood looks really good on you."

H-he wasn't acting right. Chaos, and blood was-Bill never talked about anything like this in the past. "L-let me-get me down from here!" I shouted, springing to my feet. Adjusting my stance so I didn't accidentally fall off, I narrowed my eye at him, blinking back the tears still welling up. "Bill, this-how dare you do this! After everything we've been through, after all I've done for you!? I-I wanted to help, but I-I didn't want this!" Total, and complete destruction. I-I never wanted any of that.

His brow rose for a second, almost surprised, until he sneered, all happiness fading in an instant. "Oh ho ho! Don't be so sure about that, kid. You were the one who knew what I could do, and that I planned to show this dimension how to have some ****real**** fun. You knew what I was going for, and yet you still thought you could sway me! Ha! How pathetic can you get?" I stepped back, the words like a slap to the face. Thi-this wasn't my Bill. The triangle I got to know so well over the summer, the one who told me about his past and let me confide in. Thi-this wasn't him at all.

Bill rolled his hand, letting me almost slide right off his palm before catching me mid-stumble. In his fist, we whirled around to the Henchmaniacs. "Now! Before Angel and Pine Tree so rudely interrupted, can anyone remind me why we came here?"

"To get WEIRD!" 8-Ball shouted, throwing his fists in the air.

"THAT'S RIGHT! VIP party at the Fearamid. Oh, and 8-Ball, Teeth, you've earned a treat, have the kid for a snack." __WHAT!?__ 8-Ball's eyes rolled around in their sockets, and Teeth gave a giddy laugh. "Henchmaniacs, ROLL OUT!" Bill fired a laser from his eye at a station wagon on the ground, and it transformed into a souped-up racecar-like vehicle after being coated in flames. Black with red flaming decals, large exhaust pipes on the side, and his symbol spray painted on the back. The front looked like a face with its fanged grill and large eyeball light. Everyone climbed and floated into the car, and I was deposited between Bill's legs in the driver's seat.

"Let's get out of here, Bill!" Pyronica cackled in the back seat. The car dipped in the back as Xanthar clung onto the trunk. Looking around me at the demons in the car all around me before turning to face the front, I almost threw up as I saw Blind Ivan's severed head was the top of the gear shift. His face was frozen in fear, gaping up at me.

Bill followed my gaze, and gave a dark chuckle. "Well, what did you expect, Angel? That's what he deserved for hurting you! Threatening your precious mind like that couldn't be left forgotten, now, could it?" Shifting gears and punching the gas, Bill drove through the air and towards the towering pyramid above the town, all the while zapping at random objects below and changing them into tentacles and a severed hairy leg. I leaned over the edge of the door, and saw the pink and green shapes of 8-Ball and Teeth vanish into the trees after Dipper.

"Dipper," I whispered. "I'm so sorry." __Please, let him be alright.__ The Fearamid had to at least be the size of the giant meteor that the demonic creatures hung around on in the Nightmare Realm. It was half the size of the town, and made of dark red-brown bricks. The top was detached from the rest of the structure, with broken bricks and other pieces floating around it. The brick wall we were currently approaching began to shuffle, and stones began to peel apart to let the car through before sealing back up. Hands on the door, I studied the surroundings nervously. The interior was black with neon, rainbow cracks around the bricks, and stairs that seem to lead to everywhere and nowhere at the same time. A large dais sat in front of a huge red stained glass window that resembled a slit pupil.

The demons all climbed out of the car, and Bill scooped me up again before I could run. "Welcome to your new home, Angel! Much better than that pathetic shack of yours, huh?" He deposited Ford on top of the podium, and turned around to the Henchmaniacs. "Be right back, guys. I've got some unfinished business to deal with." The demons chuckled, increasing my ever-growing worry, and Bill began to drift towards one of the many hallways branching off of the room. Still in his hand, I watched his height decrease as he went until he was literally dragging me by my unwrapped hand down the hall. "Aw, come on, kid. It's not so bad. You're gonna love it up here with me! Each room personally created for your enjoyment; drawing, library, your own private study-whatever you desire! We can party for eternity now, without any fear of a dimension crashing around us!" His eye drifted to meet my panicked and confused face, and I-I didn't like the emotion in it. "Isn't it great? Every castle does deserve a queen, eh? Just like the Henchmaniacs always said."

* * *

 ** **And this is where**** ** **I jump in.**** ** **I don't normally**** ** **have an AN in the middle of a story**** ** **, but for this, I'm making an exception.**** ** **Compared to the original chapter**** ** **posted months ago, this has**** ** **been toned down, but it is still a sensitive read.**** ** **If you wish to skip, jump to the next note.****

* * *

"Let me go, Bill! Please, let me go!" I pried at his hand, digging my nails into the blackened skin, but he refused to budge. Bill stopped in front of a door, and with a flick of his wrist the door swung open. Without a word, he threw me inside, making me stumble forward until I caught myself from falling flat on my face. The room was an exact mirror image of the room in the Quadrangle of Qonfusion, right down to the color details. "B-Bill, wh-what's going on?" Turning around to look at him, I saw that the door had closed behind him and that he was staring at me. "Bill?" Slowly, the demon began to drift forward, eye never straying from. Unnerved, I inched backwards until the back of my legs hit the foot of the bed. A hand raised to my face once he was close enough to touch me, and cupped the side of my check.

It wasn't like he hadn't touched me before, but… his aura. I had grown so used to being around the demon, I knew what his magic, his being, felt like. After all, part of his magic had rubbed off on me. It felt... off. Like there was something interfering with it. There was something wrong with him... and the way he was staring me down.

With a snap of his fingers, my bag flew off my back and onto the far side of the room with a thud. Glowing blue chains clamped down on my wrists and ankles from behind me, knocking me off balance and dragging me onto the bed, arms and legs bound at my sides. Bill floated forward, and moved to my right side, studying my reaction as I fought against the binds. __W-what the heck is he doing!?__ "B-Bill! T-this isn't funny! Let me go!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha! Funny, huh? Angel, dear, you have ****no**** idea how long I've been wanting to do this!" __W-wha-!?__ Bill pinched my chin to force me to look at him, and brought his mouth against mine before I could finish my thought, letting a tongue grazed across my own. After almost a minute, he finally backed up, and I gave a sharp and terrified inhale. _I-I was right. Good lord, I was right._ The rift, the energy and weirdness leaking from the Nightmare Realm into my dimension, i-it's messing with his mind. H-his sanity. H-he always acted in control, but this? This was nothing like before. All of his emotions, all of his pent-up feelings were spilling out. In his lust for power… and his lust for me. _He was right before, b-back in the Nightmare Realm._ Demons were sometimes primal in their choice in partners, and with his sadistic streak…

Bill stared at me, saliva dripping down the bottom of his eye. __Please, Bill! Stop it! You're not acting like yourself!__ Leaning in and ignoring my mental pleas, the fanged mouth returned as fast as it first appeared, and he grazed his tongue over my neck, enjoying my squirms. Moving in closer until he was floating directly above my head, he dipped down… and sank his teeth into the left side of my neck, right where it joined at the shoulder.

"AAAAAHHH!" Shrieking, I wrenched my body around. _I_ _ha_ _ve_ _to get out!_ _I h_ _a_ _ve to get out!_ The lines screeched in my head, as I desperately wanted this to end. "B-Bill!" Leaning back to hover above my head, I saw that his mouth was stained red. R-red… _he drew blood._ Lapping up the vital fluid around his face, he smirked darkly, the black tongue still moving back and forth around his teeth.

"Not bad, my Angel. You're much sweeter than any meal I've had in the last millennium." Moving back to my mouth again in unhinged anticipation, he tangled his claws in my hair, digging the nails into the back of my skull. Trailing from my head to behind my back, he slid his arms up my shirt and tank top from the bottom. __Argh!__ I flinched from the nails raking up and down my back, no doubt leaving red marks. Bill broke off the kiss, eye returning and grumbling in annoyance. His hands fiddled with the hook of my bra, and rolled his eye, irritated. Switching to the front, I didn't have time to argue as he latched a hold of the top of my flannel, and yanked it towards him. The buttons snapped off without a fight, tearing the shirt open. Hungrily, he continued to rip it off me and discarded it on the floor.

"Bill Cipher, stop this! Y-you aren't thinking right! This isn't you!" A third arm appeared and covered my mouth, and I stared up at him with wide and terrified eyes to meet the cold look in his returned singular one.

"Before our chat a few days ago, you didn't know me all. You really think you can stop me!? Ha! I am a chaos god,ruler of this dimension, and soon the whole multiverse will bend to my will… including you." Keeping the hand there as he brought back his mouth, he shifted himself over to my left arm, and began to claw the skin like a wild animal. Crying out behind his hand in anguish, the demon repeated a cycle of with every scratch, he would proceed to lick the blood. My scars from the gremloblin, the fight with the robot, and arriving in Gravity Falls were particular fun to mangle; the old blemishes being more sensitive to his talons. Blood and saliva stained me and the bed below, but he didn't seem to mind or care. His left hand, while his mouth and right hand busy, was raking over my right arm, avoiding my burn and leaving long scratch marks shallow enough not to bleed.

Savoring the red liquid, with a trail dripping from the corner of his lips, the demon shifted down from his position on me until he sat on my waist. His hands snaked up around my shoulders, and dragged his hand down again after hooking it around the collar of the second to last piece of clothing keeping me covered. His other arm was snaking behind me, fingers trailing up my back for my bra straps, and in that horrified realization, my need for breaking free skyrocketed.

* * *

 ** **Y**** ** **ou can return to your daily programming.****

* * *

Struggling violently as his claw hooked around it, I arched my back, throwing him off-balance and threw my head forward as fast and as hard as I could. My forehead slammed into the still-formed mouth, earning a loud animalistic shriek from Bill as he flew back off the bed into the air; third arm vanishing and him cupping his eye in pain. The blue chains vanished without his concentration, and I grabbed a pillow behind me. Inching as far back as I could until my back hit the wall, I held it up in defense, shaking furiously.

Blinking back tears as the pain coursed up through my arms to my brain, Bill turned to look back at me, and his eye widened. "A-Angel? Kid, what's w-oh." __O-oh? OH!? I-is that all he h-ha__ _ _s__ _ _to say!?__ How I was holding myself, covering my chest protectively; how I was fidgeting and looked ready to go fight or flight on him, covered in claw marks, bites, and blood made him knew it was his fault. __It was__ ** _ ** _always_**_** _ _his fault.__ __Everything's__ ** _ ** _his_**_** _ _fault!__ "Angel, I-I didn't mean…" Drifting closer to reach me, I threw the pillow as hard as I could at him, surprising him and stopping his progress.

"Shut UP!" I cried, tears streaming down my face. "Get away from me, you monster!" __Stay away from me! St-stay away!__

The demon's yellow coloring paled from probably reading my panicked thoughts, and he held out a hand, wanting me to take it. His eye was crinkled in a 'frown', but I now knew not to trust whatever expression he displayed. H-he's a liar. A liar. H-he never k-kept me safe l-like he promised. __Trust no one. Trust no one. Trust__ ** _ ** _no one_**_** _ _!__ "Angel, sweetheart, I didn't mean to-"

"I hate you!" He snapped his hand back, and I knew I caught him off-guard with that one. Never, no matter what Bill had done to me or what he had said, I never ever said I had hated him. Maybe a few times, it always being teasing and playful. Now though… I MEANT it! "I hate you, I hate you, I HATE YOU!"

Bill's eye squeezed shut, and he shook, wanting me to reconsider. To take it all back, without the fear plastered to my face. "Angel. Kid, I didn't mean t-"

"JUST-! Just… just get out… go." With that said, he moved back away from the bed until he floated right in front of the door. He didn't say anything or try to reach for me again. Bill just… threw one last look at me and my bloodied and mauled form, and left. If he was still on the other side, he would have heard my sobs wracking through me, already burning my violated throat. Bawling into my hands, my tears stung at my gouges and swirled into the slime the saliva and blood made, coating my body in a morbid cocoon. As the sound of rave music began to pulsate throughout the castle the demon created, my angry and desperate cries were let loose. Whatever tiny shred of sanity was there in that brief moment that made him back off, was enough to let him know full-well that he had ruined me. He had ruined his precious Angel.

The demon made his Angel fall… and she wasn't getting back up.

* * *

 ** **I have never written anything like this before. Ever. This originally was going to be a whole lot darker, but I didn't want to bump the teen rating all because of it. Yet, I wanted to badly to write this chapter.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	65. We'll Meet Again

****Disclaimer: Gee whiz, you guys sure enjoyed that chapter. Honestly, my imagination went off the wall and into a deep dark hole when I made that. Hope those warnings helped out.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade (reviewed twice): You see, this is exactly the reaction I had a feeling people would give to this chapter.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: Yeah… I went majorly dark in that chapter.****

 ** **Guest: There are a handful of chapters left. I'm making each day of Weirdmageddon until Dipper gets into the bubble, the time in the bubble, and then there's the huge Take Back the Falls part. After that, there's a lot more to be said before this story ends. Makes me wonder… what are the chances I'll reach 100 chapters?****

 ** **DannyPhantom618: Out of every story I've written, including one for a horror game, this is the darkest and most disturbing thing I've ever written. Where was my mind going when I came up with it?****

 ** **lex: Twisted enough for you?****

 ** **ultima-owner: Yep. That's what the cipher said. I figured it'd be more fun to write it like that instead of proper English.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Noted! Yay, sadistic!****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: And he knows it. Bill knows he screwed up at the very end.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: Things will improve for Elaine, but it will take a long time for her to heal. This is why my GFA short story, Analyzing, hints towards Bill doing something horrible to her, and a lot of therapy needed to recover.****

 ** **Sixer: That chapter right there was the inspiration for the title. Elaine, the Angel, has finally fallen. There have been many a Bill/OC story, but none quite like mine. Can't help with your cosplay, sorry. I'm trying to figure my own out. I plan on going as King Dice for my province's next comic con.****

 ** **Cynder: So you did read the M part, or you didn't? I feel like you didn't finish the word there. Hope you like this chapter!****

 ** **Guest (another one): You mean that chapter itself, or the story?****

 ** **Guest (another one): I made it clear in the story's summary about that chapter being**** ** **higher**** ** **rated, in the disclaimer (start and end), and where that part be**** ** **gan end ended.**** ** **The story needed that part to progress to where I wanted it to go. It was necessary. This was teen to begin with, so I had expected anyone to read it would be at least thirteen. There was no use changing the entire story to M just for that one small part. I'm sorry if you were upset with it, but I did give a clear warning and even showed where to skip.****

 ** **ScribbleSongs: Why wouldn't I put a warning? That was some intense stuff I wrote up! Nothing too important that you probably couldn't tell with that ending I left you. Bottom Line: Bill screwed up. Big time.****

 ** **TraceandPoint: New wording layout? I didn't think it was that good! I mean, yeah, I put a lot of thought into this, but still! The theme of pain is important in this chapter, and if I'm repeating it too much, then maybe you can help fix that? Elaine's mental state will be shown even more in the next few chapters. I have a good talent with description, and the cocoon part was my favorite too.****

 ** **Picholo: That's actually a really good idea! I'm gonna use it!****

 ** **Emma: I think Elaine already realized that.****

 ** **Guest (another one): There IS a sequel. Just because I decided to have Bill scar Elaine for life, doesn't mean I'm done with them. They'll be back.****

 ** **the stargazer: Nope! All of the weirdness of Weirdmageddon is throwing his remaining sanity in a loop.****

 ** **Galinn: Well, it is about love. But then again, it had to go dark to turn bright again.****

 ** **You guys know who belongs to who.**** ** **We'll Meet Again is by Vera Lynn**** ** **.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Oct. 18/18**

* * *

Bill's POV

So, I got a little overexcited. Big deal! Angel should have known better than to get that close to me, right? That fleshbag. That… sweet, funny, beautiful… arrgh! Why couldn't she make up her mind!? Did she like me or not!? __Why does it even bother me that she said she hated me?__

Glancing up from my full martini glass, I surveyed the party below me, grinning. ****I**** did that. Me. I molded a group of interdimensional criminals and outlaws and gave them the freedom they so rightly deserved. The freedom ****I**** deserved. If I couldn't reshape my old dimension, than I'd correct this one. Then, once we're done there, we'd move on to the next one, until the entire multiverse was under my thumb. Sure, I had to get rid of a few loose ends to get this far, but doesn't anyone when they're dreaming of world-no-universal domination? __Ain't that right, Sixer?__

Still, it felt… weird? But why? Why in that split second where she decided to hit me in the eye, did I freeze? Her pale, shaking body, eyes filled with disgust, and… why did her saying she hated me bother me more than so much? I could have started where I left off, but I… didn't. _What's wrong with me?_

Looking down at the purple contents in the glass, I threw it behind my head, letting it smash against the back of my throne room before going to check on her. This shouldn't be too difficult. Angel would bounce back from this, just like she'd done with everything else. __She's still my queen, and whether she wants to or not, she won't be leaving me.__ Hehe. It's not like she's got any help on the outside anymore. Shooting Star's in that bubble, having the time of her life. Fez, Drake, and Kitten had their own problems with the mayhem I'd cast upon this miserable town, and Pine Tree... if 8-Ball and Teeth didn't get to him first, then I'd be having my turn with him. That intestine scarf idea was growing much more appealing the longer I thought about it.

Angel was still passed out on the bed, twitching violently. "Yeesh, you humans are so weak. Butcher and carve into their skin, next thing you know they're near death from blood loss." Throwing a blanket halfway over her to keep her meat sack warm, I pressed a hand to her forehead. "I'm not fully healing you, kid. Let this be a lesson to you." Now, what else did she need? "Oh yeah." Snapping my fingers, I conjured a small table and a plate of food. "There we go. Be back soon, toots." She'd be fine. She's always been fine before. Besides, it wasn't as if she had anywhere else to go outside of the Fearamid. I was the demon, and she was my Angel. That's how it was, and that's how it would always be.

For eternity.

Elaine's POV

"Uh… ugh…" __my head.__ Everything was… pounding. Like someone was ramming me into a stack of bass drums. Slowly, I felt my eyes-err… eye, flutter open, and looked around the room. __Where… where am I-oh… Bill.__ _That… that really wasn't a nightmare… was it?_ Falling asleep in the same position I had cried in, I painfully sat up from strangling the pillows around me for comfort. "E-eugh." Sticky. I was a bloody and sticky mess. The dried bodily fluid coated my arms face, shoulders and back, staining the bed under me and what shreds of clothing I still had on. However, there was a blanket draped over my thighs that I knew for a fact wasn't there before.

Hissing, I held my arms out, examining the damage and shivering all the while. The c-claw marks that ran over my arms would most definitely scar. However, neither would leave as much damage as the b-the bi… bite mark. I couldn't make it out, but I knew the pain I felt on my My lips were just as v-violated; swollen and lightly purple.

Still, the ch-chains had not returned, which was a huge relief. And… there was a plate of food was sitting on a small table beside the bed. Shuffling across the sheets and holding back pained gasps, I sat on the edge and stared at it. Nothing overly major. Just a plate of two slices of toast with strawberry jam, a few strips of bacon, and scrambled eggs. A fork sat beside the plate, waiting to be used. B... Bill. H-he must have brought this in here… as if I was going to take part in anything he w-wanted.

Standing up, I made my way to the washroom on the side. Opening the door and stepping inside, I directed my attention to the sink. I was still too hurt to fully immerse my arms in water, and I highly doubted the d-demon had rubbing alcohol in the cupboards. Instead, I took the facecloth and ran warm water under the tap. Once the cloth was soaked, I brought it to my face and began to carefully clean at the blood around the bandage and my mouth. The white fabric, once I brought it down, had changed to a disgusting rust orange. "Now… f-for the rest of my body." Retreating back to the bedroom, I went to the bed with my bag in tow, having plucked it off the ground from the floor across from me. My tank top: there was no hope for it. It was r-ripped apart right down the middle, showing off my bra and stomach. With a heavy sigh, I pulled the clothing off and stuffed it into my bag. My flannel though, that was relatively fixable. True, I had no way of buttoning it up again, but I could use the sleeves and tie it around me to make a pathetic excuse of a crop top. __Who cares if it's ugly? Anything to a-avoid… j-just get changed.__

It was sad, but it covered me. Once I made sure the sleeves were looped around my back and tied securely, I began to wind my arms up in gauze. I… I couldn't believe it. W-what he had done to me, after e-everything we'd been through… why? "W-why?" The word slipped from my mouth while I looped the bandages around my upper arm and over shoulder to shoulder to keep them in place and hide the bruise. Did my voice really sound that bad? It was so sore, and worn from screaming. "W-why…?"

A click came from the door, and I averted my eyes to my handiwork as the demon came in. "You didn't eat." It wasn't a question. B-Bill looked from me to the plate of food, and I remained silent. "Kid, you need to eat. You fleshbags need to do that to keep living, right?" He waited for a response. A sign of movement from me, but all he got was me tying off the bandages. He rolled his eye, and ripped my bag off the bed, dropping it onto the floor behind him. I glowered up at him, but flinched when we made eye contact.

That seemed to annoy him even more. "I'm not saying this again, kid. You are gonna eat something." His hand latched around my wrists, keeping them together. Giving a small yelp, Bill used his other hand to pick up the fork and stab a piece of the eggs. Bringing the food over to my face, he shoved the fork into my mouth and ripped it out again. Glaring at the triangle, I went to spit out the food before his darkened, flashing a very quick warning orange. The silent and clear threat was all it took, knowing that I was too terrified to snap back. Grimacing, I choked down the bite, and the hand returned with another mouthful.

"Better," Bill announced, patting the top of my head. As the cycle continued through the eggs and into the bacon, the demon remained silent. Whenever he reached over to the plate, he waited to see if I would actually speak. To insult him. To do a-anything. But… but I was too angry, and tired, and so... hurt to do anything. "You aren't gonna speak to me, are you?" Swallowing the mouthful of toast, I bit my lip and turned my head. "You're gonna have to speak sooner or later, kid. You can't keep givin' me the silent treatment." I remained blank, not even giving a thought loud enough for him to hear. I-I would give ****nothing**** to this monster. Not again. N-not again.

"Well, looks like you're done." The third arm retracted back into his body, and with a casual wave of his hand, the table and plate vanished in a burst of blue flames. Moving back to let me wipe at the food around my face, I watched Bill drift towards the door. "Now, come on, Angel. We've got a whole town to play with, and a party to attend to!" N-no. N-no party. I-I couldn't. _N-no. No. No._ Shaking my head in terror, I scooted back on the bed. N-no. No, I wouldn't go out there. Wh-what made him think I wanted anything to do with the rest of the demons, let alone him!?"No? Angel, I wasn't giving you a choice." __You never gave me a choice.__ The thought slipped out before I could stop it, and Bill's eye narrowed. "I didn't? Angel, you were the one to get all cozy with me. Not my fault you're attracted to ****monsters****." Flinching at the deepened octave, a black arm shot out and grabbed my wrist.

My burned wrist.

"Aaah!" Giving a scream, I was pulled out of the room and down the hall. I struggled to stay on my feet, and looked around me. I never had time to study the Fearamid's layout before, but it appeared that the general idea was a series of corridors and hallways with a messed-up sense of gravity leading to random directions. The rainbow coloring sent chills down my spine, giving the only source of lighting to the darkened triangle's castle. Once we entered the main room, the rave music blasting from some unknown origin filled my ears and almost deafening me. The Henchmaniacs were all scattered about, enjoying the insane festivities. Several of the d-demons were either dancing to the music, getting drunk from the time punch, and there were a few by the bar taking it more easily. _At least… the lesser monsters aren't here._ I-I didn't think I could handle any more than this.

"Go off and have fun, toots!" He shoved me forward, and drifted up to the giant dais where F-Ford's petrified golden form still stood, and summoned a wine glass out of thin air. Taking a sip of it with his e-eye, he kicked his legs back and floated above everyone. Hugging myself anxiously, part of me wanted to dart away back towards the room, but I knew he wouldn't let me. Sighing, I walked towards the bar, and dropped myself into an empty seat. Resting my arms on the counter, I planted my face into them, trying my hardest to block out everything.

"Hey, fleshy?" Turning my drooped head to face the succubus beside me, Pyronica gave me a curious look, but still kept that large buck-tooth grin on. "You alright? You're even more bloody than when you first joined us. Boss have a little too much fun with ya? Ha ha!"

"You… you k-knew what he was going to do, didn't you? What Bill had pl-planned for me?" She gave a nod, and I wondered if she really did know. She and the demons all knew about his interest in me, but d-did Pyronica know how f-far he went? What he r-really did to me?

"I already had a feeling he would've went to have a li'l excitement with you, you bein' his mate and all," she replied, but her once toothy smile was fading. She must have seen my shiver at the word. Mate… at first, when I heard it, it was basically their version of a boy/girlfriend. Now… I never wanted to hear it again. "Kid, he didn't do anything too rough to ya, did he?" I was practically shaking in my seat, not even aware of the lava lamp demon sliding a glass of tomato juice in my direction. "Human?"

"He… h-he… heh. Why do you care? You're all supposed to be ecstatic for your freedom. Happy to reign terror over us puny m-mortals. Why?" That was enough to make her completely frown, and she sat down her shot glass.

"Because we don't want to be seein' Bill's favorite human like this. You realize we all enjoy your company, right? Why would we want our queen behavin' like this? Fleshy, what did Bill do to you?" She sat a hand on my shoulder, and I felt the heat through my dressings. It wasn't enough to burn them, but enough to create a small smoke stream. "What happened?"

 _ _Deep breathes. Deep breathes. Deep b-b...__ "B-B-Bill… h-he a-almost…" tears began to drip down my eyes again for the hundredth time this week, and I choked on a sob. "H-he assaulted me, Pyronica. He d-did this to me." She yanked her hand back, and I-I knew I caught her off guard. She knew I was in relatively better shape when she first ran into me, but I at least was p-properly clothed and not wrapped up in so many bandages. Standing up from her seat, she effortlessly picked me up by the skin of the back of my neck, and put me back onto the floor. "P-Pyronica?"

"C'mere, fleshy. Let's get you properly cleaned up. Don't need you running around lookin' like that, do we?" The demon began walking off towards the hall where I came from, cape swishing in the air behind her. "Unless you've decided already to screw your human morals and ditch clothes altogether?"

"C-coming!" Jogging after her, I managed to spare one last glance up at Bill. The triangle was watching us leave the main room intently, but it seemed that he didn't mind me being in Pyronica's company. Sh-should I be worried about that? Pyronica, sh-she wouldn't try anything on his watch, right? "How l-long… was I asleep for?"

"Almost half the day. Though, it's hard to tell with time being at a standstill and all. Geez, kid, how exhausted were you?" I kept in time with her longer struts, needing at least two to three strides to match one of hers. Hugging myself to try and keep it together, I winced as I rolled my shoulders at the question.

"I took an unexpected trip magnetized to a droid from space, and then Bi-Bi... he blew up the clock tower I was in… and then… y-you know what happened." I could barely say his name at this point. We stopped in front of a door I had passed earlier, and she opened it for us. "Uh…?"

Pink. There was… a lot of pink. Hot pink neon lights along the ceiling, lighting up a magenta stripper pole in the middle of the room, and a bright pink vanity table to the side decorated with lights. It wasn't as adorned as Bill's study, but it made sense that even the other demons had some area to themselves. Pushing me onto the light pink cushioned chair in front of the mirror, she moved to shuffle through one of the drawers of the table. Begging for my heartbeat to slow down, the succubus glanced up at me with… pity? "Now then, darling. Tell Auntie Ronnie all about it."

3rd POV

Dipper was tired, bruised, and above all, ready to pass out. The explosion had left him with a severe burn on his right shoulder, and he could barely lift his arm without a shock wave of pain flying to his brain. It took a few hours before he could say he finally ditched the giant pair of teeth and the goblin with 8-ball eyes. It was hard to find a perfect hiding place for long; he had to keep constantly moving, and ducking in between alleys and destroyed buildings. With the walkie-talkie still in his possession, he continued trying to contact Mabel. But it was no use. She wouldn't respond. Wherever Bill sent her, it interfered with the connection, earning him only static over the speaker.

"Elaine," he sighed. Peering out from his hiding spot behind a large fence stuck in between two buildings, he looked up at the Fearamid. "I hope you're alright." What did that monster have planned for her?

"Dipper?" His head snapped up, hearing a quiet whisper from within a hole in the building on his left. Keeping his eyes on it, he knelt down and picked up a discarded brick.

"Wh-who's there?" He asked, gripping it. "I'm warning you. I-I'm armed!"

"Dipper, easy. I-it's me." A filthy blonde head poked out of the wall, and he dropped it in alarm. Pacifica, in a potato sack remade into a makeshift dress and a pair of hiking boots. Just like him, the girl was bruised and covered in dust. I-it wasn't a dem-oh crud, he was about to throw a brick at her!

"Pacifica! Sorry!" He stumbled over the rubble between them, and yanked the girl into a hug. "Oh, thank goodness. I-I haven't seen anyone since yesterday." They let go, and she flinched backwards as she stared up over his head. What was distracting her? He had so much he had to tell her. "Pacifi-?"

"Come on!" Grabbing his hand, she dragged him into the hole. The eyeball bat flew past, not even noticing the two children who were there. Once they were inside the hole, Pacifica pushed a large beam of wood to block the entrance to the hideout, and sighed. "Asger. Light it up."

A short burst of fire flew out from a corner of the room, lighting up a drum barrel off to the side. The light source bathed the small area of the apartment complex in an orange glow, specifically the corner where said older boy was hiding. Axel was curled up by an improvised bench of cement blocks and a plank, and Asger sat in the middle of the seat, grinning wearily at him. His hat was missing, revealing scruffy hair and full view of the large purple bruise on his forehead. The rest of his clothes were just as ripped and bloodied as Dipper's, and-was he missing a shoe?

"Hey, Dipper. Wasn't expecting you to be the first human we came into contact with," he smirked, before giving a harsh cough. Reaching beside him for his bag, he pulled out a water bottle and took a long sip. Dipper and Pacifica moved over to him, and sat down on the bench. Pouring some of the water into his hand, he splashed the liquid onto the back of his neck. "Ah… here. You must be thirsty."

Handing it over to Dipper, he greedily drank the contents. The water soothed his dry throat, and he lowered it with a smile. "Thanks." Wiping the back of his hand over his mouth to catch anything that spilled, he handed it back over. "Asger, what happened here?"

"We got separated from my aunt and uncle. Bill… he shuffled the orifices of every function of Uncle Preston's face. I-it was horrible. Like something out of a nightmare. Eye where his mouth was, ears where his eyes were, and his nose in one of his ears… h-he couldn't breathe, and just collapsed in front of us, giving a muffled scream as he reached for Priscilla and us." Pacifica shivered, and Dipper watched her face pale. From how the teen described it, it must have scarred the girl. "After that, Cipher oh, so gracefully 'dismissed' me from my deal." He pointed to the bruise on his head, and winced. "That demon sent me flying across the town square and through a window on a third story building. It's how I was able to take shelter before it all went to hell."

At this point, that word didn't even bother him as much as it could. It was an accurate description of Gravity Falls now. Like, blood rain? Bill was definitely stretching his powers on how much he could warp reality in his twisted vision. "I take it that's when Pacifica and Axel went after you?"

"Axel flew after him the moment Bill attacked. I was lost for a few hours when the bats started turning people to stone. Don't ask about the outfit, by the way." He nodded, choosing not to test the girl's patience. Pacifica kicked a rock with her boot, sending it scattering across the room. "No sign of Mabel?"

"Bill caught her in some sort of prison, and Great Uncle Ford and Elaine were brought to the Fearamid." Asger gave a loud cough, choking on a sip from the canteen, and they turned to him in alarm.

"He captured Elaine?" He gaped at Dipper. That was impossible! He would have thought that the demon would've gone easy on her, letting her remain down here with them. Why was she brought up there!?

"The weirdness is affecting her. Bleeding her of her energy." Dipper put his face in his hands, and sighed. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have taken that deal with Ford about being his apprentice. If I didn't, Mabel and Elaine…"

"Stop. Dipper, it's not your fault." Asger held up his free hand, signaling him to be quiet. "It's not yours, or Mabel's or Elaine's. No one knew how this was going to happen. What's important right now is to find the others. Wendy and Kat are still out there, and there's a good chance they already found each other. Soos is out there, and Stan. If we can find them, we have a better chance of rescuing your sister and then getting Ford and Elaine back."

Did they? Dipper looked behind him at the door to the hideout, hearing screams from the poor people that hadn't escaped the watchful eyes of the demonic bats. "I'm still worried about Elaine though. Asger, she can't last up there by herself." She was already mentally shaken. He couldn't live with himself if Bill... if he... finally broke her.

"Hmmm. Well, kid. It looks like we've got a plan to work on," Asger grinned. "Now, here's what we're going to do."

(Time Skip)

Elaine's POV

Pyronica had left the room, flames burning brightly once I was more properly covered. A light pink silk shawl covered me, providing at least a shred of decency. She couldn't fix the tank top, but she managed to tidy my flannel up. It still wasn't pretty, but it looked more decent than the pathetic thing I made.

How was it that the succubus of all demons was the one to stand up for me? I wasn't sure why, or what she was thinking when I told her… the thing… but judging from how hot the room had gotten, she wasn't particularly happy. "Why though?" I wandered through the endless halls of the Fearamid, wanting to keep to myself. "Wh-why does she care?"

"Oh, like you know anything about romance, Ron?" I stiffened mid-walk, hearing the nasally voice echo from far ahead of me. Apparently, even though I was walking with no sense of direction, I had wound up at the main room anyway. The one place I had wanted to avoid. "You feast on your lovers."

"What's your excuse?" Pyronica fired back, and while a huge part of me wanted to hightail it the other way, a part of me wanted to listen to this. Among the continuous pounding of the rave music, the two demons were as clear as day. "You got too excited?"

"Exactly! You think I ain't happy 'bout the power I'm wielding at my fingers? I am the master of this dimension! She already knows I'm dangerous! I could have easily given her nightmares since the first time I met her, pushed her past her limits, and laugh about what happens! Yet she ignored that! She got what she deserved!" I wanted to run, I-I did. B-but I kept moving forward, listening. Hearing. C… crying.

"You hurt her, boss. That kid saw something in us, in ****you**** , and you butchered it up and shoved it down her throat." I gripped the edge of the wall, poking my head around the corner. Pyronica, flames flickering intensely, was in a glaring match with Bill atop the dais. "You don't deserve her."

"You. Know. ****Nothing****. ** **"**** Pyronica hissed, baring her teeth before retreating to the other demons. Her cape flew in the breeze behind her from her pivot. Bill's orange glow faded back to yellow, and I froze when his pupil caught sight of me. "Angel." With his hand, he made a beckoning motion, and I was yanked across the room and up onto the stand below him, legs flailing from being pulled up into the air. Stumbling forward, I landed flat on my face, and shakily got onto my knees. "Nice of you to finally join me." D-don't answer. Don't respond. K-keep quiet. "Still givin' me the silent treatment, huh? Well… hehe. Why don't we have a little fun, toots? Like old times?"

F-fun? N-no. No more. N-no more. Standing up, I began to back away from the demon, already a trembling mess. P-please. No more. Bill's hand scooped me up before I could go on my fight-or-flight response, and held me in his palm. Dipper was right when he told Ford about that. I was ready to run at the first sign of mental stress. Bill leered at me, and turned to look over the demons below. "Demons, creatures, is this a party or what?" The monstrous beings cheered loudly, raising their cups in the air in a toast. "How 'bout we have a little entertainment?" His fingers began to flex in and out to make a fist, threatening to squish me. "Little karaoke, huh? How 'bout that?"

 _ _K… karaoke?__ Tha-that's what he meant by old times. J-just like the party… w-when-before he… kissed me. "We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day! Keep smiling through, just like you always do, 'till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away!" H-he's mocking us. Humanity. He-the demon was mocking us as a species. Bill unfurled his fingers again in thought. "I'm not gonna lie, dark clouds are much easier to deliver blood rain, but whatever makes you happy-would you please say hello, to the folks that I know? Tell them I won't be long!"

"They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go, I was singing this song! We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when, but I know we'll meet again some sunny day! We'll meet again-come on, guys-don't know where, don't know when!" Bill's fingers, two of them, curled in and pinched my head, squeezing it. H-he was threatening to crack my skull. The pressure, i-it hurt. Whimpering, I reached up to pull at his claws, and the moment he let go, I painfully let my wrecked vocal cords join in with the unholy melody. I-I didn't want to. I d-didn't... but wh-what choice did I have? "But I know we'll meet again some sunny day! Keep smiling through, just like you always do, 'till the blue skies drive the dark clouds far away!"

I was soft, w-weak, and broken. Physically, and mentally, and emotionally. H-how far had I come, from the start of the summer, to be reduced to th-this? I-I wanted to stop Weirdmageddon. I knew wh-what he could do. Yet… yet I was just like Ford, after all. Despite the warnings from him, and Dipper, I-I kept seeing him. I-I was visiting h-him more than m-my deal sh-should have allowed. I-I was just like him. I-I was curious. So, so curious. "Would you please say hello, to the folks that I know? Tell them I won't be long!"

"You get that through your golden dome, Sixer? Ah ha ha ha!" Sliding off his hand to meet the dais' floor a dozen or so feet below, I felt my legs buckle, and stumbled over to Ford's golden form with my growing limp from the explosion. Ford... he was cold. Cold, and lifeless. "They'll be happy to know, that as you saw me go, I was singing this song! We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when… but I know we'll meet again some… sunny… day!" I brushed the back of my hand against his cheek, biting my cheek. _D-don't cry. D-don't cry. D-don't-!_ "AH HA HA HA HA! AH HA HA HA HA HA!"

Maniacal howls filled my head, and I collapsed onto the statue, arms wrapped around it-him. H-him… and silently sobbed. "I-I'm s-so sorry. I-I'm so, so s-sorry. Y… you were right, Ford. Yo-you were r-right. I-I was an… an idiot." I… I saw the signs. I heard the warnings… and I ignored it all. I-I really was… just like him. And now… we're all doomed.

* * *

 ** **So. Much. Darkness. And pain, and sorrow. Think I'm making this dark enough?****

 ** **Keyword is something shown in this song in the actual episode.****

 ** **Vwoq rgmazg icrass bo awvptzogms, nbs vitviuaesh buebtl tb tpz-ost szenah. Q wnbimd gc hivr hwmm, V rxl. Bhh X eaf tdwlvgw. Q wng qtiar. Ycsg oh noer pvd swsllrtdzd jsgm hvg kqcgwba, I gcd, neyz xvtb hwm pvh dn iagpvigm ipe qsbwn pvjznrr.****

 ** **"Lpea ugivvhn nayzh, inq hwm enfip brqduef gzg... frog bhr ptisg... kxbh wihb oas."****

 ** **Real kicker here is… I made this code so long ago, that doing my edits**** ** **before the sequel**** ** **, I forgot what the key was!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	66. Bless the Souls of the Rebels

****Disclaimer: Whoa… I just got a major sense of familiarity writing this disclaimer. Like, I've already done this before.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Pyronica is my favorite Henchmaniac. I wanted her to have a moment in this whole disaster. And no. No Steven Universe. We don't reference that show unless it's in song.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: Weirdmageddon as a whole is dark. Just wait for when the gang breaks into the Fearamid to save Ford and the town.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Thanks. I'm just concerned because I've never done something like that before.****

 ** **EntityNobody: Not sure what you mean by 100. I've seen many an AU where someone ends up in the show, but I've stepped it up in a big way here. Using everything I've learned in this show, to dish out heartfelt drama, and horrifying nightmares.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: After what Bill did? No way is Elaine ever going to accept it. Besides, how can she make it go global? The only one who knows the equation is Ford. So, yeah, it's kinda bad.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Thank you. Just wanted to check.****

 ** **lex: Then wait no longer! Here we go!****

 ** **SnowsGirl: Thanks! Wanted people's opinion on that.****

 ** **Sixer: But she enjoys his personality. She doesn't want to do anything… freaky with the nacho.****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: Thanks for your input! I'll be updating as soon as I've stopped freaking out over the approaching midterms.****

 ** **Cynder: You'll just have to wait on that to find out what happened to the wonderful ship of Bill and Elaine.****

 ** **the Stargazer: Thanks for the input!****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: The forgiveness you're talking about will be given more detail at the end of the story. It will be a while, but you'll soon find out what happened to their relationship at the end of Weirdmageddon. After all… there is a sequel coming your way.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (again): Steven Universe… I have thought about writing a story for it, but it's way too long of a show. I don't have time for it. Plus, it's hard to write it because I don't have access to the show itself, and cannot get decent references.****

 ** **Galinn (twice): Hello darkness, my old friend.****

 ** **katie crutcher: Why would I end it? Also, I had to eliminate the period in your username. The system didn't like it.****

 ** **Nikaru12: If you've ever read the post GFA story-it's a small past time thing, so most people don't bother with it-Elaine does end up… partially forgiving him. Why though, you will have to wait for the answer.****

 ** **Guest: I don't believe I'm misusing the rating system. The M part was extremely minor, when compared to the entire story as a whole. Plus, I did give fair warning. I'm glad you're enjoying the story, because we're about to enter the last part of Weirdmageddon Part 1.****

 ** **One of the bubble things was based on an alternate take. If you see the reference, then congrats! Virtual cookie for you! If not, hunt down the deleted scene and have a good laugh!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 19/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

Bloody. My entry, just like B-his… chapter, was stained with blood. My blood. Thankfully, my eye had stopped dripping the crimson liquid, but I kept the bandage on. I… it was put on by Ford, and with him in his golden state… I w-wouldn't remove it even if I-I had to. My burn, on the contrary, would still split open and bleed. No amount of foundation could hide what the d-demon had done to me. I… I couldn't write about it. When I find Dipper and Mabel again, I couldn't let them have the slightest chance of reading that.

I… if. It… it's no longer when, it's an if. I… I held no hope in ever getting out. I was… mentally dead, at this point. I was scarred, and bro-broken. He didn't have to force me to eat again. I ate what was given, albeit in small, small portions. It was enough to avoid the feeling of hunger pains, but mostly I did it in spite. I-I knew I was starving myself, but did I really care at this point? After everything he'd done to me in the last few days?

No… no, I didn't.

My normal intricate entries now showed my instability. Every single time I remotely began to hint towards h-him, I scratched out the line and began anew. And that process went on again. And again. And again. Short and choppy sentences, and I kept aggressively scribbling Bill's symbol on the margins before scratching them out with a bloodied fingernail. The copper smell clung to me, not leaving me even though I tried. B-but how could I try? I couldn't treat my arms. I had no alcohol to clean them. All I could do was continue changing the bandages. And soon, even those would run out. P-Pyronica tried to fix them, but being a fire demon… she couldn't g-get close without damaging them and m-me even f-further.

I sat below him on the dais as the Henchmaniacs continued to party below their boss' eye, with my bag beside me and my journal in my lap. _J-just ignore them. I-ignore them._ Blocking out everyone around me, I kept my head lowered over my journal, letting the occasional drop of blood from my slip out from the bandage and fall onto the parchment. " ** **Can't sleep. Can't sleep. Won't sleep. Can't sleep****." The lines repeated, breaking into the paragraph I tried to write, but I-I couldn't focus even if I tried.

"Ha ha ha ha! Go nuts, guys! When we're done partying, I unveil Phase 2." Shivering, I spared a glance at Pyronica swallowing Hectorgon before returning to my work. _Just ignore them. J-just ignore-_

"Open up!" My head snapped up, and this time, I kept it there. Th-there was someone… banging on the door, outside of the Fearamid. B-but that's impossible. Who could it be? "This is the police. Time Police." _Time… Blendin._ H-he got Time Baby!

The music scratched to a halt, and the demons looked at each other before turning to Bill. "Just play it cool, ditch the time-punch. Let me do the talking." Paci-Fire ran off to the side, holding his cup of alcohol. There was no time to react as the door blew up, sending bricks flying and nearly missing me by Bill's side. Crouching low on impulse, I glanced up, seeing Lolph and Blendin in front of the time officers.

"Bill Cipher," Lolph announced. "You are in violation of the rules of space-time, and possessing the body of a time-officer."

"My body is a temple!" Blendin shouted. "How dare you!"

"Hear this, Cipher!" Time Baby himself, hourglass symbol still glowing green from the previous attack, glared up at the triangle from behind his platoon. Although, I could see his eyes widen slightly in surprise when he got sight of me sitting below his enemy a bloodied and twitching mess.

"Ugh, Time Baby," Bill grumbled, rolling his eye.

Time Baby put his hands to his head, projecting a purple hologram from the symbol "If your rip in this dimension continues, it could destroy the very fabric of existence!" The hologram exploded, and I gulped nervously. H-he wasn't fooling around, was he? D-did Bill know about that? The threat his plan held over reality? Pointing a finger at the golden monster, his eyes sparkled angrily. "Surrender now, or face my tantrum!"

Apparently not, as the triangle was mocking Time Baby by having his hand make the 'blah, blah, blah' gesture. Once the other all-power being was done, Bill held his hands to his 'face', jeeringly worrying. "Oh, no, a tantrum! Whatever will I do about that-HOW 'BOUT THIS!? BOOM!" Shrieking as I hit the dirt to avoid the possibility of an aftershock, I knew there was no hope for the time deity, o-or Blendin, or Lolph. Firing a charged blast from his finger that I could ****feel**** charging up in his index finger, he… he vaporized all of them. I could see the blue light, even when my eyes were tightly closed, and feel the rush of heated air on my back from how close I was to him. Bill's eye turned into a mouth, once the job was done, and he blew out the smoke drifting up from his finger. Kicking back, he looked down at the Henchmanics, who, just like me, were stunned.

"Ah, snap! He just killed Time Baby!" Kryptos cried.

"You bet I killed him!" Bill laughed. "Roasted him so hard that brat could be served at a five star restaurant! At least for, what, 1000 years or so, give or take. Ha ha! By the time he regenerates, he'll either have forgotten what he was here for, or I'll just have the fun of blowing him to bits again!" Bill and his minions cackled loudly, and the music once again to pound through the room as the party resumed in full-swing.

H-he just… no. N-no, no, no. My one possible chance of getting out: gone. Just… like that. "Ah ha ha! How idiotic can ya get, huh, kid? That's what happens when you question and threaten my authority!" He was probing me for an answer. A response. "Well, Angel?"

"Th… then… then why haven't you killed me yet?" I was quiet, barely a whisper, but it seemed he did hear me. I was hoarse, and damaged… but… but my anger was still clear. Casting my eyes to look up, but not meeting his own, I continued. "I… I have nothing left to live for. Y-you ruined me… assaulted me… a-almost… r-ra…" __n-not now. D-don't break in front of all of these demons.__ "P-please… just k-kill me. Get it over with." I-I was shattered, and I wanted out. I-I didn't want this anymore, an-and if that was the only way out… I didn't know if Dipper, or Stan, or anyone else was still alive. I… I didn't even care anymore.

For a very brief moment, we locked eyes, and I felt the weight of the demon in the back of my mind, feeling what was worrying me. Haunting me. Seeing my thoughts on the surface. How I doubted everything we've done together, how stupid I was when I let him possess my body after threatening Mabel and Dipper to make it appear as if they committed suicide by jumping off the water tower., and how… how much I trusted, and l… loved him. That confusing, messed-up feeling that kept growing over the summer, until I now saw how wrong I was. He… he's a monster. He was always a monster, and to think I could change him… oh, h-how wrong I was.

"Get. Out." Bill finally spoke, his voice dangerously low. Leaning back cautiously as I closed my bag with my journal back inside, I stumbled to my feet. I could feel it. His rage was growing, spiking to an unsafe level.

"Wh… what?" Bill whirled around to face me head-on, body now a furious red.

"I said, GET ****OUT****!" With a snap of his wrist, I was sent flying across the room, feeling as if something had grabbed the back of my flannel remains and yanked me backwards. I rolled along the floor, struggling to stop myself until I fell out of the hole, and out of the Fearamid itself. I had clawed viciously at the brick floor as the Henchmaniacs watched in shock, but my nails weren't making a dent, and as fast as it happened, I began to free-fall. Arms spread out as the wind whipped around me, deafening my ears, I could see the ground far below me.

Yet… even in that moment, as I plummeted towards the destroyed town below, I could see it clear as day. Far off in the distance in between the cliffs was the bubble.

Mabel's bubble.

Did it matter if I could see where she was trapped though? The ground was going to meet me in seconds. __Mabel. Dipper. Sta-Stan. F… Ford… I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.__ Body tensing and eyes closed, readying for the impact, I wasn't even aware of something grabbing me out of the air and directing me away from the rubble of the buildings below until I was dropped onto my butt. "Wha-? Y-you…?" Turning around, Pyronica smiled sadly down at me.

"He might not see you as important, but fleshy, he and I both know that's a lie." She knelt down to my height, and patted my head, searing a few strands of hair. "Go find those pals of yours before he changes his mind. Good luck, kid. You can keep the shawl." Straightening up, she leaped back up onto a building before power-jumping up to the hole in the castle.

F-friends…? Sh-did she mean th-that Dipper's still a-alive!? __Te__ _ _e__ _ _th and 8-Ball never caught him. H-he's still out there.__ Looking around, I saw I was a fair distance away from the bubble, but thankfully, I was on the other side of a huge gorge that stretched for several miles. I-it was going to be a hike, b-but if Dipper was alive, then he would be heading to Mabel. I-I'd meet him there. I-that's wh-what I'd do. With that small surge of hope in me, I struggled to my feet and began walking.I-I won't die. N-not yet. Not while he's still out there. "Hang on, D-Dipper. I'm c-coming."

3rd POV

He was coming. Though, he wouldn't lie that he didn't expect Gideon the Folksy Sheriff to come chasing after him and the others with an army of prisoners.

Finding Wendy and Kat was by pure luck. He, Asger, and Pacifica didn't plan on finding anyone else out there, in their search for more survivors. It all seemed like a bad idea as 'time' ticked by. The moment he had spotted the redhead hiding out inside the mall, he latched onto her in near tears. Asger was quick to give her a hug too, and the five huddled into the girls' shelter to rest. Wendy was the only member of the teens to escape, and Kat got separated from her mother in the rush.

Now, there they were, all shoved inside a partially wrecked and defaced car, driving away from Gideon and his cronies at top-speed. Of course Wendy had the brilliant idea to get them to go after Mabel right away, and he was surprised they hadn't spotted the bubble sooner. Axel was flying high above them, ready to fire if one car got too close. He was stuck in the middle of the back seat with Pacifica and Kat on either side, while Asger and Wendy were in the front. "Okay, all we have to do is outrace Gideon's henchmen, unlock the bubble, save Mabel, save the world." Wendy plowed through a mailbox, and they all turned to the self-declared getaway driver.

"Uh, Wendy, you did get your license, right?" Asger asked, clutching the dashboard for dear life.

"Definitely not. Arm!" Screaming, the five swerved to avoid the monster with a giant arm on his head, trying to reach for them on the side of the road.

"Guys! Bubble field straight ahead!" Kat cried, pointing ahead.

"No way around! Hold on! We're goin' through!" Wendy hollered back at her.

"What's even in there!?" Pacifica shouted. Shrieking, the group drove straight into a dark green bubble, and Dipper felt something was… odd. He kept his eyes on the road, too scared to look at the others, but there really seemed to be something weird going on there. What changed?

"For some reason, I really want worms right now," he muttered to himself. Why was he craving worms of all things?

"Eat worms! Fly south! Nest!" Wendy blurted out, making him raise a brow. __Okay?__ The car exited the bubble in a loud thump, and Dipper coughed up brown feathers.

"Oh my-how did we not even notice we were birds!? That was awful!" He swiped the feathers off his lap, and heard Wendy shout back at him.

"Here comes another one, dude! Brace yourselves!" Everyone grabbed hold of the interior of the car, and they began driving through three consecutive bubbles. Dipper had trouble pinpointing the exact feeling, but each time, there was a flash of colorful light and feeling his body twist and contort. That feeling would only last for a second, until he felt as he normally would. First they were dressed as anime versions of themselves with two random monkeys shoved in the back with them, then they were made of meat products, and lastly…

"What the heck is going on!?" Dipper held his hands to his face in shock, flexing his digits. Why did he only have four fingers!? "I've lost so many details!"

"And fingers," Pacifica added, examining herself. "Asger, I'm a monster!"

Asger opened his mouth to reply, but his girlfriend cut him off. "Whatever." Wendy glanced up at the mirror above the dashboard, smirking at her reflection. "I look good." She adjusted her bandanna, before returning to face the nonexistent road. Flying out of the bubble and exiting the minefield, Gideon's truck came barreling alongside them and slammed into Wendy and Kat's side. The girls winced as the window shattered, sending shards of glass onto them.

"Wendy, we're almost there! We just have to make that jump!" Dipper shouted. Asger immediately gripped his seat belt, paling.

"Wendy, I swear you better make that ravine!" Wendy nodded, and went to grab the gear shift.

"Total lack of driver's training, don't fail me now." Accelerating, they zoomed past Gideon as he tried to ram them again. "Hang on!" Jumping over a gouge wasn't the craziest thing Dipper had done this summer, but boy! Did it terrify him to no end! The five screamed as they drove off the cliff, flying through the air until the hit the other side. Hard. The car smashed down, nose first, and began to roll for several yards before crashing to a halt. Pacifica's door opened on impact, and Dipper fell out over the blonde.

"So… close." He was hurt, and sore, but he couldn't stop. Even if that meant he had to crawl the entire way. His sister was right there. He was going to get her back, even… even if it killed him. "Mabel… I'm… almost there." Looking up again, he stopped moving. A shadowy figure in a black cloak stared down at him, face hidden behind his hood. The mysterious man held out his hand, and pulled back his hood.

"Heya, Dipper. How's it hanging?"

"Soos!" Ha ha, yes! He had almost everyone here with him!

"Ugh, Soos?" Wendy repeated, unsure if she heard Dipper right. Asger moved around to help her to the other side of the car, and sat her down. The teen now sported several large bruises over her previous injuries. Kat and Pacifica were equally banged up, but it appeared that they were in better shape than Wendy.

"Handyman of the apocalypse, at your service." Soos adjusted his hat, smiling.

"Soos! How'd you-where'd you-?" Dipper didn't know where to start. What had the man been up to the last three days?

Soos walked past him, knelling down to check over Wendy. She was cradling her arm, occasionally wincing. "I've been wandering the plains like a desperado, helping strangers. I guess there's some folk songs about me now? Let me see what the damage is, here. Ah, well the good news is: your arm is okay." Pacifica reached into the car, and handed Dipper his hat back.

"So what's the bad news?" She asked, concerned.

"Bad news is we're surrounded, dudes." Ah. So… so they were. __Perfect,__ Dipper frowned. The prisoners had them circled on all sides, and Gideon's truck came rolling in to face them. The white haired boy was standing on the front of the truck, smiling wickedly down at them.

"Wooowee! I dare say y'all almost had the jump on me there for a second. But this ain't your Gravity Falls anymore! Out here, I win." Clapping his hands, one of the henchmen tossed him a conch, which he blew into. The deep, vibrating sound echoed across the barren wasteland, and up to the Fearamid. Even from their distance, the brunette could see the swarms of bats flying out of the frightening palace, heading towards them. "Bill's henchbats will be here any minute to retrieve y'all. MABEL'S MINE NOW! Ha ha ha ha!"

Dipper reached into his vest, and pulled out the golden key with a rainbow on it. __Mabel… what would she do?__ He had always done the logical approach. Thinking through things, how it would benefit him first. Mabel was all about feelings. Making someone a nicer person. Like what she did with Robbie. Elaine, s-she was like the two of them. She was smart, but she was sensitive. She thought things out before she acted, unless put into a situation beyond her control. _What would they do…?_ His eyes lit up. "Is she?" It was a simple question, but that was all he needed.

The simple question seemed to confuse Gideon for a moment. Where was he going with this? "Well, yeah. I have her trapped, ergo, Mabel is MINE!"

"Gideon, listen to me, if I've learned anything this summer it's that you can't force someone to love you." He looked back at the others, and his heart wanted so desperately to see Elaine there with them. With… him. "Like someone special told me: the best you can do is strive to be someone worthy of loving." __Right, Elaine?__

"Oh, I'm worthy o' lovin'! These prisoners love me!" The henchmen roared their engines in agreement, cheering loudly to go along with Gideon's point as he smirked. That proved that point, didn't it?

"But Mabel doesn't," Dipper informed him. "Because you're selfish. But you can change! Bill thinks there's no heroes in this world, but if we work together and fight back, we ****can**** defeat him. You wanna be Mabel's hero? Stand up to Bill, and let us save her!"

A flash of fear crossed Gideon's face at the twin's demand. "That's crazy! You know what Bill would do to me if that happens!?" He knew. Golly, did he knew. He may have only been up in that there Fearamid once, but he was up there long enough to hear the demonic monsters murmuring about the teen that always hung around Dipper. What did Bill do to her?

"What, you scared of Bill?" Ghost-Eyes asked, turning to look up at him.

"No, I ju… it's a complicated situation." In the matter of he valued his life, and didn't wanna die!

"Look inside, Gideon. If all this is for Mabel, then ask yourself what Mabel would want you to do." Dipper waited, and watched as Gideon turned around. The younger boy reached into his hat, pulling out the article the newspaper printed of them during the brief time they dated. How happy and cheerful he was… and how uncomfortable and sad Mabel was. She had fought against him every time they met over the summer, and each time, he… he hurt her badly. Wh-what kind of person blew up someone for denying their advances? __What have I done?__ What sort of person was he?

Blinking back tears, he glanced over his shoulder to look at Dipper. "Dipper. Will you tell her what I did?"

"O-of course," Dipper replied. That was all he needed. Gideon stuffed the paper away into his jacket, and nodded.

"I hope you're right about this. Guys, new plan!" He called out. "Bill's minions are gonna be on us in seconds. But I'm not gonna let that dumb triangle be the warden o' me! Y'all ready for a good old fashioned prison brawl!?" He hit a fist against an open palm, grinning.

"We're behind you for life, brother!" Ghost-Eyes replied, wringing a chain his hands.

"Fighting children is boring, but fighting a chaos god sounds fun!" A prisoner behind him shouted.

"Let's do this!" Ghost-Eyes and Gideon climbed back into the truck, and as a whole, drove off towards the Fearamid. "Henchmen, roll out!" Their cheers faded away, and the group stood there, staring.

"Whew! And I thought I was gonna have to throw down!" Soos said, wiping his forehead. Asger rolled his eyes, throwing Wendy's arm over his shoulders to help her stand.

"We've gotta get going." Bringing his free hand to his mouth, he gave a loud whistle, and Axel landed with a thump beside them. The dragon gave an annoyed snort, casting a look from him to where Gideon and the prisoners went. "I know, girl. That could have gone a lot better."

"Let's go, guys." Dipper took the lead, guiding them all towards the cliff. They had to approach it at an angle, just in order for them to climb high enough. Bill… everything was just… burnt. Trees were blackened and charred, there was no sign of any green and growing vegetation, and there was no indication of water either. Any liquid they stumbled across was left over blood from the macabre rainstorm he conjured on the second day. So, they walked quietly and with purpose towards the magenta pink bubble.

Axel came to a stop in the trail, her head darting towards the thicket. Growling softly, they looked from her to Asger. "Dude, what's wrong with her?" Wendy asked.

"There's… w-we aren't alone." Tensing, Dipper studied the dark woods, searching for a sign of movement. Even with no leaves, the branches were enough to hide somebody. As fast as the change in pace happened, they heard a pained groan in the breeze.

They looked around, slowly bunching together in a circle. Wendy pulled out her crossbow, ready to fire if needed. "Where is it?" Pacifica whispered to him, hiding partially behind him. A snap, like a branch being broken in two made her yelp, and she gripped Dipper's arm. Dipper glanced at her, concerned, and pushed her behind him for protection.

"No way… guys?" Kat's eyes widened, wondering if what she was seeing was a ghost, and pointed far ahead of them back the way they came. A human. Another human, who looked no older than them was almost dragging themselves in their direction with a distinct limp. "Is that…?"

"It can't be-?" Asger squinted his own eyes to see if what he was seeing was real, only to be shoved to the side by Dipper as the boy raced towards the newcomer. As fast as his legs could carry him, stumbling only a few times, he slid to a halt and crashed into them.

"I-I found you!" He buried his face into them, trying to hold back tears of joy. "You're alive! Ha ha! You-you're alive!"

"D… Dip… per," she mumbled, and he finally looked up at her. __Oh my gosh!__ _Dipper_ leaped back in alarm, a hand slapped to his mouth. What the-what on earth happened to her!?

Worn and dirty bandages, stained with dust and blood. Old, and fresh. Her eye patch was still taped to her face, and blood tear streaks ran down her right cheek. Her visible eye had dark rings around it from lack of sleep, and her clothes! Her top was in shreds and stained just as badly as her arm-where did she get the pink shawl? "Elaine!" The group dashed over to them, and Pacifica almost screamed when she got her first real look at the teen. "Kat, give me a hand!" Dipper ordered, and she nodded at the unsaid command.

The blue haired girl ran to the other side of Elaine, and together, they threw her arms over their shoulders. "Got her. Elaine, hey, are you alright?" What was she saying? Of course she wasn't alright! How was she even conscious right now!?

"K… Kat…?" Elaine's eyes were glazed over, and she blinked tiredly. "Did… did I make it in time? Am… am I at the bubble?" It was such a-a long walk. Her leg never properly healed since the clock tower, and the traveling only made it worse. D-did she… did she really reach Dipper? And… and the others?"A-am… am I hallucinating f-from blood loss?" Wa... was this an illusion? Was this... another one of hi-his tricks?

"No, Elaine. It's us." Asger's heart twisted. What had that sadistic demon done to her to make her behave like this? "Can you stand?"

"N… no." She could speak. Not very well, but she could. "My leg n-never properly healed when B-merrgh… the demon destroyed the clock tower with me, Ford, and Dipper inside. I… can't wa-wa…"

"You can't speak, either," Pacifica noted. "How much b… blood did you lose?" She was doing her best to hold back her gags. The bandages were soaked through with the fluid, and the teen reeked of it.

"I… a lot." Elaine sighed, and put more weight on Dipper and Kat's shoulders. "D-Dipper, w-we gotta go. Mabel, sh-she needs-"

"Elaine, if it hurts to talk, then you don't have to. Save your strength." Sh-she should save her strength? Wh… what strength? What did she have left? Elaine's head drooped, and relented to the twin's request. "You're right, though. We got to get Mabel. Let's hurry." With Soos walking behind them in case Elaine dropped unexpectedly, they made their way carefully down the cliff's face before halting as a whole. Though, they moved much slower than before. The older girl could only move so fast.

Standing together, they looked at the magenta bubble with thin cracks covering its surface. Heavy metal chains bound it together, preventing anyone from entering. In the center was a triangle with a hole in the middle; the key slot made up its slit pupil. Dipper noticed Elaine was whimpering against him, and squeezed her left hand. __It's fine, Elaine. He's not going to hurt you.__ What did Bill do to her… to reduce the brave, sarcastic, and excitable girl he loved to this? __First Mabel, and then, it's__ _ ** _your_**_ _ _turn.__ Bill was going to pay for this. Letting Kat carry most of her weight, he slipped out of Elaine's hold and took out the key. Walking forward, he stared at the lock. "Okay, remember, guys. This is a prison bubble designed by Bill. We've got to prepare ourselves for what we find in here."

"Whatever it is, we'll do it together," Soos said, smiling at Dipper. "For Mabel!" He held out his hand.

"For Mabel!" Wendy, Asger, Kat, and Pacifica repeated together, putting their hands on his. Elaine blinked, looking at everyone before shakily lowering her branded hand on top.

"F... for M-Mabel," she murmured. She was a disaster. Sh-she would-it would take ages to recover from this. F-from him. But-but right now, her priority was Mabel. This t-time, she would save her.

"For Mabel," Dipper ended, putting his hand on hers. Breaking off, he put the key into the slot, and turned. Taking it out, he watched one of the chains break off from the chain, and let all three shackles fall to the ground far below them.

There wasn't anything else to be said. Not really. The group of six-now seven-had but two goals in mind. Rescue Mabel from Bill's trap, and save Gravity Falls and everything they held dear. Elaine… she wasn't sure if they could win. B-but she had to try. She h-had to. Forgetting her destroyed mind, her heart might have been split, but it was still whole enough to beat for her friends. Dipper… Mabel… Stan… F-Ford… she would get them all together again. Sh-she promised Mabel. She promised to keep the Mystery Kids together, and let nothing break them apart. True, th-this was her fault, but… she had to be strong. For them. For S-Stanford, and Stanley, and… and for herself.

The shimmering magical bubble accepted the newcomers, and glowed a faint light pink before they vanished inside. __I-I'm coming, Mabel. Wait for me.__

* * *

 ** **Weirdmageddon Part 1 is over. Next time, we enter Escape From Reality. That episode itself is two chapters. Part 1 was stretched to cover that three-day jump that they put in. For Take Back the Falls… that should be 4-5 chapters. After that, it's all about the town's recovery. So if I had to estimate, depending on how much I write here, there's just over ten chapters left.****

… ****yeah, I'm not ready.****

 ** **70-80 some chapters in total at the end. Safe to say, the sequel is not going to be this huge. But it will be just as enjoyable as this.****

 ** **I also got to say, even in third person, having the lines appear broken when Elaine is mentioned helps show her more shattered state. Clever, huh?****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	67. Escape From Reality

****Disclaimer: Welcome to the second to last episode of Gravity Falls, everyone! We are now over 600 reviews, and we are ready to get this show on the road with Escape From Reality. Thanks for 70 000 views too!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Henchmaniacs. It's hench, plus maniacs. I never planned on having Pyronica become a fan favorite. If it's possible, she most certainly will appear in the sequel.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: She's too broken at this point to really care what will happen. She'd just be happy to get Mabel back. What do you mean by 'Elaine ever goes really mean'? What, like she turns to the dark side?****

 ** **RainbowCelin (four times): FEEL THE FEELS! Also, I agree with you. Elaine, in the Fearamid, had given up on life. Even if it was only three days, the trauma Bill caused her destroyed her. Scarred her permanently. Even if she's a mess, that shred of hope that Pyronica gave her, that Dipper is out there heading to Mabel, was what drove her to the bubble. Also… easy there, Steven.****

 ** **Cynder: Yeah, Weirdmageddon really messed her up.****

 ** **EntityNobody: She can't really fantasize when her mind is a complete wreck.****

 ** **ultima-owner: It's as if the world was injected with Smile Dip.****

 ** **the core of justice: Thanks. You know, I think this might be the first time you actually reviewed the story. Asger's been great fun to work with. Also: congrats! You're our 600 reviewer!****

 ** **Galinn (twice): You're welcome. I have a friend who's almost going through the same thing. What I find, is that just having someone to listen and be there for you is what's important. Just being there to talk to them can mean the world.****

 ** **Sixer: I've got many OCs, but Elaine is by far my favorite. Don't worry, Bill and Elaine isn't over quite yet. There's still more to their story. If you ever decide to make an account, I'd like to talk to you more on that OC idea. Mostly because I wanna know her looks, personality, and how I could possibly fit her into the GF sequel.****

 ** **PeanutGallerySeth: Well, the important thing is she is out of Bill's clutches, right?****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: I never planned on having Elaine stay in the Fearamid. No fun there, when she has a job to do in rescuing Mabel. Also, the necklace was just… there. That's it. It's sort of like how Asger and Kat were added to fit the world as it changed to allow her to fit in. The necklace was made for her. Henchmaniacs. That's how you spell it. We are going to see Bill in the next chapter, after the unsuccessful attempt at Phase 2. It is revealed in the We'll Meet Again chapter that Dipper's scar came from the explosion of the tower. That's where it came from.****

 ** **Olliepops16: Technically, her name is Elaine. Angel is her symbol.****

 ** **Picholo: Thanks for the virtual treat. I've thought a bit about something like that, but decided against it. True, during her time in that dimension she will more than likely travel back to Canada, but the possibility of seeing her family as cartoon characters (or at least this world's version of them) is not going to happen.****

 ** **Shipperino: The… what the heck? What bean?****

 ** **Wolfbuff55: There's more to come!****

 ** **HonnieBunStudio: Every time you reread, there's always something a little different. With my changes and editing going on in the first season, and all.****

 ** **Kat is RillFipher's, Asger and Axel are the core of justice's, and if you don't know who owns Elaine by now, then there's something wrong.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Oct. 20/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

White. Everything was white. No Mabel, or b-blood rain, or anything… which, I-I prayed, stayed that way. Mabel, i-if she had to experience even a shred of what I went through… "a-anyone expecting something?" Kat shook her head, and we stopped walking in the white landscape. Our reflection was partially visible on the floor below us. W-was it a floor? I-it was hard to tell what anything was i-in here. Walls, or ceiling, and such.

"Mabel! Mabel!" Dipper called, his voice echoing around us. "Okay guys, Bill has taken over the town and if his weirdness spreads he's gonna take over the whole world. Our first step to stopping him is rescuing Mabel, but he's got her tapped in this strange prison bubble."

"What is this place anyway?" Wendy asked, holding her ax in her hands and putting it away. Sh-she must have had it tucked under her flannel tied around her waist. __Is that a crossbow on her back too?__

"Uh, guys?" Pacifica drew our attention to the floor, seeing rainbow fractures began to form around us. As fast as they appeared, the ground gave out, and we fell into a rainbow cyclone. A-Axel, with a surprised shriek, nabbed her rider and Pacifica out of the air. The rest of us…

"Guys, if I die, I wanna die hugging." Soos grabbed me, Wendy, Dipper, and Kat into a hug, squeezing us with his arms around our necks.

"Soos, you're choking me!" Faces red, Dipper beat a fist against the man's arm for him to ease up.

"Let my body be your shield!" Axel flew far below us out of sight, and the five of us kept screaming until we hit… rubber? The ground was green and blue, and the wall behind us was red and yellow.

"A-a bouncy… castle?" I stuttered, pushing the ground with my hand experimentally.

"Do you hear 80's music?" Wendy asked. Axel had landed a little a-ahead of us, and the others ran over.

"And does the air smell like childlike wonder?" Soos added. Together, we stood up and opened the mesh curtain in the wall. I-when Dipper had said about B… the demon trapping Mabel in the bubble, I was expecting torture, or never-ending nightmares. Th-the stuff that the d-dream demon was known for. This… wasn't what I was planning.

An overly bright, sparkly landscape. Made with stars, grassy hills, rainbows all over the sky, and a castle made of yarn and sweater parts. I-in fact, most of this s-stuff I remembered from sweater patterns, and o-over girly stuff from over the summer. "This is Mabel's prison?" Dipper murmured beside me. I-I was in agreement. I wasn't expecting this at all. __J-j-just like… how he won in the first place.__

"It's fun-o'clock everyone. Today's weather calls for rainbows with a chance of dance parties," an announcer called. "If you are the owner of a unicorn with a top hat, please come to the ice cream beach. Your unicorn is being towed." Crawling out of the window, we began to descend the hill, looking around. Kat reluctantly let me walk by myself, which I immediately took advantage of the given space by wrapping my arms around me protectively. The blue haired girl frowned, seeing I was still shaking and avoiding eye contact. I-I just wanted to get Mabel, and get out of here. I didn't want to be in here any longer than I had to b-be.

"What is this new world? Shining, shimmering, splendid." Soos stretched out his arms, the glittering sky behind him proving his point. __Mmm… if I wasn't so… this, I'd have laughed at the reference.__

"Car." Asger pulled Pacifica back as a magenta car came driving up and slam to a halt in front of us. A pineapple with glasses ran screaming, having a-almost been run over. Xyler and Craz, the same annoying dream boys from Stan's mind, grinned at us in the front seats.

"Welcome to Mabeland," Craz greeted us, as we heard an unseen voice sing out the name seconds later.

"And this is worse than the apocalypse," Dipper deadpanned. __I… in agreement.__ I remained silent, choosing to just observe instead of voicing my thought.

"Dude, this place hurts my eyes," Wendy covered her face, and I noticed that the others were doing the same thing. It… didn't bother me, oddly enough.

"Oh that's normal," Xyler said as he and Craz got out. Craz was in a prince outfit, while… I-I wasn't sure what Xyler was in. Overalls that showed over his legs, and a pink tank top under them with a purple scarf? __Uh… okay, Mabel. Y-you do… you.__ "Mabeland's rainbows have colors only bees and art students can see." _Okay. That… explain_ _ed_ _a lot._ "Now who wants to go on the grand tour?"

"Like, do we even have a choice?" Pacifica asked, clear distrust in her voice.

Xyler and Craz exchanged a look. "No!" Somehow, they managed to shove all of us into the back. Foregoing seat belts, we all were p-packed tightly together and didn't have enough for everyone. Axel took to the sky to follow, growling at the sweater birds that got too close to her. "Mabeland is the ultimate paradise and the only rule: there are no rules," Xyler informed us.

"Except for one rule which is very serious. But no one would ever break it, so it's not worth mentioning. Yeah!" What rule? You just-you c-couldn't just say there's a serious rule, a-and expect it to just be f-forgotten like that!

"Listen creepy dream guys, we're not here to party, okay? We just need to find Mabel and get her out of here," Dipper spoke up. "Where is she?"

"Our home girl Mabel lives at our next stop," Craz replied. The dream man then proceeded to drive through a glass window of an ice cream shop, out the wall, rebound off a fire hydrant, and send us skidding along the pavement.

"No rules!" Xyler shouted, hearing us screaming in our seats. __Let me out, let me out, let me OUT!__ Once he corrected his steering, he drove off the road and parked along the edge of the beach. Instead of coconuts, disco balls grew on the palm trees, and the candy dog from the Smile Dip packaging was in the water off from shore. Hopping out, we followed the two along the sand. "Now, come have some rad snacks served by awesome penguins."

Three multi-colored penguins waddled up to us, carrying platters of food. "Oh, score! I'm so hungry," Wendy cheered, taking the coconut drink.

"Yeah, I haven't eaten anything except for part of my hat for the last three days." Soos pointed to the bite mark on the brim of his hat while taking a glass filled with a red liquid. __Please, don't be b… b…__ I couldn't even say it, let alone think about it for too long.

"Can you guys just hold on for a second?" Dipper guided us away from the group of dream people and animals, and his face turned gravely serious. "Do you see what's happening here? Don't forget this world was created by ****Bill****." He slapped the drink out of Soos' hand just as he was about to drink it, and the red liquid stained the sand by our feet. "That punch is probably blood! And that glitter rain," he motioned to above our heads, "is probably ground up bones, or babies, or something." Holding out his hand, Dipper collected a handful of glitter before dropping it. "Bill's using Mabel's own fantasies as some sick trap."

"He's right." Everyone turned to me, and I surprised even myself. "The bubble is sh-showing... recreating our deepest desires. Wh-what we want most. Our o-obsessions." __Wait a second… oh gosh.__ Just saying that out loud, made me realize how inappropriate that could actually get. __Then… what does that mean for me?__

"Exactly, Elaine." Dipper smiled slightly, seeing how I was trying to talk more and going with his point. "We need to grab Mabel and get the heck out of here."

"Oh, Mabel?" Craz picked up on the end of his sentence. "She's at the top of the tallest tower guarded by those big buff waffle guards. There's no way to get past them!" He pointed a giant sandcastle, and the two waffles standing guard with butter knives. __J… just like her wax figure idea.__

"Someone hand me some syrup." Soos crept up on one of the waffles, and launched himself at him. Grabbing hold of the creature, Soos sank his mouth on the top of his head, bringing them both to the ground.

"Aaah! It's happening! The moment we've trained for!" He held up an arm desperately, and the other guard watched as his friend was being eaten alive in front of him.

"Oh, don't worry, man! I've got ya-aaah!" Wendy punched his face right out of his body from behind, and the waffle fell to the ground at her feet.

"It's now or never, guys!" We all nodded, and Axel blew the door apart. Several cutesy animals were frolicking about inside, and froze when we entered.

"This is a rescue! Everyone hit the deck!" Dipper punched the teddy in the face as he ran for the stairs, Kat and Wendy shoved the blue bunny on her face over her tea party, and Soos threw the purple bat in a ballerina costume across the room. Running up the stairs as fast as we could, I knew it wo-would only be minutes-no, seconds, before the guards caught up to us.

"Hang in there, Mabel!" Soos shouted, bring up the rear with the dragon. Once we reached the top, we busted open. The room was dark, and I could see the silhouette of the female twin on a canopy bed at the far end of the room.

"There she is! Soos! Grab her! Guys, barricade the door!" As Dipper ran over with Soos, Kat and Pacifica slammed the doors shut. Wendy and Asger picked up an industrial sized container of sprinkles, and moved it to block the doors from opening. Once it was in place, we began to grab anything that we could pick up. Inflatable chairs, large stuffed animals, lamps, and throw them onto a growing barricade.

"The waffles are coming back! We gotta hurry!" The doors began to move behind us, and Soos and Dipper ditched Mabel and helped us try and hold up the wall.

"Uh, guys?" Mabel looked at us, confused by our actions.

"Don't worry, Mabel, we'll get you out of this!" Dipper shouted over his shoulder.

"But, Dipper!" I heard Mabel clap twice, and the next thing I knew, I-I was- _ _no. N-not again. N-no more magic. Pl-please no more magic.__ M-Mabel dropped us onto several inflated seats and beanbag chairs, correcting the furniture th-the way it should be. The waffle guards burst in, aiming their knives at us, but went to ease as Mabel clapped her hands again.

"Mabel! What are you doing? We're trying to save you from this prison!" Dipper shouted.

"This isn't a prison! I made this world!" Mabel clapped her hands, and the lights came back on. The floor resembled the zodiac in a way, except there was a giant shooting star in the middle instead of B… him. Two stone Mabel statues stood on either side of the bed, and red streamers and golden bows decorated the top of the room. "Well, I sort of woke up here. It's complicated."

"What are you saying?" Dipper asked, fear creeping in.

"I'm saying this is my home now." She moved to sit behind a desk in front of a window, turning around a plaque sitting on it. __Mayor!? What-I just-what do you mean, m-mayor!?__ "And I don't want to be saved!" What!? What the heck was hap-!?

A loud thunk occurred outside the window, and a teddy bear in a purple suit riding a cloud car quickly smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Mabel."

"No worries, Bubble Bear."

(Time Skip)

"And… that's what happened, Dipper."

We stood there, silent as Mabel recounted what had happened. She could tell, even though I managed to reach her to witness part of th-that, I was in no state to say anything to a-add on. Dipper… he was so disappointed, and upset. With himself, and Mabel, and… m-me. "After you said you wouldn't come back home with me at the end of the summer for your 'apprenticeship', I wanted to hide in my sweater forever. But then I woke up in a place that gives me exactly what I wanted: an endless summer where I never have to grow up! Here the sun shines all day, the party never ends, and now that you guys are here, it's finally perfect!" __Oh, Mabel.__ This was an extreme version of hiding in her sweater. Mabel had gone into overboard with denial.

"Listen, Mabel, we're not here to party. All of this is crazy!" Dipper yelled. I nodded, still hugging myself tightly. Mabel looked from me, with eyes full of worry and pity, to her brother.

"I figured you might say something like that, Dipper. That's why I prepared a backup Dipper with a more supportive attitude on this place. Nothing personal, it's just I… I just needed someone, you know?" __I-I'm sorry, what?__ Backup Dipper? We all turned around to the door we came from, and it opened up to reveal a Dipper… sk-skateboarding? Confetti burst from the stair's railings as he made his entrance, and he zoomed up to the desk past us to high five Mabel. H-he was like if Dipper got mashed together with the Disney XD logo. His color scheme was way too bright, his hat was on backwards, his shoes lit up, shirt was tucked in with a green belt, and he had lightning bolts on his vest. Th-there was also the gray jeans instead of shorts, and the obnoxious green sunglasses with purple lenses.

"Wo ho ho! Yeah! Wiggity-wiggity-what's up, dude-bros? I'm Dippy Fresh! I like skateboarding, supporting my sister, and punctuating every sentence with a high five! Hup!" His voice… it was so annoying.

"Oh!" Soos smiled, seeing the awaiting hand. "Don't mind if I-" Dipper cleared his throat, shaking his head negatively. "I'm sorry, I can't leave him hanging! Yes!" He high fived the 80's abomination, and Dipper frowned with a shake of his head.

"You're dead to me, Soos."

"Trust me, you guys are gonna love it here. This world always knows what you want. Sometimes even before you do!" A small flash of light appeared over her hands, and a chinchilla flew into her grasp. We stared at the action in surprise, not believing what we saw. "Apparently I wanted a chinchilla! Right again, Mabeland!"

"Mabel, listen to yourself. This is crazy! I'm sorry about our fight, and I'm sorry things aren't great right now but that doesn't mean you can just stay in here forever!" He gave her a pleading but stern look, wanting to get the point across, only for Dippy Fresh to answer him instead with an annoying smirk.

"Hey, take a chill pill! Those grow on trees here!"

"YOU STAY OUT OF THIS, DIPPY FRESH!"

"Dude, calm down; Dippy Fresh didn't do anything to you, dawg," Soos tried to reason with Dipper. Dipper growled at the doppelganger, and Dippy Fresh skated out of the room without a care.

"I know it sounds too good to be true, but give this place a chance! Mabeland knows just what you want and always provides!" Mabel put the chinchilla down and clapped her hands. To our shock, our outfits were re… repaired. Everything was… fixed. My bandages… j-just gone, and so was the b-b-blood a-and-what was going on? __An illusion. Th-this isn't real. None of this i-is real.__

A flying hamburger floated over to Soos, and the man took a bite out of it happily. "Pudding center. Nice!"

"Uh, actually, Mabel, I'm with Dipper on this," Wendy spoke up. "Gravity Falls is in trouble and I really think-"

A loud car honk cut her off, and over by a balcony window, we saw a rainbow road appear with the teens riding a monster truck. "Wendy!" Nate, Lee, Tambry, and Thompson cheered. Th-this was wrong. I-if this was real, R-Robbie would've been with them.

"Wha-guys? You're safe!" Wendy cried.

"We've got a monster truck full of fireworks, fake IDs, and pranking supplies," Lee informed her, jangling a set of keys.

"Wanna drive this truck to the high school and glue this plunger to the principal's head?" Nate asked. Asger watched as his girlfriend's eyes sparkled brightly, and she nodded slowly.

"Yes. Yes I do. Come on, Asger!" Taking his hand, the two looked back at Dipper apologetically. "Sorry, guys, I've always wanted to do that. We'll be back in just a few minutes." The duo jumped into the truck, and they sped off down the rainbow. Axel's eyes widened, and she quickly took off after her owner, but not before Pacifica jumped onto her back to follow her cousin. It was clear the dragon didn't believe it, but sh-she didn't want to l-leave her friend be in th-this twisted place.

"Wendy!?" Dipper shouted.

"Asger!" Kat yelled. "You're smarter than this!"

"Don't worry, dudes. There's nothing in this world that could break me from our mission," Soos told Dipper confidently. __Y-yeah. Wh-what could possibly sway So-?__

The door swung open again, and this time, a muscular man wearing a wrestling mask and a championship belt came in. "Soos, mijo. I have returned."

"Holy-whoa, whoa. Dad?" __N-no. P-please no.__ This trap, i-it couldn't be playing with their minds this much, could it? The one thing Soos had finally gotten over, and now it was shoving i-it in his face!?

"You don't remember what I look like, so I have the body of a pro wrestle and a face you once saw on a hot sauce bottle. I was never there for you, but in this world, I can be," the man explained.

"You're perfect!" Soos slowly walked towards him in aw, and Dipper waved his arms in protest.

"It's a trap! Don't go with him, Soos! No matter what he offers you!"

The man held up a ball and a baseball glove. "Want to play catch?" Soos grabbed his arm, and looked back at us regretfully. Even so, the man held a big smile with unshed joyous tears.

"I'm sorry, dude. Even if it is all a dream, I've gotta play just one game. Ha ha ha! Come on, dad!" The man threw the ball, and the two went off into the tower, leaving the twins, Kat, and me alone.

"Okay, this has gone too far!" Dipper whirled around to face Mabel, pointing an accusing finger at her as she came down from behind her desk. "You can't honestly think these fantasies are good for anyone!"

"You can't argue with the results: people are happy here! Does it really matter if it's real or not? For once, stop listening to your head and listen to your heart. Mabeland has something for everyone! Even you! In fact…" the door slowly began to open again, letting in the same unknown light from where Soos' 'dad' came from, and Dipper quickly began to walk out of the room.

"Nope. Not looking. Not looking." Dipper headed down another flight of stairs to the side, leaving me and the other girls alone. Mabel turned back to me, and rushed around the desk to hug me. I tensed, which was… to be expected. Mabel's face nuzzled my shirt, and I-I could feel her almost start to cry.

"M-Mabel…" I stroked the top of her head, and she looked up to meet my tired eyes.

"I'm so sorry that you got captured, Ellie. I-I-this isn't my fault, is it?" __Is she…?__ She's b-blaming herself? "For making that d… deal?"

"N-no. It's n-not your fault. I-it was m-mine. And F… F… Ford's…" I could hardly get his name out. "B… he tricked you. L-like he d-did to us. I'm j-just glad you're safe, Mabel. I-I missed you." The two of us smiled, tears trickling down our faces.

Uh, guys?" We turned to Kat, who was picking at her bracelet anxiously. While this was a heartfelt moment, it still didn't h-help us with ge-getting out of here. "How about we go outside and continue this chat?"

"O-okay," I relented to the idea, standing up. "Th-thanks, Mabel." Heading out of the castle wasn't as hard as entering it, Kat kept a close eye on me while I descended behind Mabel on the stairs, just in case I collapsed and fell forward. Wh-which wouldn't have been good for Mabel. I d-doubt the girl wouldn't appreciated being u-used as an air bag. Exiting to the backside of the castle, Mabel led us into a garden filled with flowers. Sitting down under a tree covered in multi-colored flower blossoms, I blocked out M-Mabel and Kat's voices while pulling out my journal, eyes f-filled with h-horror… and determination. I-I could see Mabel give me a worried look, b-but I had to ignore it. I-I needn't pity, and I needn't force my trauma onto her. N-not now. I-I needed to focus.

Focus… that one reason might be why Kat and I hadn't been tempted yet. We had Mabel to keep us occupied, and while I wasn't completely sure about her, all I could think of was for my young friend's safety. Which meant, I-I had to figure this out. I had to figure out a-a way out of this, and get Mabel out of there. This place… i-it was playing tricks on my friends. B-but not me. N-no, no. Not me. I knew what was happening, and I-I wouldn't be fooled. Ne-never again. "Never… wait." I looked up, and glanced over at the girls. "Where exactly did Dipper go?"

3rd POV

Dipper stared down at the water, watching his reflection in the river. Trying his best to ignore the annoying music playing in the background, and the stuffed animal tree singing a whiles over, he chucked a rock over the surface. To his disgust and anger, the stone skipped perfectly across the water, accompanied by a child's giggling. "Ugh, even my stone skips are perfect!" Sighing, he let the anger fizzle out, and dropped to the grass. "Who am I kidding? Mabel's right. It's a horror show out there. At least the air in here is breathable."

"Why a-are you talking to the river?"

"Oh, hey, Elaine, what's up?" The teen carefully sat down next to him, pulling her knees to her chest and watching the water. "Did you and Mabel talk at all?"

"She-she's fine. She was worried about me, that's all. J-just as you were." Biting her lip, she looked back to him. "Y-you're right, you know. Th-this place, i-it's not right."

"I know. All we need now is a plan to get Mabel and get out of here." Nodding, Elaine picked up a stone beside her, tossing it in her hand.

"Well, y-you always think of something. M-might take a while, but you'll get it." Throwing the stone, they watched it skip merrily along before exploding in the sky in a burst of pink, with a sign that read she earned 100 points. As the giggling faded, she looked back over to Dipper, resting on her back in the long grass. "You know… you're a lot smart than a lot of people I know. Brave, f-funny. Heh. It's a-almost… weird. If it wasn't for the dimension thing, and m-maybe you w-were a little older, you'd be a-almost my dream guy."

"Wait." Dipper had barely laid down on his back when the words registered in his head. Staring at her in shock, he wondered if he had just misheard her. "Do you really mean that?"

"I've had time to think, and… I guess part of me does like more than just a friend and brother figure. Y-you already know t-there's some m-mutual feelings, kid. After what h-happened in the bunker. W-we're already pretty close. Hmm... in this place, ca-can't you be any age you want? I-if that was possible, th-then maybe…?"

"Wait, really!?" Rolling on to his knees, he and Elaine stared at each other. Was she going where she he thought she was going with this?

The older brunette, gave him a slightly excited smile, nodding. "M-Mabel could probably do that right now, i-if we asked. B-besides, what do we have to lose? I-it can just be you and me. Come on, Dipping Dots. Just take my hand." She stood up, holding out her unbandaged arm, Bill's blackened symbol all but stared back at him. Dipper slowly reached forward, until… d-did she just call him…?

Dipping Dots. __She called me Dipping Dots. Th-that's not Elaine!__ Forget the wrong name. Elaine would never ask something like this! "Aaahhh… this isn't real!" He shuffled back on the grass, putting space between himself and 'Elaine'. The instant the words left him, the impostor shifted into a living structure of red and black centipedes. Wriggling, and squirming, with two bright yellow eyes staring back at him. Screaming in horror, Dipper jumped to his feet as the impostor dissolved into the ground, the insects scurrying off. The sky, once bright and cheerful, turned into the same red-orange as the outside world, and the landscape darkened around him. __What's going on!? What's happening!?__

"You shouldn't have done that, Dippeerrrr!" The stuffed animal tree had rotated around to face him, with the same glowing eyes as 'Elaine' had. "We're watching you." The stuffed toys rotated around, all having turned the same monochrome gray. Their eyes… they were all the same glowing yellow, each with a single slit pupil. Just. Like. ****His****.

"THERE ARE EYES EVERYWHERE."

A bell rang through the air, and Dipper turned to see Sev'ral Timez riding a long bike down the road, with each member saying, "hey, Dipper." Once he turned around again… i-it was like nothing had happened. The sky was normal, a-and so was that cursed tree. Backing away, Dipper panted heavily as his heart skyrocketed. H-he was losing it. He-was he seeing things?

"This is crazy. Um-I'm losing my mind. We have to get out of here. We have to go back. To the real. WORLD!" He forced himself to say it as loud as he could, reassuring himself. The word echoed around the area, and before he knew it, one of the waffle guards tackled him to the ground, while another held a giant knife to his head. "H-hey!"

"Under Article Smiley Face of Exhibit Squeaky Duck, you are hereby accused of breaking our one rule: mentioning reality," the guard with the knife announced. The growing crowd muttered, shocked at how someone could possibly do such a heinous act. Wendy, Asger, Axel, Kat, Pacifica, and Elaine came running from wherever they were, with Mabel right behind them. The eldest teen looked petrified, darting from his sister to him as she tried to make sense of the situation. "Prepare to be banished from this land FOREVER."

"NO!" Elaine launched herself at the guard, only for Asger and Wendy to yank her back by her arms. The teen's strength was abnormal, her adrenaline kicking to high gear. Sh-she wasn't going to lose him! N-no! She just found Dipper! Sh-she wasn't going to lose him again! __I-I have to save him! I have to! I HAVE TO!__

The guard, giving a warning glare at her, tapped his weapon against the air, and an opening to the real world, his world, opened up. How this land of sunshine and daisies swelled when compared to the nightmare that was a mere foot away. "MABEL!" Dipper cried out, fighting against the hands that bound him. "You're smarter than this! Bill has you hypnotized or something! Are you really gonna let them banish me!?"

Of course she wouldn't! Even if her brother was being a big stick in the mud for his behavior, and not seeing how great this world really was, she didn't want him thrown back out there where Bill could find him. "No! Of course not; that's my brother, guys! There's gotta be another way." Maybe she could rewrite the bill…?

"Very well. If Dipper wishes to stay, he must plead his case in the ultimate trial. Of fantasy vs. reality," the guard declared. His eyes widened, seeing a fresh bite out of his lower half, and turned to Soos. "Hey! Seriously?"

Soos slowed in his chewing, maple syrup in hand. "It was him," he said, pointing to a stuffed rhino beside him. Slowly, Asger and Wendy eased up on their grip, and Elaine dropped to her hands and knees, sobbing raggedly. __I… I won't lose him. I-I won't lose anyone. Never again. I-I promised. I promised I'd keep us together...__ and I won't go back on my word.

* * *

 ** **Stay tuned for the next chapter of Law and Order: Gravity Falls edition.****

 ** **We get right into the second part of this episode, and we will end off with them returning to the Mystery Shack. H-how amazing is this? We're getting so close to the ending, and I can't wait to write Take Back the Falls!****

 ** **Pardon me if the next few chapters a little… long in wait time. My midterms are all squished together, and I have a lot to prep for. Besides, something this important needs all the time it can get to be written up. I've got big plans for this, and you're gonna love them.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	68. Law and Chaos

****Disclaimer: Alright, guys. Welcome to a Mabel version of Law and Order. All victims are guilty unless proven in a court of stuffed animals.****

 ** **ultima-owner: It was really sweet.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12:**** ** **Midt**** ** **erms. Two on a Tuesday, one on a Wednesday, and one on a Friday. All in the same week.****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Almost 70 chapters. Yep, this story's come a long way. Even now, with my learned experience, I continue to go back and edit old chapters to make them better.****

 ** **Galinn: I'm completely fine with story addiction.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (twice): It is her fault, but at the same time, it's also Bill's. Also… make life take the lemons BACK!****

 ** **the stargazer: The reason Elaine stutters in her thoughts is because her mind is essentially shattered due to Bill. Her thoughts are broken, and it's hard to think at times without breaking.****

 ** **Cynder: Dragon… muffins?****

 ** **FrostyAngelWings: I never really thought about Mabeland tricking Elaine like it did to the others. I think that, and this is just me, the reason why I chose that was because Bill created the bubble.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: No one's losing. We're all staying together. Be ready for more Bill and Elaine action coming up real soon.****

 ** **Sixer: I know DDLC. Watched a lot of people play it. Giffany is Monika in every way. Every. Way.****

 ** **OTGW Fan: Heard of it, but I've never watched it. Why do you ask?****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 20/18**

* * *

3rd POV

Bill floated back and forth atop of dais quietly, as thunder clouds began to form overhead. "Alright, can anyone explain to me why, even with our newfound INFINITE POWER-" the Henchmanicas scrambled desperately, dodging the lightning the chaos lord launched in anger-"none of us can escape the borders of this STUPID HICK TOWN!?" Pyronica nervously looked out from behind a destroyed pillar, brick smoldering from the blast. _Man,_ _i_ _s the boss angry with this barrier situation._ Yeah, they were too, but that didn't mean he had to take it out on them! Or was it about having almost killed the fleshy by throwing her out of a floating building hundreds of feet in the air? __Meh. Probably the second one more than the first.__

With a hand propped up against the side of his 'head' in thought, he floated back down to sit atop his new throne. Ah, a seat made of frozen human agony. Was there anything better than gazing upon their horror-stricken faces? "There's some kind of force field keeping us in, but who would know how to fix it?" His eye glanced over to Ford, sitting on one of the arm rests of the throne. Picking him up, he internally smirked, already hatching a plan. If there was one person who would have a clue about this, it'd be ol' IQ. "Hmm. Maybe someone needs to come out of retirement." His eye flashed through several journal pages, trying to come up with a possible answer that he may have come across while associating with the human in years past.

"Bill!" Blinking, he dismissed the images and looked down to the floor below. Keyhole ran up to him, still twitching from his attack earlier. "Uh, s-sorry, boss, but Gideon let the Pines family escape! They're inside Mabel's bubble as we speak!"

Well, what do you know? Pine Tree was still kicking after all. But did he really think he was worried about them being inside that bubble he cooked up? Ha! Laughing, he rose up at of the throne to look out the window of the room, staring out over the town. "Buddy, Mabel's bubble is the most diabolical trap I've ever created. It would take a will of titanium not to give into its temptations. Fetch me Gideon and take the rest of the day off. Things just got a little more interesting."

They certainly did. That family never ceased to amuse him. Also, yeah, he addressed Shooting Star as her real name. What of it? It didn't mean anything. He did the same with Sixer all the time! Still, something minor like that wasn't what really was on his mind. Sure, he could have plenty on his mind. He knew and saw all-well, almost all-but he knew enough to know that dear, sweet Angel survived that little drop she had. When Ron jumped out of the Fearamid after her, it was a given. That, and the creative curses she sent his way when she returned. He shrugged them off, but despite how casual he was with it… it still bothered him.

He was angry. Furious. Absolutely livid, when he watched how she reacted to his presence. Bill Cipher was no stranger to driving people insane. He had done that to many a mortal over the years, and when he had successfully broken Angel, it felt... wrong. Bad.

He ravaged her porcelain skin, harming it more than its initial state when he had first met her. It was hard to shake off the taste of her blood on his maw. She was sweet. Not like her lips, though. Peaches was always what he thought of there. Yet when she struck him, ramming her head against his mouth, he saw how terrified she was. Bloody, and covered in his saliva, and… she wanted him to end her life.

Why did it bother him so much!? He had so much power in him now! He could do anything! He was the ruler of this dimension, and one measly human shouldn't be affecting him that much! She broke her promise! She said so herself he wasn't a monster, then look what happened there! She 'fell' for him! That wasn't love. That was reliance. That was her depending on him so much to the point she grew too attached. She betrayed ****him****. Not the other way around. It was all on her for what befell her. He was supreme! Almighty! And that lousy human wasn't going to mess with his mind any more!

 _ _Then,__ Bill thought, narrowing his eye at the bubble. __Why do I feel so off?__

Elaine's POV

A trial. O-out of all possible things that I-I had expected to happen during this apocalypse, a trial wasn't o-one of them.

With my squad all but dragging me to the courthouse in case I'd try and attack another guard, I took my place in between Mabel and Dipper at the front of the room. All of the living cartoon characters filed in behind us, taking their seats in the yarn bleachers. Wendy, Soos, Asger, Pacifica, and Kat sat behind us, looking around uncomfortably. A-Axel was curled up at their feet, growling at Ducktective to just try to get any closer than he already was.

"Seriously, Mabel? You're letting them take our argument to court?" Dipper asked, finding the whole thing ridiculous same as me.

"Hey, I didn't make the rules in Mabeland," she shrugged.

"M-Mabel, there's a tapestry hanging over our heads of you making the rules. Your argument is invalid," I pointed out. A jug of punch was sitting on the table, with three mugs in front of us. __How l-long did they expect this to take?__

"All rise! For the honorable Judge Kitty Mitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein," a giraffe police officer announced. The giant pink cat-scratcher shook a moment, and a giant pink cat emerged from the hole at the bottom. It looked a-almost like the cat from her sweater from her date with the gnomes, e-except in judge clothing. Climbing to the top of the structure, he banged a squeaky mallet to call us to attention.

"Order! Order! This trial begins right meow!" __Eugh, no cat puns, please!__ The judge looked to the side, and suddenly began batting away at a piece of yarn dangling from the ceiling. That was a thing too, having the courthouse partially being made up of yarn. "Ohh! Ha haw! Oh!"

"Judge?" The giraffe cleared his throat, snapping the cat back to the matter at hand.

"Sorry, sorry." He cleared his own throat, and gestured down to Dipper. "We are here to try Dipper Pines in the case of fantasy vs. reality." The word fantasy appeared on one side of him in purple sparkly writing, while the word reality looked like a stamp you'd see on a report. __That… is a pretty accurate representation.__ "If Dipper wins, Mabel will return with him and Elaine to the real world! But if he loses he will be banished forever! And replaced with town darling, Dippy Fresh! Dippy, come on out."

"Flip-a-dip-dip!" Dippy Fresh struck a pose at the front of the room, and Dipper growled angrily.

"I hate him. So. Much!" He pounded the table with each break of his sentence, and I nodded in agreement.

"The final decision will be made by a jury of your peers." __What peers?__ Mabel grinned, and clapped her hands. Sparkles rose up from her hands, drifting over to the jury stand where six Mabel clones appeared. Each one was decked out in a sweater she wore during the summer, and the group began to laugh and compliment each other loudly.

"Look, Mabel, this whole thing is ridiculous. But if winning a trial is what it takes for you to come with us, then so be it," Dipper said, determined. He wa-wasn't going down so easily. He was going to b-bring his sister home with him.

"I'm sorry, Dipper, but I can only speak through my legal team now." __Legal team?__ The door at the back swung open, and Xyler and Craz walked in wearing suits with the sleeves cut off.

"We have a doctorate degree in hunkiness!" Craz announced.

"Also criminal and international law," Xyler added.

"Let's hear openin' statements," the pink cat said. With that, the trial began, and I prayed Dipper had something up his sleeve to w-win Mabel back.

"Your honor, townsfolk, lovely ladies of the jury." The Mabels laughed at the compliment, and one rolled out of her seat.

"My case is simple: this very unrighteous dude thinks that reality is better than fantasy." Craz pointed at Dipper, making him squirm nervously. "But reality is bogus, lame, and whack." A board appeared beside him, and he pointed at it with a stick. Each descriptive word appeared on it as he said them, written in the same creative font as fantasy was in.

"Objection your honor, that's conjecture," Dipper said.

"Meowverruled," the judge dismissed him.

"I'd like to show you this 'reality' that Diper loves so much, and show you how it has wronged my client, and Dipper, their entire lives." Craz opened a briefcase he brought in, and handed Xyler a book titled " ** **Mabel's Memories****." M-memories? Wha-what's going on here? "Exhibit A. Mabel's scrapbook. Second grade. October tenth." Opening the book, I watched as the scene around us shifted to a parking lot in front of an elementary school. __I-it's not real. Th-this is just a memory. Y-you're still in the bubble, in Gravity Falls.__

"Photo day," Dipper looked behind him, and we saw a young Dipper and Mabel sitting in chairs, waiting for their chance to get their picture taken. Orange and yellow leaves fell down around them, showing a normal autumn day.

Dipper, wearing a blue hat and green jacket, sniffed while rubbing his nose. "Darn allergies."

Mabel was wearing a purple sparkly skirt and a pink shirt with a rainbow on it. Her arms were covered in slap bracelets, and her long hair was down up in two braided pigtails with pink ribbons. "Boom! A million slap bracelets! I'm gonna have the best photo ever! And how d'you like my new pigtaaaillls?" She waved her head back and forth, swinging her hair around.

"Have fun, brat!" Before Mabel knew it, the girl who just finished taking her picture stuck her chewing gum into her hair, making the other children laugh at her.

"Ah! Gum! You ruined my hair!" Mabel tugged at it, but only made it worse. "Dipper, what do I do?"

"Um, well, I, um-I don't-" Mabel took off from her seat, ignoring Dipper's shout as she ran out of the courtyard, crying into her arm. To the older twins, Dipper and me looked over at Mabel, who avoided our stares.

"Mabel's fantasy was having a great school photo, but reality had other plans." Dipper turned to face Craz, annoyed.

"Look, that was one bad day!" He yelled.

"One of many," Xyler countered. "February fourteenth, fourth grade. Valentine's Day."

"Oh, come on, man, you can't." What happened th-that day? The scene shifted, and now we were looking at a slighter older Mabel and Dipper. Still wearing pink, but now with her hair up in a ponytail, Mabel dumped out all of the valentines she got onto her desk.

"How many valentines did you get, Dipper?" Mabel asked. Dipper, wearing the same ratty hat he showed up in on the first day, shook his bag, but nothing came out.

"Oh, hey, ha ha!" A boy in a black shirt with blonde hair laughed, getting up to look for himself. "Dipper didn't get any! Oh, man, I thought I was the class loser! Hey, everyone, Dipstick didn't get any!" The classroom pointed at Dipper, laughing and chanting the humiliating nickname over and over again. Dipper, covering his face, ran for the door while tripping over the wastebasket. The boy elbowed Mabel, smiling. "Heh. I can't believe that kid's your brother." Mabel held up her cards, frowning.

The court room returned, and Dipper furiously turned to Xyler and Craz. "Hey, what's the point of all this? That was in the past!"

"Is your life any better now, bro?" Xyler held up the scrapbook, " ** **bad memories**** " was written on top of the page. "Heartbreak." The scene showed an image of me and Dipper talking on the log, where I was putting down his advances. "Disaster." Him lying in a bruised mess against the tree when B… the d-demon fired him backwards in retaliation. "Broken promises." Th-the last scene… was the one I knew struck both of us. Stan's Mindscape, where he a-and Mabel f-found out about my deal. Me, r-running into the Mystery Shack, w-with a shocked Mabel and an enraged Dipper left behind. "That's reality for you."

"Out there, it's nothing but heartbreak," Craz added. "But in here, who wants pug sundaes!?" Sundaes shaped in dogs' heads appeared in the Mabels' hands, and they licked the ice cream in unison. "Hand me a microphone, Xyler. Xyler handed one over after putting the book down, and he dropped it.

"Totally righteous, bro!"

"Are we brothers?"

"I don't know!"

"Well, I think we're ready for a verdict," Judge Kitty Kitty Meow Meow Face-Shwartstein said casually, batting the string again.

"Wait!" I shouted, standing from my chair. "D-Dipper didn't p-present his case yet!"

"Does he even have a case?" __Di-did he__? Dipper stood up, giving a look at Mabel before he took my hand and moved me to the front of the room. Mabel was rocking back and forth in her chair, singing to herself. Sh-she thought this was all over. Oh, no. N-no. We're not through yet.

"Yes, I do, your honor. I call as a witness: Mabel Pines!" The crowd gasped, and Mabel sat upright at the announcement.

"Uh, objection?" She raised her hand slowly, looking at me unsure.

"I'll allow it. Us cats are famously curious. Meow meow." Mabel moved forward to the red chair for the witnesses, as the group behind us muttered at where the twin was going.

Dipper sighed, and with a quick encouraging nod from me, he began. "Mabel, listen. I might not have all the answers. I'm not styling," he gestured to Xyler and Craz, "and I'm not cool," he motioned to a crowd surfing Dippy Fresh, "and I can't make pugs appear out of thin air," he ended with a snap of his fingers. The Mabels booed at him, displeased with his attempt to sway their minds. "But I know one thing well, and that's you. And I know that although you might act like it, you don't wanna be in this fantasy world."

"Uh, pffsh, yeah right," Mabel said. Sh-she was lying. It was clear to me, to Dipper, and to her especially. Sh-she wasn't happy here.

"You're scared. Of growing up. And who could blame you; I'm scared, too," he continued, brushing off her words.

"Uh." Mabel quickly covered her ears, blocking him out. "LA LA LA LA LA LA I'M NOT LISTENING! GUARDS!" She clapped her hands. "THE FINGERS!" The waffle guards rushed forward on either side, sticking foam fingers on poles in her ears.

"Look, real life stinks sometimes, okay, I'm not gonna lie. But there's a better way to get through it than denial, and that's with help from people who care about you. It's how we've gotten through our whole lives. Just look." I reached behind us to grab the s-scrapbook off the table, handing it to Dipper. With a gentle smile, he opened it up, and we were back in the courtyard of the school.

A teary-eyed Mabel was frowning at the camera, gum still in her hair as Dipper ran up to her. The boy had ditched the coat, and was holding a hand behind his back. "Mabel! I figured out a way to fix your photo!"

"What? You have a wig?" She sniffed.

"No! But, I have a razor!" Holding it out for her to see, he removed his hat and shaved a line down his head. Mabel laughed, and took the razor from him.

"Ha ha! You're crazy!" She buzzed a matching line down her head, shaving off the gum and leaving both twins with matching bald spots. Laughing, the two hugged each other while the camera went off, taking a picture of the two dorks. Mabel, present Mabel, took the fingers away from her ears. Her eyes were wide, and she was watching intently.

The scene changed again, showing the older Dipper in a closet, knees to his chest. With sad eyes, he turned to see a pink object slide under the door. A heart, made of a bunch of valentines taped together. What made him really smile was what the girl had written on top of them.

" ** **For My Favorite Brother****." Returning to the courtroom, I watched Dipper turn the book around to show more memories. "We've always been there for each other." The time after the first swim at the pool, wh-where they comforted me about how I felt about receiving people's pity. Our reunion at the end of the opera, and… my explanation of my past at the end of the robot fight with Gideon. Everything we'd done this summer, I-I was there with them. In the beginning, I n-never wanted to get close. I never wanted this to happen. But n-no matter what I did, no ma-matter how much I tried, I always was there with them. A-and I loved it. I loved being there, going on all of those adventures, solving mysteries, and discovering the truths of this town.

"Mabel, I thought you were living a fantasy, but look at me! I actually thought I was gonna stay here and be Ford's apprentice! Spend my entire tens cooped up in a basement with a lab coat? How ridiculous is that?" Setting the book down, he moved closer to Mabel. "We were right, about not wanting to turn into Ford and Stan. Being stuck out here, dealing with demons and everything all by himself? It nearly drove Ford insane. Maybe, one day, I might take his offer, but not now. I'm still a kid, and I should be able to live my life how I want before making a life-changing decision like that. I don't know what's gonna happen in the future, but whatever it is, you don't have to fear because we'll do it together. I'm not taking Ford's apprenticeship. We've traveled to heck and back to get you and we're goin' back together."

I stood up from my seat, and walked towards Dipper, and rested a hand on his shoulder for support. My hazel eyes locked on to Mabel's brown ones, and gave a warm smile. "A-always together, no matter what. I-I'm not staying in Gravity Falls. I promised I would be there, to keep you together. To keep ****us**** together. I-I know I will never heal from this summer, or ever get over what I've done, but I've put so much trust and faith in you dorks, heck, I can get past anything. Leave this fantasy world. Let's beat B… Bill and grow up together." We held out our hands, and I saw Mabel close to tears. The crowd muttered at our speech, and the judge was starting to panic.

"ORDER! ORDER! ORDER IN THE COURT!" He banged his mallet, but all that did was continue to make a squeaky noise. "Dang it, why is this hammer squeaky!?" Mabel hopped down from her chair, moving over to us. Her hands were knitted together, surprise and hopefulness clear as day on her face.

"You mean it? You b-both are really coming home with me?" Dipper and me smiled, not missing a beat, and nodded together.

"Yes. Definitely. Absolutely," we replied in unison, before he moved forward another step. "Awkward sibling hug?" Those three words, meant so much more right now than they ever did when we first came to this little town, triggered a fright through the crowd. The illusions shrieked, shouting at her not to do it. Mabel looked at her arms, and opened them wide.

"Sincere sibling hug." No pulling. No forcing me into it like the first time. I pulled the two into my arms as they hugged each other tightly. The cat judge yelled something, but we didn't even notice. W-we were together again. Me, Mabel, and Dipper. The Mystery Kids. "Pat pat." I closed my eyes, and giggled happily into the top of Mabel's hair. Slowly, we let go of our hug, and Mabel went to rub her eyes. "Aw, man, I never noticed how bright this place is, ugh! Have I actually been listening to the same song for an entire week?" _Mabel, it was three days… I think._ The judge meowed distressingly, and she stepped back. "Whoa, time to calm you down." She clapped twice, but frowned nervously as she saw nothing had happened. The crowd looked away from her and our friends, scowling as a strange and uncomfortable ambiance began to settle in around us. "Uh, why isn't this working?"

"Because your reign over this land is OVER." The cat split open right down the middle shedding the pink fur to reveal a nightmare-ish monster of black wriggling yarn. The creatures around us turned to gray, wi-with glowing red eyes as the room darkened around us. __I-It's Stan's mind all over again!__ Craz and Xyler, surprisingly not turned evil, hugged each other and screamed.

"We gotta get out of here!" Pacifica shouted as the group jumped off their seats.

"Guys! Paradise is canceled!" Dipper yelled at them. As fast as they could, they ran out of the court room as the entire world turned gray. Loose strands of yarn fell from the crocheted clouds above our heads, and the sky turned into a blood red inside of the sparkling pink. Mabel's statue fell feet behind us, barely missing Kat. The citizens rushed towards us, and Mabel directed our way to Waddles. The snoozing pig was still a giant, and we climbed up on top of him with a ladder. "Asger, can you-!?"

"On it!" Yanking Wendy and Pacifica by their hands, he all but through them onto the dragon, before climbing on himself. "Now what!?"

Mabel slapped his forehead, waking Waddles from his nap. The pig stood, and we gripped his saddle as he gave a loud oink, stunning the monsters as they covered their ears. "Take us to freedom, Giant Waddles! Yah!"

The pig ran off as fast as his chubby little legs could carry him. With me in the middle, Soos and Kat in the back, and the twins up front, we ran as fast as we could. A snarl came up from beside us, and I found myself pinned on the saddle as a demonic Dippy Fresh bared his teeth at me. Shrieking, I struggled against him, as his hands went to wrap around my throat. "Oh no, you don't!" As my vision blurred, I saw someone reach behind the monster, grabbing his head… w-was that snapping bone!?

A loud thump of something hitting the ground follow suit, as I trembled trying to refill my lungs. "Elaine, come on, breathe, dang it! Breathe!" Dipper shook me, and I blinked back tears. Dipper, d-did he just…!? __He snapped Dippy Fresh's neck, holy cow.__ "Mabel, we're running out of room here!"

"Alright," she yelled back. "Are you ready for this?" Everyone nodded, and she reached down to grab a giant knitting needle from the ground below as Waddles ran by. "Sorry, Mabeland. It's time to burst your BUBBLE!" Waddles leaped through the air, and as all of us neared the edge of the bubble, Mabel pierced the magical confides with her weapon. The reaction was instantaneous. In a burst of confetti, we went flying onto the top of the cliff, groaning. Me more than everyone else. W-with the bubble gone, ev-everything reverted to normal. So… all of my wounds… my leg… m-my bleeding burn and eye were back to their terrible state they were prior. Mabel was equally messed up, sporting a few scratches, and was now back in her birthday sweater from a few days ago. "Ugh. You all good, everyone good?"

Waddles shrank back to his normal size, and as soon as Axel landed with the others, we all hugged the girl tightly. "We've missed you, Mabel," Soos said, voicing everyone's thoughts. As we let go, Mabel looked at me and Dipper, shuffling her feet. I was still taking deep breathes, trying to correct my lungs. Yeah, j-just try to get over the fact now that despite the fact everything back there wasn't real, it's hard to get past the fact Dipper just freaking snapped someone's neck. __G-guess he really hated Dippy Fresh.__

"Hey, Dipper? I appreciate what you said back there, but if you want to take Ford's apprenticeship, I won't get in your way." Dipper waved his hand, signaling her not to worry.

"Psh. And miss out on your awkward teen years? You wish." The two shared a laugh, and Mabel looked up at me doubtfully. I could see the silent question, and so, I answered it with the truth.

"I meant what I said back there." I-I wasn't stuttering. I-I was still a wreck, yes, b-but I was… better. They made me feel better. "I can't leave my family, can I?" Mabel grinned, tears dripping from her face as she wiped them away.

"Man, I went nuts back there. I mean, come on. The real world can't be that bad, right?"

"Ugh, yeah, about that," Kat mumbled. We turned around, and looked off over the town below. The water tower was still walking around, and so was the giant Gompers. Farther in the distance was the Fearamid, still hovering directly over the town itself. Or… what was probably left of the town.

"Ooh, that's not good," Asger remarked. "Come on, let's… let's get down to ground level."

The hike itself was… long, at best. My leg wasn't perfect, but Kat still let me lean on her when I felt close to dropping. Sticking close together, our survival group headed into town, staring in horror at the wrecked buildings, shattered windows, and destroyed roads. Telephone poles were knocked down, breaking off the power, and several ruined cars were stacked up on top of each other nearby. The wind blew dust by us around our feet, and we listened. There was… nothing. No sound at all, except for the wind in our ears. "Where is everyone?" Pacifica asked, looking around next to Mabel.

"The town's deserted," Wendy noted. "Or hiding at best." Well, any sane person would, if you wanted to be out of his watchful eye.

"Did Bill already win?" Soos asked the million dollar question.

"N… no." I felt their gazes on me, and I shakily shook my head. "No, i-it's not over. It barely even began. Something's… not right here. If he had won, there'd be nothing left of this town."

"Then let's see if we can hide out in the Shack until we can come up with a plan," Dipper suggested. "Let's go." Heading to the road that lead to the Mystery Shack, we began hiking down it, keeping close to the tree line in case one of Bill's bats came flying by. As we marched, Mabel tugged on my shirt, and I looked back at her. Dipper had also turned around, and we saw… sadness, and… regret, all over Mabel's face. "Mabel?"

"I've been selfish, haven't I?" __Wh-what?__ "Dipper, I-this summer, I've ended up interfering with things you wanted to do, and I never once cared about how you felt in the end. Mermando, the time machine thing at the fair. Heck, even Bill called me out on it during my sock opera." She kicked a rock in frustration, sending it off into a ditch. "You… you're so much braver and smarter than me, and I-I want to be a better person. I wanna be like you and Elaine. Someone selfless, and can be serious and silly at the same time."

"Mabel, sweetheart, you're already perfect just the way you are." I stroked the top of her head, smiling. "You just need a little more guidance when it comes to stuff like the supernatural, and bigger problems when they come up. Being able to make choices that benefit everyone… heh. Something I personally haven't done when I made that d… deal."

"We've all got flaws, Mabel. We just need to learn how to see them and fix them," Dipper added. _Wise words to live by._ My face brightened, when I saw the Shack's roof just up ahead. "Yes! It's in shambles! Just like we left it." I laughed at his choice of words, and saw everyone else was smiling too.

"Oh, man, this is the first time I've ever felt happy going to work," Wendy added. The seven of us ran to the building, wasting no time and getting within the barrier.

"Hello, house. Hello, porch. Hello, wads of gum I left stuck to the couch," Mabel announced, jumping onto said couch and peering behind it. Once we were on the deck, Dipper went to grab the handle, but stopped when he heard something.

"Wait, what was that? Shh." Hushing us, he picked up a golf club left by the front door. Taking his example, Wendy aimed her crossbow-where did she even get that?-Mabel held out her grappling hook, and Soos turned his hat around and pounded his fists together. Kat and Pacifica stood by Asger, with Axel growling at the door, ready to bounce if need be. Me? I focused what power I still had into my hands, ready to use that spell if I had to. Though, it'd most likely result in me passing out if I did it.

"Let's get 'em, dudes," Soos said. _Deep breathes, Elaine. One… two…_ Dipper kicked open the door, and we all barged in on my silent countdown. "Yaaahh!"

"Yaaaahhhh!" I was expecting a few things behind the door, when Dipper said he heard something inside. A unicorn, a manotaur, a biker, the woodpecker guy, Candy, Grenda, Blubs, Fiddleford, some gnomes, and Grunkle Stan were not what I had in mind.

Dipper, Mabel, and I gaped, staring at the man. "Stan?" We all sprouted the uncle's name, it being the only thing we could think of in the moment.

"Kids?" He briefly lowered his baseball bat, as he looked to be ready to bash in the head of whoever he thought was coming in.

We stared at each other in the tense, quiet air, until a toilet flushed down the hall and the multi-bear came out with a cardboard roll. "Just so everyone knows, we're out of toilet paper." He looked at everyone, briefly distracting us from the fact we were almost going to brawl. "Did I miss something?"

* * *

 ** **There ha**** ** **s**** ** **been many a fan who disliked how Dipper just gave up on his apprenticeship. For me, I think I did a good job explaining why he didn't take it. A twelve year old most certainly can't make a decision like that, especially with how little he knew of Ford beforehand. He knew him, what, a few weeks? True, they got close, but I feel like asking Dipper something like that was way too fast.****

 ** **Plus, I wanted Mabel to show how terrible she felt at how she'd behaved during the summer.****

 ** **By the way, in case anyone's interested, I added a new story into my ongoing poll for what stuff I should write next. Danganronpa is now option eleven, and with how dark GFA can get sometimes, I have a feeling I'll enjoy writing something like that. And there's one last thing I wanted to mention.****

 ** **Do any of you have any ideas for the sequel? Story ideas, new monsters and characters, an actual plot as I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm making notes in my journal about what to do next!****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	69. Take Back the Falls

****Disclaimer:**** ** **F**** ** **our midterms are an absolute pain to go through. I still have one large assignment due next week that I need to work on, and seeing how I haven't even started the next chapter (and boy, is it going to be big!), you can expect the next update to be a little over a week. Two weeks, tops.****

 ** **By the way, I can't believe you guys loved Dipper snapping Dippy Fresh's neck! Ha ha! That was a blast to write!****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: Punch the demon!****

 ** **Guest: When I found that scene with Dippy Fresh, I just HAD to add it in there. I knew there'd be people who'd like it.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: Her ultimate won't be revealed until later in the story, but for now, it's just a test to see if anyone's interested in me continuing it. As for Ford… that won't be discussed until after Weirdmageddon is over.****

 ** **PosionCupcake: I wanted to make that trial go more smoothly. Personally, I think Dipper was almost being forced by Ford into that apprenticeship. Considering in the past few days, Elaine had been assaulted, almost had her head crushed between his fingertips, got blown up in the clock tower, thought Dipper was dead before finding him again only to almost lose him, and all the other stuff that went on in the Fearamid, her emotions have been kicked into overdrive. In a nutshell, she's going to go through major therapy when this is all over. The experiences left her on the brink of a broken shell.****

 ** **Sixer: I never watched Invader Zim. Never really interested me. Also, yes to the murder of Dippy Fresh!****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: I'd say both. It was both of their faults.****

 ** **EntityNobody: Bye-bye, Dippy Fresh!****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Bill and Elaine will reunite in the sequel, but how will remain a mystery. Don't want to spoil anything here.****

 ** **Guest (another one): I will burn your house down, with the lemons!****

 ** **ultima-owner: Yay, feels!****

 ** **Cynder (three times): What parts in your opinion needed fixing? I don't have the time to look it over myself at the moment, with all of these projects and assignments wrapping up, so could you let me know? I'm already fixing up older chapters to correct past mistakes in them.****

 ** **the Stargazer: That's not going to be a thing in the sequel, sorry. The Bill-Stan theory interested me,**** ** **but**** ** **I didn't see it as a possibility.****

 ** **Wolfbuff55: Shame it's ending though.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Oct. 21/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

What felt like time slowed down as we processed what we were seeing, sped up within seconds. "Wait." Dipper, Mabel, and I all but threw down our weapons, launching ourselves at Grunkle Stan as fast as we could. "Grunkle Stan!" The elderly man tossed his baseball bat to the side, letting us into his arms. _W-we did it! We finally found him!_ __Grunkle Stan__ _ _is__ _ _alive!__ I thought happily, grinning like an idiot. _He's_ _ _safe! Ha ha! Yes!__

"Kids! I can't believe it! I thought I lost you three!" Soos enveloped Stan in a hug on the right, much more tightly than we were and almost knocked us over.

"Mr. Pines! It's really you! I've been hugging strangers to practice for this moment." Wendy, following our lead, slammed in on the left to join in, trapping Stan in the middle of us.

"We missed you, you old codger." Asger, Kat, Pacifica and Axel grinned at our enthusiasm, and I gave a shaky laugh. I-I couldn't help it. Stan was alive! A part of me had relaxed at the revelation, setting some worries to rest. I nuzzled my face into his jacket, letting joyous tears stain his clothing.

"I've missed you knuckleheads, too," Stan chuckled as we all let go. Waddles happily ran around us at our feet, snorting. "It's good to have you back."

"So, tell us, Stan," Kat wandered up, looking around. "What's happening here, exactly?" Asger gasped as several of the Lilliputtians ran past our feet, reminding him of our less-than-memorable time at the golf course.

"Yeah, there's like monsters and gnomes," Mabel added. "And now that I'm thinking about, do I wanna know why Pacifica is wearing a potato sack?"

"Hey!" Pacifica exclaimed, shoving her playfully. "Even in a sack, I still look better than you."

"It's… it's a long story," the multi-bear muttered, sporting an eye patch on one of his heads.

"Hey, is anyone gonna feed me?" I stumbled back as Larry King's wax head asked he question from within the vents, bumping into Kat n the process. __So he's been in here all summer?__ Well, Dipper did get stuck in there while trying to find him. "Larry King's disembodied wax head wants num-nums."

"We're trying to ration our food, remember?" Grenda reminded him. The wax head in return began chewing on her ponytail, grossing her out. "Uhhh… it's happening again." The bear monster closed the vents, blocking the wax head from interacting with us.

"Hey, everyone!" One of the manotaur's shouted, looking out the door. "Eye-bat!" Gasping, I barely acknowledged a gnome's and Stan's shouts as I booked it into the house, away from the door with the others following suit. The lights went out behind me, plunging our path into darkness. Once I reached the largest location I knew of that didn't have any big open windows, I waited for the rest to catch up to me. __The parlor,__ I recalled. A small flicking noise came beside me, and I saw Stan had lit up a match in his hands. Throwing it across the room, it landed into a large drum, igniting the contents and brightening the entire room. So many… people, and monsters. All injured, and h-hurt.

"Welcome to what's left of normal around here. Home base," Stan said. Small windows were boarded up, and cardboard was scattered around the floor. There were lanterns, dividers to separate sleeping quarters, and so many people sported bruises, bandages, ugly looking casts, and a unicorn was curled up half-petrified in the corner. Toby Determined was currently getting tranquilizer darts pulled out of his skin by some gnomes on a couch, and even Sev'ral Timez looked a huge mess with arrows in arms and crutches to carry themselves.

"Ah!" I turned over to Dipper's direction, and found him facing Rumble McSkirmish. "Rumble McSkirmish?" The sprite character wasn't sporting any damage, but it was easy to see he was just as shaken as the next person-err... creature.

"Do not be afraid. Weirdmageddon has taught me, there was some battles I cannot win. I am now Humble McSkirmish." A sign popped up beside him, showing him losing points through despair.

"Grunkle Stan, how'd this all happen?" Mabel asked as Dipper moved back over to her. Pacifica, Asger, Kat, and Wendy moved over to where Grenda and Candy were, currently discussing the last few days, and I wandered around to see things for myself. So much f-fear, and sadness… it was terrible.

"So I was hammering signs out back when the sky started vomiting nightmares. I listen to a lot of AM radio so I knew what this meant: the end of the world. What I didn't expect was what happened next. Turns out whatever you, Elaine, and my brother did to the Shack with our unicorn voodoo made the crazy place invincible to weirdness." Dipper nodded in agreement, remembering what we experienced when we ran back inside when the we-weirdness wave rushed over us. "That's when Possum Breath over here shows up leading a bunch of injured stragglers through the forest." Stan pointed at Fiddleford, working away at his laptop in a chair. "They needed a place to stay and since the mayor got captured, I elected myself de facto chief." On top of his torn suit was a red sash, saying said title. I-I never really noticed, but just like everyone else, Stan had several bruises on his face and hands. "The plan's to stay in here and eat Brown Meat until we run out," he held up a can of said food from a shelf, "then I vote we eat the gnomes."

Jeff, currently standing on a shelf below where the food was, glared at him. "Hey! I'm short, not deaf!"

"Shh! Shh! Stress will make you chewy," Stan said, pressing a finger to his face. __D-does he seriously think we'll resort to eating sentient beings?__

"Grunkle Stan, we can't all just hide inside the Shack," Dipper complained. "There's a town in need of saving. Me, Elaine, and Ford tried to do it, but… they got captured by Bill." The ending came out hesitant, as the twin didn't want to admit what had happened. It didn't matter to me. Stan was going to find out eventually… unfortunately.

"Serves that je-what!?" Stan dropped the can, the words stunning him. "Kid? Elaine, is he tellin' the truth?" His eyes darted to me, and in his eyes, I could s-see he was praying he heard Dipper wrong. Concern and worry was all I saw, wondering how I had even survived such an ordeal. _I-I… I don't know how I'm still alive either. I… I was asking him to kill me._

"It's… Stan, l-look at me." I moved over to him, and I could feel everyone staring at me. Their eyes… felt so heavy upon my battered shoulders. With my limp, I dragged myself over to stand before him, and I could see Fiddleford closing the laptop as he got up from his chair. "B-mmmm… the demon did this to me. H-he blew us up, b-burned the journals, petrified F-Ford, and h-held me hostage f-for th-three days." My sentences were getting choppy and my breathing was shallow, b-but I couldn't stop. H-he had to know. "I-I've been clawed at, burned, threatened, starved-"well, that was more my fault, but could you blame me? "-choked… I-I only escaped because h-he threw me out of the Fearamid!" I shouted, finding tears starting to run down my face again for the millionth time. They weren't sad tears. These were angry tears. Frustrated tears.

"He what!?" Dipper cried in shock, making me wince at the loudness as I regained my breath. "Elaine, that was hundreds of feet in the air! How are you still alive!?"

"P-Pyronica went against orders and caught me before I hit the ground. Sh-she's how I knew you were still alive." I trembled violently, and hugged myself to keep it together. "St-Stan, he's right though. Ford's a-an idiot, but we can't just stay here. W-we need to put an end to this." How did everyone else not freak out over us talking about Ford? Di-did Stan already discuss him with Fiddleford and the others?

"Elaine, look at yourself. You really think it'd be wise to head out after what you just said you went through?" I bit my lip, looking down at my feet. Stan walked past us, sitting down in a lounge chair. "We're safe here, okay? Besides, I'm sure wherever the rest of the townsfolk are, they're fine." He dropped his hand onto the armrest, turning on the TV. It was crackling, but the image was clear enough to see a nervous Shandra on the other side.

"This is Shandra Jimenez reporting live from the inside of Bill's castle." What!? H-how did she get in there? "Here for the first time are images of what's happened to the captured townsfolk. Viewers are advised to look away if they don't want to see their friends turned into a twisted throne of human agony."

 _Oh, sweet teacups!_ I-I knew that the townsfolk were all petrified. Turned to stone by those bats from the Nightmare Realm. B-but this… this was the most heart-wrenching thing I've ever seen. The teens… Asger's and Pacifica's family… Wendy's family… all turned to stone with fearful and pained expressions permanently stuck to their faces. And every single one of them was stacked in a way on top of the dais to create a throne: a throne of human agony. Th… this is what Bill was up to the moment I was thrown away like a toy? Playing with more humans to his and the Henchmaniacs' amusement!?

"Mom and dad?" Pacifica whimpered, hugging Asger tightly with tears in her eyes.

"My family!" Wendy shouted.

"Mom!" Kat cried, seeing her family stuck beside Manly Dan.

"Deputy Durland!" Blubs shouted.

"Is there no one who will save the people of this town? I'm Shandra Jimenez and I'm being turned into stone by a flying eyeba-AAHHH!" A ominous red light came over the reported, and from the bottom upwards, she stared at us in terror as the stone encased her, and we could hear her choking breath before her lungs stopped altogether. The camera cut off the moment her face was turned, her blank eyes staring back at us as we went to static.

"Oh, no. My parents are bad but even they don't deserve to be turned to stone," Pacifica said, hands to her chest as she tried to calm her rapidly beating heart.

"Curse you, Bill!" Blubs dropped to his knees in front of the TV, slamming a fist into the floor. "Why must you take everything we love!?" He ripped his shirt open, and began crying heavily.

Ignoring the... weird gesture, Blubs had a point. What more could we do? Ford's captured, and with almost the entire town like… i-it's hopeless. "Guys, don't you see?" I looked up at Mabel, who had climbed onto the top of the multi-bear. "Our friends need us, but we can only save them if we fight back." She reached down to pull Dipper up beside her. Hand in hand, they supported each other, looking down at us.

"Mabel is right. Bill wants us to be afraid, to run and hide. He wants us to think he's invincible. But Ford told me and Elaine before he was captured that he knows Bill's secret weakness." _W-weakness… weakness... wha-I-I got it._

"T-the zodiac," I murmured, before clearing my throat. "The zodiac!" I shouted clearly, reaffirming myself. Moving to the twins and monster, I stood in front so as to have all of their attention. All eyes were on me, and I-I wasn't shaken. I-I knew what to do. "Months ago, I-I had talked to h-him about a circle. A zodiac, as he called it. This mystical thing was shown on his summoning page in journal two, and seemed to play an important role in B… Bill Cipher's creation. I-I don't know how it works, or why it exists, but i-if anyone knows it, it's Ford."

Dipper beamed at me, and I shyly smiled back. "Now, if we band together, if we combine all of our strengths, our smarts, our… whatever Toby has…"

"Various rashes!"

"… ye-yes. If we don't do something, it'll only be a matter of time before it's our entire universe. So I say: band together, and take the fight to him! We are canceling the weird-pocalypse!" The room was filled with cheers and a fireball from Rumble, and I couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't from how silly it sounded, but from how much hope came from that speech. H-hope. I-I hadn't felt that since before this whole mess started. W-we could do this! There was no stopping-!

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!" Stan waved his arms. "Have you all forgotten who's in charge here? Besides, we're only safe inside! It's not like we can take the Mystery Shack to Bill." He's… got a point. There's no way we could possibly bring this entire building all the way across town.

"Whoa-whoa! Holy hootenany! Flapjack and fiddlebanjos!" We all looked at Fiddleford, who gave the loud cry. "Sorry, sorry. Got a little excited." His foot began to thump loudly on the floor before he slapped his knee to stop the action. "What I meant to say is I think I figured out a way to fight Bill and rescue Ford. But we're all gonna have to work together." He snapped his fingers, and a gnome put the same green glasses he found in the Blind Eye's lair on him. "Now. You just…" the gang, meaning my squad, Soos, Pacifica, and the twins huddled up around him, and they whispered back and forth.

Sighing, I turned to look a disgruntled Grunkle Stan. _He really shouldn't get too annoyed over this._ The man needed something to take his mind off of all… this. "S-Stan, I'll… I'll be right back. I need to change my clothes and treat all of… this." I gestured to myself, making him smile sadly.

"Alright, kiddo." He patted my head, and I headed back towards the door. "It's nice to have you back, Elaine." Pausing, I turned to look back at him.

"Heh… thanks, Stan. It's great to be back." How much I missed this place. And him.

The Mystery Shack was more-or-less left alone upstairs, except for a good chunk of the medical supplies missing in the bathroom. However, I still had my own private stash in the drawers behind my bed. It was an emergency stash, in case we either ran out or I had to throw some into my bag before running off into the forest. Undoing the flannel and tossing it into the garbage and laying Pyronica's shawl onto the covers, I stared at the can in silence. B-Bill, h-he was so close to undoing my bra. While I managed to p-prevent anything else from happening, especially… mmm… the damage he had done to me was more than enough. Untying the gauze, I grimaced at the rotten smell of blood, drool, and the scent of decay. N-not mine, b-but from Bill's saliva. A-after all, I didn't eat living, breathing people.

Throwing the distasteful rags into the garbage too, and making a note to burn them later, I began to bite back screams as I applied the long-awaited alcohol onto the gouges. It burned. Oh, how it burned. But… it needed to be done. Several wounds clearly showed signs of infection, having started to turn a gruesome red and purple hue. I-I needed medical attention pronto, but w-we didn't have time for that. I-I could move my arms for now, and I was still walking fine… somewhat. I was okay for now. "O-okay. Now to wrap 'em up." Winding the clean bandages around my arms, hand, and shoulders, I shuddered at the all-too-clear bite mark on my shoulder. It was deep, and the scar it would lave would be a nasty one.

Sighing, I shook my head as I struggled to lift my arms and pull on a fresh tank top. "Baby steps, Elaine. J-just be patient." The flannel was easier to put on, but with how shaky my fingers were, the buttons were difficult to deal with. Of course, now I had to go downstairs to get some boards to make a splint for my leg. Something I could support my weight on for now, like a brace or something.

I-I really had gone through so much. The bite, and the c-clawing, and… I-I was never, ever going to heal from this. Ever. It's-I was going to need a lot of therapy for this. Stanford, if-when… now it's when. It's no longer an if. When we find him, he'd no doubt piece together what happened to me. __Imagining how he'll possibly react to that… if he finds out the truth…__ my face paled.

"Oh, Gail," I leaned back against the shelves, closing my eyes and tilting my head back with a sigh. "How did everything go so wrong?"

(Time Skip)

Returning from upstairs, I found the gang crowded around Fiddleford at a table, all looking over an intricate series of blueprints he quickly sketched up. They were… going to build the Mystery Shack arms and legs? __More like turning into a mecha, but the idea's still the same.__ I wanted to help, but seeing how if we're going to get this done as fast as possible, I couldn't really help them. Forgetting my mental state, I was still too weak to help out. I'd collapse the moment I over-exerted myself. __Then… then I'll do something else instead.__

Bits and pieces of yarn and cloth were gathered up with the small wooden beams to make a support, and a thin but sturdy pole to top it all off. I had a fair amount of sewing skills, and I was going to put them to good use. Stan glanced at me as I moved past him as everyone began to split off to gather supplies around town, and walked over. "Uh, Elaine, what are you doin'?"

"I can't help build the machinery, o-or do heavy lifting like this. But if I am going to make myself useful, then I, uh… figured we needed a flag?" I chuckled at the idea, shuffling the weight of the items to keep them from falling.

"Heh. Alright, kid. Just keep us in the loop if you need anything, alright? Don't need you bleeding out on me from pinpricks." He gave a small wave, and walked past. _Kid._ When Stan used it, it had such a different meaning than when h-he did it.

Why a flag of all things was quite simple. It showed our unity. How so many different people of all walks of life, humans and monsters, were joining together to go against one common enemy: the demon, B… Bill Cipher.

If I was right in the zodiac idea, and I probably was, then maybe it'd be a good idea to incorporate those symbols onto it. Stan's fez, the shooting star, the pine tree… the six-fingered hand. __Plus, hehe, it'd probably annoy him.__

Heading to the one room I knew that no one would head to, the farthest room from everyone else, I settled down in the window seat and began my work. Of course, not before running into Mabel's room to snatch up her sewing materials. _The attic space._ __How many times I've been in here; learning secrets, having talks with the twins and B-Bill… I've learned so much here.__ I threaded three pieces of fabric together, trying to keep them as close in the same color as I could. The top was brown, the middle was a light red, and the bottom was a dark red.

"We're taking back Gravity Falls," I muttered, cutting out the colors needed for the shooting star. "Take back the Falls." I'd definitely made my fair share of mi-mistakes. I was just more a-aware of the consequences. Yet… I ignored them, ever so foolishly. Dipper calling me out on multiple occasions, from hiding my deal, to the truth about my dimension; Asger lying to Kat and me all because of my arrival in this town; being evicted from the Mystery Shack; Ford's initial hostility and distrust towards me, leading to me breaking down… I'd suffered. __But… even through all of that… even though, Bill caused me so much harm,__ I grinned at the small triumph of being able to think his name without shaking, __I've had good memories too.__

Kat. Breaking the shy girl out of her own shell that I found her in when we first met, showed that she had the same silly and quirky behavior as I had. We worked together to help Wendy get ready for her date with Asger, going overboard and getting her wild red mane under control. She even told me herself about the shameless teasing she dished out on Wendy and Asger from up in a tree when he returned her home. _She still never gave Stan that new can of soup._

Wendy. What could possibly top the moment where, after I stopped Dipper from upsetting her further after she broke up with Robbie, I gave her Asger's number? That moment ended up leading to them becoming a couple, and enforced our friendship to where she was worried about me when she found out about my partnership from Dipper.

Asger. I helped him out with showing his aunt and uncle that he and Pacifica weren't going to be bossed around any longer. He and Kat… they were the first people I actually told the truth to. They never judged me and were willing to listen. To help me out when I needed it.

Pacifica. When I protected her from getting over by the car without a second thought, watching her and Dipper bond during the trip across Oregon, and when she came clean to me about the emotional abuse she suffered from her parents made me so happy. How she trusted me with that knowledge, and to be able to help her. She looked up to me almost in the same light as Mabel, like a younger sister would. Given her childhood, I would gladly be the one she would come to for advice.

Grunkle Stan. Our talk before the twins met B-Bill, our bonding trip over fishing, and basically… almost every time I was with him was a good memory. Without him, I-I probably would've died from blood loss on the Shack's steps. He kept me safe from the government, and gave me a roof over my head, food, and a family. I… I could've been such a lonely, lost person if he never did that. But… he let me in, a-and cared for me so much like I really was family. Like I was as much of a niece as Mabel was. And now, I now saw him as an uncle. Our friendship was the longest out of anyone else I met here, and my most treasured.

Ford. The first person outside of my squad-minus Wendy-who I told the truth about his dimension. Despite having trouble understanding at first, he accepted my secret without judgment. During our interactions, we discussed stories, and secrets that neither of us would ever tell the Pines family. Our pasts with Bill, our scars… physical, and mental. Everything. We'd been through heck and back, and for all the horrors we've been through, the bond between us was one that no one else could ever understand. Not even my bond with Stan could compare.

Pyronica. She was willing to go against her boss, one of the most powerful beings in existence, just to keep me safe. She was willing to listen, and help. Even if she was rough around the edges, she was there to give me a hand.

Mabel. All the times I'd cheer her up, from the time she felt too silly, to her nightmare after the shrinking mess… she was so much like Gail, and warmed up to me in the same manner as Pacifica had. Gail and Mabel... they would have been so close together if they ever met in person. Just one of the reasons why I saw her as another younger sibling. It brought out the protective older sister in me. I had watched her grow from a childish, boy-obsessed, semi-selfish girl to a strong, selfless young woman. Her growth… it filled me with pride, that I was there to help her along the road.

Dipper. My… my best friend. We'd bonded over so much; from our varying chats from our reading progress with the journal, to dimensional travel, to discussions about life… and to his own feelings for me. Our friendship was special. Our shaky and rocky, but ever-growing trust in each other… it's what really made me feel like a member of the Pines family. Ford, Stan, Mabel, and him all made me a member of their family in their own unique way. I loved them, and... they loved me. Heh. Even if Ford didn't admit it out loud.

Bill. N-no matter how much I hated it, th-there were those… few good times I had with him. In the Quadrangle of Qonfusion where he played his piano for me, comforting me when I was in tears, the Blood Moon Ball, our weird… bonding moment over him possessing my body. Throughout all of that, there was k-kisses, teasing, truths… h-he was… a monster, in the final moments I was with him. And I hated him. But yet… even now, after all of what he had done to me the past few days… I'd continue to look back on those times, and… smile.

 _ _Smile… just like I am right now.__ Wiping at the sweat from my brow, I listened to the banging all around me. From cutting down walls, to building the legs of the Mystery Shack into the basement so we would be able to stand when they full extended, and to attaching the arms at the sides. I was also confident in my hearing when I thought they brought out the robotic Gobblewonker and attach it to the roof. My leg splint was done, and easily fit under my jeans leg. It should work for now until I found something better to use.

I'd been through a lot, and I still wouldn't change ending up in Gravity Falls. I-I was fragile now, but I was also… stronger. Wiser. I'd faced down so many monstrosities, that I-I was ready to take on Bill. "Hehe." Holding up the flag, I let the fabric reflect in the window behind me. A golden hand in the middle, with a red question mark on top of it, and an ax and pickax crossing each other sandwiched in between. Two tiny green pine trees sat on the left and right of the hand, and underneath the larger symbol was Mabel's shooting star, curving under it.

My favorite part? " ** **TAKE BACK THE FALLS**** " was neatly sewn on in white thread. I couldn't find a way to add in anything related to Stan, and I couldn't recall the other symbols off the top of my head. But I did add something else. Something to show me standing against the demon.

A sparkly pair of silver angel wings, one wing on each side of the gold hand. "Mystery Kids. Hehe. Heh… y-yeah." __Mystery Kids. That's what we are, and that's what we're going to be.__

(Time Skip)

"Thanks for these apocalypse sweaters, Mabel. The end of the world has never been so comfortable."

In a well-barricaded section outside of the Mystery Shack with a roaring fire in the center, some of the refugees nodded and hummed in agreement to Soos' statement. Mabel, out of the kindness of her own heart, gathered up all of her remaining yarn and knitted sweaters for everyone to wear. As the electricity had all gone into powering Fiddleford's machine, we needed a way to keep warm. Stan and Dipper didn't take a sweater for reasons I didn't bother to ask, but everyone else did. Even Pacifica, who was sporting an interesting llama swea… sweater. Huh. __What do you know? She was the llama symbol this whole time.__

Wendy was in a green sweater with an ax, Soos was in yellow with a pink tiger, Kat in a teal with an orange basketball, Asger in a navy blue with a dragon head to match Axel, and I was given a dark red sweater with the angel wings symbol on the front. Angel wings. For some reason… I-I still never figured out why that stuck with me. That necklace shouldn't have been in the gift shop, I think, and ever since I got it, it's been following me everywhere. The nickname, my journal, the fact I deliberately put it into the flag, and now this.

 _ _Well… I suppose that's another thing I'll never figure out.__ Just like what brought me here. "Admit it," Mabel said. "This is the best day of the end of the world. I think we actually have a chance to beat Bill and win back our future."

"Yeah," Dipper said, doubt in his voice. "Getting to actually live to see our thirteenth birthday party is the only present I want right now. I just want everyone to make it there in one piece, you know?"

"Hey, if we're lucky enough to get there, I guarantee this whole town is gonna throw you the best birthday party you've ever seen," Soos said, making him smile. The boy twin was easily stressed over our plan, but it was hard not to stay calm right now. I was a panicking mess inside right now.

"Thanks, Soos. Hey, has anyone seen Grunkle Stan?" Kat nodded, and pointed back out of our barrier we made, The twins got up to check on Stan, but as he was walking by, Dipper gave me a look. __Wh-what was he looking for…?__ Sighing, he faced ahead, and the two left my line of sight.

Dipper's line about his birthday stuck in my head; how depressing it was, and how he had phrased it. "Hey, guys? L-let me-be honest with me. Is this… do you ha… hate me? For… what I've done?" I stared at my lap, keeping quiet enough to not let everyone hear me, but enough for the gang to make out my woes. "I… I knew this was coming. Tha-that Bill was planning something t-terrible for this dimension, an-and I still went along with it. I-I'm as much to blame as Ford."

"Hey. Hey, Elaine." Wendy rested a hand on my shoulder, and I immediately hissed in pain. __Wrong shoulder! Wrong shoulder!__ She retracted her hand, giving an apologetic smile. "It's not your fault, okay? Yeah, you knew this was coming, but you didn't know all the details."

"Yeah," Kat added. "You saw, what, almost everything? You didn't know this was his idea."

"But, Kat! I did!" I tugged at my ponytail angrily, feeling my heartbeat quicken. "I knew! I always knew! But I was such an idiot because I didn't stop it in time! Because I was weak and selfish! I thought-I thought that I could have changed his mind, from how close we ended up getting, but it didn't work! I was stu-!"

"Elaine, listen." Asger grabbed my arms, specifically my wrists to avoid touching the burn, and forcing me to look at him dead on. My words caught in my throat, having been caught off guard. "This isn't your fault. You knew he had something planned, but the exactness of it was unknown to you. You were just a fool as everyone else. It wasn't just Ford, alright? I got tricked, and so did Dipper, and Mabel." Shaky breathes escaped me, and he nodded his head as to let me mimic the motion. I found myself copying him, and even when he stopped, I kept nodding. "There. I'm gonna let go now, okay?"

He let go of my wrists, and I hesitantly rubbed them to ease the feeling of his grip. Wh-what came over me? I-I never-I just... "I'm so sorry, Asger. I-I don't what came over me." Asger shrugged, not bothered by my outburst in the slightest. Still, it didn't help that the other refugees now were giving me even more looks of pity.

"It's fine, Elaine. We'll get out of here." He wrapped an arm around Wendy, letting the redhead rest on his shoulder tiredly. "You're probably more tired than the rest of us. Try to get a few hours of sleep." Sleep? Heh. Hadn't gotten a decent sleep since this whole mess started. I couldn't even imagine how Dipper and the rest had it. I at least had a bed to sleep in.

Nodding, I slid off the log I was sitting on, and shuffled over to where Axel was. The dragon, although she gave me a curious look, didn't move while I flopped over against her side. It was like an electric blanket. Warm, but, you know… scaly and able to breathe fire. Closing my eyes, I spotted Mabel walk back over when I let the need for shuteye finally set in. I was… tired. The past couple of days had been nothing but stressful, and my nerves were finally giving out to allow me a proper sleep. And this time around, for the first time in a while, I had the twins with me. Dipper and Mabel… they were there with me, and so was Grunkle Stan, and almost everyone else.

Almost. Ford… he was the last one. We needed him. I… needed him, and I was going to get him back. I'd been through hell the last few days, and I was willing to give my life to get him, and to free this town from our mistakes. It's… it's not my fault. Even though… I made that deal, and Ford of course worked with Bill for who knows how long, we knew it wasn't all our fault. If it wasn't Ford, the demon would have found another pawn to use. Another human to pull their strings like the puppet master he saw himself to be.

How… how though… did I end up growing so attached to him? It was certainly not looks, nor gifts or flattery. But… he listened. He would listen to me, and helped me through my troubles. H-he was just as interested in me as I was in him. A-after all, he wouldn't have continued to see me so often if it wasn't for that. There was interest, and then there was what I let myself admit so foolishly.

Love.

Bill couldn't love. He couldn't. E-even if he didn't mean to, he somehow had me growing fond of him. I had cherished our moments together, bu-but now… in a few hours, I would be with everyone in taking the Soos-named Shacktron to the Fearamid. W-we would be going up against the Henchmaniacs and the chaos lord himself. We're anxious, and worried, but we're ready to fight.

To be honest… this was close to a suicide mission. If we do this, then there's a chance… we might not all come back. __I'm… I'm fine with that though. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to save Gravity Falls. To save this dimension. To save Grunkle Ford. I should… should... sleep now.__ I felt two warm bodies rest against me on either side, and I barely had to open my eyes to catch the glimpse of pink, blue, and brown. __My… my twins. Always… together, no matter what. Even with the world… crashing around us. Keep h__ _ _anging on, Ford. Help is on its way.__

* * *

 ** **Originally, I was going to have this chapter to straight to the Fearamid, with Elaine calling Bill out from the deck of the Shacktron. However, I chose to end it this way because I got carried away with feels.****

 ** **Be patient with the next update! If you have any ideas for the sequel, let me know and I'll take them into consideration.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	70. Facing Your Demons

****Disclaimer: So… first day of writing this, I went and twisted my ankle leaving the grocery store. So… that was a thing that happened. Second of all, midterms sucked. And third, I hope this small wait was worth it. I had so much work going on, there wasn't much time to write. I can't even imagine how the rest of the story's going to go once finals kick into high gear in April.****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Sorry about the wait, but school was more important than this.****

 ** **Picholo: Thanks! Glad you're enjoying this.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Squealing intensifies.****

 ** **Sixer: Ooh, boy. Bill isn't going to be happy with Elaine when she comes storming up in the Shacktron.****

 ** **SolangeloUniverse: Ignoring the previous chapter's number, I'm glad you're enjoying this. The Henchmaniacs, while eager to rip apart the mortals, they don't want any harm to come to their favorite human.****

 ** **Guest: If you ever read Analyzing Gravity Falls, it shows Elaine's life-in small parts-about what happened after the end of the summer. She doesn't go home, and she had come to accept that when Ford came.****

 ** **PeanutGallerySeth: Feeling the feels!****

 ** **Wolfbuff55: FEELS!****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: That's the thing. We won't know the answer to that. The entire story is focused on Elaine, and the interactions of her newfound friends and family. What happened with her family won't be explained until quite possibly the sequel. It's something I'm still trying to figure out. If you have any ideas, please, let me know!****

 ** **ultima-owner: How's a throne of human agony cool?****

 ** **grapejuice101: Even after the end of Weirdmageddon, the only people who know where Elaine really came from would be the Pines, the squad, Soos, Candy, Grenda and Pacifica. And since they know how sensitive she is to certain topics, and her fight-or-flight response, I'm curious as to why would anyone say that. And even if they did, what would you expect to happen? Do you have anymore information on this idea?****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: Keep rereading then. I edit chapters at random, and things change on a regular basis. It's mostly season one though. The first handful of chapters are different now, and it's shown if they've been edited if I've added the date in the disclaimer. Bill's going to attack, of course. It will follow mostly the same layout as the episode, with a few changes and more details. Also, what is it with people and Reverse Falls? I mean, I like it, yeah, but it's not something I can see myself trying out. The most when it comes to dimensions is possibly Elaine returning to Mewni again. And while it could exist, there would be no Will Cipher in my version. Only Bill.****

 ** **QueenKara671: Well, seeing how we've reached chapter 70, I wonder how much you've missed up to this point.****

 ** **Ohdang: Okay...?****

 ** **Elaine is mine, Kat is RillFipher's, and the core of justice has Asger and Axel.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Oct. 21/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

It was time.

I stared down my reflection in the bathroom mirror, gazing at my bruised and still bloodied face. No amount of scrubbing could help with the blood that continued to drip from my bandaged eye. At this point, I just gave up and let the crimson stain my skin and shirt. Plus, with the lack of clean running water, I was unable to properly wash myself. That just left me smelling like a decaying body. __How wonderful.__ Everyone was gathered in mine and the twins' bedroom where we decided to create our central command area. Walls were brought down and doors were removed to give flow to the other areas where the weapon systems and the engine room was set up.

Some of us had also gathered items gained from over the summer to help in our fight. Wendy had her weapons, Dipper grabbed the flashlight with the shrinking/growing crystal, and Mabel had her grappling hook. When heading into the bathroom, I had also seen Soos put the memory gun into his bag too. What I chose to gather up were all of my medical supplies, my journal, and my well-beloved pocket knife gifted to me from Stan. My fire spell was a last-ditch idea. If I used that, who knows what damage that could cause on my body.

The knife had been used in combat already. It still had a neon green blood stain on its sharpened blade from the shape shifter when Dipper slashed his face. __Dipper… he's certainly gotten much braver than he was when he first came here.__ Taking down a robot, a spaceship, blinding a monster… snapping a nightmarish Dippy Fresh's neck. __Hope that doesn't create any guilt.__ Then again, no one really liked Dippy Fresh, so...

My eyes were hardened as I tightened the elastic in my hair. They had seen stuff no human should ever see, in this, or any other dimension. "Ah, I hope their parents can handle the emotional trauma I'm bringing back with me."

"Elaine! C'mon, it's time to go!" Dipper. Out of everyone in the Shack, he was the one to control the machine. It was such an honor, really. __It's… time to go. B… Bill Cipher. H-he's going down. He's going__ ** _ ** _down_**_** _ _.__

"Let's do this." Nodding to myself, I twirled around and headed out of the room. I could see people getting into their positions, and stood in the doorway of the bedroom. Pipes ran all over the place, containing different wires to various locations. A red alert was set up over my head for incoming demons, and a giant triangular glass window was set up for us to look out of.

"Alright, fellas. Let's hope this turns out better than my other inventions," Fiddleford announced. I moved through the crowd, and took my place at Dipper's side by the wall. He grinned up at me, holding a crank in his hands. __The crank… this was it.__ Once he pulled that, this whole thing was set in motion. __I'm… I'm ready.__

"Behind you all the way, kid." His face brightened considerably, and adjusted his hat so it would stay in once we got this machine running. "Don't let this thing go down without a fight."

"Everybody ready?" Mabel asked. "Dipper, now!" With a grunt, he brought the lever down in a bang, causing the wheels beside us to begin turning. The machinery around the room, heck, all around us began to thrum with energy, indicated by the light bulb coming on above Mabel's head. It was loud, though. We had to almost shout to be heard over the whirring of the gears. No one could see outside, due to the large tarp draped over it to conceal our plans from the bat minions, but as the entire house began to rock back and forth, it was clear that we succeeded in building our weapon to go against the demon.

A loud whistle came from the exhaust pipe outside, and Dipper rushed over to the wheel. With the gusts of wind caused by our robot's arms, we pulled the tarp free. The orange glow of Weirdmageddon drifted through the brown glass, and burned and broken trees either laid at our feet or at the base of the Mystery Shack. "Stations, everyone!" Taking his cue, several of the humans and monsters broke off to get to their designated places. It was shaky, this idea and the machine, but who cared? We had a plan, and that was all that mattered.

"Hey, Elaine?" I glanced over to Wendy, who was loading an arrow into her crossbow. The floor would tilt to the side slightly with every step we took, but mostly managed to keep its ability to stay level to avoid throwing us to the ground. "Probably a good time to ask this, but how do we get their attention?" __Hmmm… how indeed...?__ A sly grin crept over my face, and I chuckled.

"Why, we're going through the front door, of course." I pointed at the Fearamid, right below the direct center. "There's an unseen door right there. Seeing how Time Baby blew it up, it should relatively still be weak. See if this thing can jump and use the dinosaur fist to break it down." I reached over to the side of the wall, and snatched up my flag pole. "Hey, Grenda!" The auburn turned to face me from her spot, already wearing the controller on her arm. "Show 'em no mercy."

The eager grin she gave me suited my request, and I headed downstairs. The pole was propped over my shoulder, and my footsteps echoed around the old building, blending into the song of the gears and steam. I wasn't sure if it was the roaring of the dinosaur, or the system working around me, but my head was pounding. My hearing was muffled, and I felt weak in the knees. The Shack threw itself up for a moment, and the landing sent me tumbling the last four steps to the floor. "Ow." Propping the flagpole under me, I pushed myself back up, gripping it tightly. "You got this, girl. You got this, you got this." I… I got this.

Shakily, I moved to the door through the entry way, and gripped the doorknob. "N-no more hiding, Elaine. No more running. Time to face your demons, head on." Throwing open the front door, I stepped out into the open air. Dust-filled wind blew at my clothes, and swept the flag around. Its sign was now clear for all to see. A united front, ready to bring justice to the monsters who thought they could take us down without so much as a fight. Drumming the metal pole on the deck, I glared up at the hole. I couldn't see him, but I knew he could see me. Standing there, defying him. "Here I am, Cipher!" I bellowed. The Gobblewonker and dinosaur head roared loudly, and the energy carrying through me was electric. It was exciting and scary, all at once. Every emotion, every feeling from the last few days was in my voice, calling the demon out. "Come and face us now, you coward!" __Okay, maybe that wasn't the greatest thing I could've said. Oh well. Too late to take it back__ _ _now.__

Maniacal howling came through the shattered brick hole we had made through the Fearamid, and I watched as the Henchmaniacs came jumping out of it. Their sizes though were much, much larger than what they were before. Regardless of the shorter heights of Teeth and Keyhole, they were now tall enough to put up a fight against our mecha. Their coloring, once brighter and more… cheerful, was a darkened, more demonic hue, and every single one of their eyes minus Zanthar's were glowing red. Red. Just like what… what he-oh crud, Bill was behind this?

"Fleshy." I snapped to Pyronica, who's face was contorted in hurt and confusion. "Listen. We don't wanna do this to ya, you know that, right? I... don't wanna hurt you. But if you don't step down now, we won't go easy on you."

My hardened expression faltered, and I looked at the rest of the demons. Even with how horrific they all looked, it was clear that neither one of them wanted to fight me. I had brought a light to the Nightmare Realm that they hadn't seen in thousands of years. They weren't ready to let that get snuffed out so easily. __If they wanted me s-safe, then where were they when Bill assaulted me over those three days?__ My thoughts were dark, cloudy, but I spoke clear for them all to hear. "That's his fault! If I am destined to return to that demon, then I will do so in a fight for my life! I will die before returning to Cipher!"

Pyronica's shoulders slackened, and I could barely make out her mumble, "don't let her get killed," before she gave the final command. __No turning back now.__ "Attack!" At once, the Henchmaniacs rushed towards the Shacktron, and I hoisted the pole in the air as I booked it back inside.

"Alrighty, guys! Here we go!" Just as I slammed the door shut, I began to feel the house rock violently around me, and could see Kryptos go flying through the air in a crack of a boarded up window. Asger, who was on Axel, hanging on for dear life, was looping around the Shack's roof, blasting at any bat minions that got too close. Judging from the extra fire blasts, Rumble was up there too.

Pulling myself to the wall to lean against in case I was sent flying again, I sprinted up to the control room again. The house rocked violently with each punch and sidestep, attacking and dodging the demons outside. "Does this thing have an escape hatch?" Stan asked me, tugging on a door marked as an exit. I opened my mouth to snap at him for the stupidity of the question, only for all of us to fall to our feet as Zanthar rammed the Shack. I stumbled onto the floor from the rush of momentum, and used the flagpole to push myself up again. Candy and Grenda quickly gripped the monster's fur, trying to push him back as we were shoved across the earth. The loud banging from outside signaled we ran right through a building, and even that didn't put a dent in slowing down.

"Everybody! Maximum power!" Mabel hollered into an antique microphone, just as Dipper steadied himself and gripped the steering wheel.

"And… now!" Spinning it hard to the left, we grabbed Zanthar tightly and threw him through the air. The cheesy party hat he normally wore fell off in the commotion, laying at our feet. The purple minion was sent flying miles away, well over the other side of a hill. Teeth, on fire, ran past us in the opposite direction screaming as the Shacktron punched the air in victory. The rest of the Henchmaniacs were scattered about, either unconscious or letting their wounds slowly heal. It was, what, two minutes at most that this lasted, but most fights were over before they even began.

But this... this wasn't over. Not by a long shot. Scrambling up to my feet, I threw myself over towards Dipper's direction in a panic. "Elaine? Did it w-?" I nodded viciously at him.

"He's gonna be ticked," I said, making several people pale. "Everybody, get ready and-brace yourselves!" I ended up screaming the warning. Bill, in a height that towered over his 30 foot form, perhaps by another dozen, flew towards us out of the hole we made in the Fearamid. _What ha_ _ppened to him_ _?_ Gone was the two-dimensional triangle, now leaving a three-dimensional abomination. Raising an enlarged fist that was as big as the Shack itself high above his head, he paused to adjust his tie before-"HANG ON!"

The impact the fist brought created such a force onto the barrier of the Shacktron, everyone fell to the floor in cries of shock and alarm. I had gripped Mabel, who had fallen beside me, to shield her from a beam that broke off overhead and almost fell on top of the her. Through the legs that somehow still survived the impact, we could feel the earth shake beneath us. The magnitude no doubt could have been measured on the Richter scale. The blackened fist lifted off of us, and out the window, we found ourselves in a crater, the ground red with hot energy. Bill's eye widened in shock. "What the-? No! No! No! No! No! NO!" __His eye's red.__ _Perfect, we got him angry._ Bill's fist shrank back to normal size, and summoned ten arms to brutally pound on the force field. The Shack shook from the assault, but otherwise remained unharmed. _Thank you, barrier!_

"ATTACK!" Mabel jumped to her feet and out of my arms, pointing at the demon.

"Grenda! Go for his eye!" I couldn't help but cry out. If headbutting the beast's mouth-eye… thing hurt, what would a dinosaur sinking its teeth into it do?

Grenda, with such a wicked grin that would make anyone proud, punched her arm forward and let the dino's mouth bite onto his eye. The razor sharp teeth sank into the soft organ, making an inky black liquid squirt out from it. Eyes blazing, the auburn girl yanked her arm back as fast and as hard as she could, taking the eye with it. Glowing blue veins that were clearly not from anything organic in nature were stretched out, before snapping into pieces. The Shacktron threw the eyeball over its shoulder, and Bill screamed in absolute pain. All that remained was a black hole, and he drifted in the air aimlessly while the arms flailed about, four of them feeling the empty socket desperately. "AAH! My EYE! Do you have any idea how long it takes to regenerate that!?"

"We've got him distracted. Now's our chance," Dipper said to his sister, still at the helm.

"Rescue team, move out!" Mabel ordered. I nodded, turning to Kat as said team rushed out to the back where the small room was. Fiddleford, Grunkle Stan, Dipper, Mabel, Pacifica, Soos, Wendy, and… Blubs, apparently? Asger and Axel rushed past us, heading to the roof to take off instead of using the exit tubes. My heart had picked up its speed, and for good reason. What I was about to do was insane, and who knew what was going to happen next.

"Kat, listen. I-if something goes wrong, and we can't stop this, take everyone and get out. Don't come back for us, alright? Just get everyone out of Gravity Falls." Kat sputtered, and I shook her roughly. "Listen to me! Alright!?"

"O-okay!" She pushed me off, before shoving me through the door. "But it better not come to that, okay? Just get my mom back!" I nodded, and ran off to the pole that led to the room where everyone else was. Taking it into my hands, I glanced back at the blue haired girl before I slid down. "E-Elaine?" She smiled for a brief moment, even though fear and worry was still clear on her face. "I-I'm really glad I came to Gravity Falls."

"Hehe. S-same here." With that said, I slackened my grip, and slid down to meet the others. There were nine chambers made, four on either side, and then one at the very end across from the pole. My tube. Dashing past the others, I made sure to snap up my book bag over my chest. __Okay, here we go!__

"Okay everyone. We get in, rescue Ford, get out, save the world," Dipper laid out. "Piece of cake."

"This is like, the most insane thing I've ever done," Pacifica muttered, looking around anxiously.

Stan seemed to second that. "Hey, on second thought, maybe we could come up with a plan that doesn't involve us plummeting to our certain death."

 _Too late for that!_ "Now!" Wendy pressed a red button beside her tube, and I felt a burst of wind suck me up through the tube. Screaming as I felt darkness envelope me, it was only seconds before I was shot out of the Gobblewonker's open mouth and flying high over Bill's body. __Now I know what a drink through a bendy straw feels!__

The arc we made sent us straight towards the opening in the demonic castle. My clothes and hair flew around in the current, and I kept my arms out wide to slow my decent. Mabel spun past me in cartwheels, whooping loudly. Once we were two dozen feet from the opening, we yanked on the cords from our bags, opening our parachutes. Mabel's sweaters. Every single one she had knitted this summer was stretched out and made into parachutes. I felt slightly sorry for the girl as she destroyed all of her hard work, but in the end, she said she could always make more.

Passing through the hole, we landed onto the stone floor. Stan rather chose to faceplant instead, but whatever works. With as graceful and silent of an entrance as she could manage, Axel landed behind us with Asger, who jumped off and ran over to us. Standing up, everyone but him me snapped off their bags. I chose to cut through the ropes holding the chute still to me with my knife. No way was I leaving my supplies behind. Dipper ditched his bag, and slid the flashlight into his vest for safe keeping. Soos also laid down his bag, holding the memory gun inside. Once we were all situated, we turned to look up, and every single one of us gasped. My breath caught in my throat, and I almost began screaming again.

Bill's 'throne'. "Oh, man. It looks even worse up close." That didn't even begin to cover it, Dipper. Their faces… neither one of them saw what was coming. What horrors were unleashed onto the town not even a week ago. These were our friends. O-our family, and in this state, they w-weren't even considered alive. They probably didn't even know what had happened to them. That they were f-forced into being used as a throne for this-this nightmare!

Mabel took out her grappling hook, firing it up and having it land on Manly Dan's shoulder. All of their faces were twisted in human agony. Scared, tortured, and terrified. Blank, dead eyes stared out from the puzzle the minions had constructed, showing raw emotion of just b-begging for help. The cord retracted and pulled her up onto the top of the throne, and she turned to yell down at us. "I found Great Uncle Ford!" She threw the device down, and her brother caught it before it could hit the ground. "He's golden! But not in the good way!"

"Great! Grab him and let's get out of here!" Stan yelled back.

"But how are we going to unfreeze them?" Dipper asked worriedly.

"I know!" Our heads turned back to the throne, and there, dangling in a bird cage was Gideon Gleeful himself. A stupidly girly sailor suit was thrown onto him, complete with a purple sparkly bow tie and fake white curls on the sides of his head. I could just make out a water tube mounted on the side, and several sheets of newspaper scattered on its floor. I-I hated Gideon, I really did, but that was just cruel.

"Gideon!" Mabel cried. "What happened to you?" Dipper fired the grappling hook up onto the throne, and was soon pulled up alongside his sister.

"Bill captured me. He's been forcing me to do cute dances in this cage for all eternity." He was right about that. He just kept on dancing, and didn't seem to be stopping anytime soon. "I'm so tired of being cute!" He sobbed, tears on his rosy cheeks.

"How do we undo this?" Dipper asked as he retracted the grappling hook.

"Mayor Tyler. He's the load-bearing human. Pull him out, and the whole thing goes down." Dipper nodded, and walked over to Tyler. From our position on the floor, none of us could see what was going on. But soon the entire throne of stone humans began to shake, and one by one, everyone began returning to their correct state, causing the entire throne to crumble in on itself.

And by crumble in on itself, I meant everyone fell off the dais and landed right in front of us in a heap.

The townsfolk groaned, slowly regaining their senses as Gideon's cage came crashing down beside them. I heard several comments from Lazy Susan, Robbie, and Tad Strange that clearly showed that the town was disturbed. __Guess everyone's gonna need time to heal from this.__ __Some more than… others.__ Struggling to his feet, the boy ripped the costume off him to reveal his normal baby blue suit. "No more SAILOR SUIT!" He cried, panting heavily at the end.

"Wendy!" The redhead, with tears in her eyes was enveloped in a hug by her dad, as her brothers got the air choked out of them. Kat's mom gave me a thankful look off to the side, mouthing her thanks. As for Pacifica and Asger, their faces lit up, seeing the elder Northwests get to their feet.

"Mom! Dad!" Pacifica was about to run, only for Blubs to shove her and her cousin aside.

"Durland!" He lowered his glasses for a brief moment, showing excited and tearful eyes. __I think that's the first time I ever actually seen his eyes. Huh. Weird.__ He knocked Preston and Prisiclla over and scooped the deputy into his arms.

"My Blubs!" Durland shouted.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again." I wasn't sure why, but the people just started clapping and cheering as they hugged, and I guess I could tell why. This was a step in the right direction. We rescued the town. And now… now we had to move onto the next step. _Makes me wonder… if I'd be acting like them if it was my parents and Gail up there._ Definitely. I definitely would be acting like them.

I glanced over at the golden figure of Ford, and just like the rest of them, the petrified state slowly melted away from him. The old twin gasped sharply, taking in as much air as he could to refill his lungs. He looked around, and when he spotted the twins and me in front of him, he snatched us into his arms without warning. __Whoa-ah! O-okay! We're, uh, hugging now?__ "Kids! Ah, you did it! I knew I could count on you three! Ha ha!" He set Dipper and Mabel down, but kept one arm still around me. "How are you feeling, Elaine?"

That depended on… what did he know and how much did Bill tell him? "I… I…" I didn't know what to say. I really didn't. Words failed me, and I was thankful for Fiddleford deciding to walk up when he did. "Fiddleford." Ford took his arm away from me, and stepped forward somberly. "I-I haven't seen you since we parted ways. You must hate me." He looked down guiltily, only for Fiddleford to pat him on the arm.

"… I've tried forgettin', but thanks to our young friend here, maybe I should try forgiving. I'm sorry, Ford. I shoulda been there for ya more. Come here, old friend." He hugged the taller man, and while Ford seemed to freeze for a moment at his old partner's words, he returned the hug with a small smile on his face.

"Hey, good to see you too, bro," Stan grumbled. "Now let's get outta here, huh?"

"Listen, Uncle Ford, we don't have a lot of time," Dipper said urgently. I glanced out the window, seeing the Shacktron get pushed backwards by Bill's relentless punches. __His eye's back.__ We got to hurry. "Remember how you told me and Elaine right before you frozen that you knew Bill's weakness?"

"Yeah, a secret way to defeat him?" Mabel added hopefully, before turning to face me. "Elaine, what did you say you think it was?"

"Ford," I stepped forward, trying to avoid sounding as desperate as I was. _Oh, please let this stupid hunch be right!_ "We need the zodiac."

The way his eager face lit up… I was right all along. "I knew I saw myself in you. Now, does anyone have a pen? Pencil? Anything?" He asked, snapping on a set of black gloves. Robbie fished out a spray paint can from his hoodie, and chucked it over to him. Ford caught it, grinning. "Perfect."

Kneeling down, he began walking around everybody, spraying the luminescent blue paint onto the bricks. As he painted the symbols on the inside, he then began to circle around all of them, all while Dipper and Stan gave him confused looks. "Uh, we've got Bill outside, but I don't know how long we can keep him occupied," Dipper reminded him, just as the Fearamid shook under our feet.

"Yes, yes. Good, good." Stan shook his head, turning to me. The rest of the townsfolk were just as confused, while I felt my heart begin to speed up as the image was almost complete.

"Drawing a circle on the floor. Well, he's lost his mind." Ford stood up, handing the can to Mabel who slipped it into her sweater's pocket with the grappling gun.

"My mind is fine. And there is a way to beat him. With this." __The zodiac. That strange combination of symbols that had appeared in the end of the title sequence since the very first episode.__

"I knew it," I murmured in realization. "I knew that this thing was important."

"Many years ago, I found ten symbols in a cave. Some I recognized then, some I only recognize now. The native people of Gravity Falls prophesied that these symbols could create a force strong enough to vanquish Bill. With Bill defeated, his weirdness would be reversed and the town could be saved." Ford looked around at all of us, making eye contact with a select few. "This whole time I thought it was just superstition. But seeing you all here now, I finally understand that it's destiny. Dipper, the pine tree." Dipper, with a look of wonder and disbelief, moved over to his symbol. "Mabel, the shooting star." With a happy smile, she eagerly took her place across from her brother.

"The question mark. This one's unsolvable." Rolling my eyes, I pushed Soos onto his marker. Wendy, taking my example, shoved Robbie onto the broken heart.

"That one's easy. You've been rockin' that dumb hoodie since the seventh grade." Robbie steadied himself, and blinked.

"Whoa." He studied the symbol beneath him, and looked up. "Destiny hoodie."

"The Tent of Telepathy sign!" Dipper pointed to the star with the eyeball in the middle, and looked to Gideon. "That must be Gideon." Gideon took his spot and cheered loudly.

"Whoo! An excuse to stand next to Mabel." Mabel rolled her eyes, looking away from him.

"Don't turn this into a big deal," she complained.

"Oh, I won't!" He muttered something under his breath, but it probably wasn't anything too important.

Ford moved to take his spot on the six fingered hand, and held his arms out. "Hold hands, everyone. This is a mystical human energy circuit." Dipper looked to a spot beside him, and gave his uncle a confused and anxious appraisal.

"Ice? Who's ice?" Yeah, last time I checked, no one wore anything with an ice bag on the front.

"The symbols needn't all be literal, Dipper." Ford took Robbie's hand, and the emo teen stared at their interlocked fingers. __Is this because he has six fingers, or because he's holding hands with someone he never met before?__ "It just has to be someone cool in the face of danger."

"Wendy! Wendy!" Lee, Nate, Tambry, and Thompson began cheering said girl's name, and she chuckled as she moved to stand by Dipper.

"Hehe. Shut up, you guys," she playfully replied, smirking down at him.

"Much like the spectacles need to be someone scholarly." Fiddleford then, of course. Pacifica moved to the llama symbol, and she examined the sweater Mabel had given her.

"This is freaky."

"Now hold hands, everyone." Fiddleford offered his hand to Pacifica, and while the blonde grimaced at the few flies that appeared to be swarming around it, she didn't seem to complain. She might have in the past, possibly, but something as minor as this was pitiful when compared to the bigger picture of saving our lives. She was the last link in the chain, as everyone had already taken hold of each other's hands. Slowly, she gripped Fiddleford's…

I practically jumped back in surprise as the bright blue energy engulfed all nine of them, blowing their clothes and hair in an unseen breeze. Energy flowed from person to person, joined together by the chain they created. Thunder rumbled from outside, and smoke was visible from high above the Fearamid. "Great Uncle Ford! I think it's working!" Dipper exclaimed. All of us were watching the zodiac in aw, and Ford nodded in approval.

"Yes! This is it!" He turned to the people outside of the circle, turning serious. "The rest of you get out. It's too dangerous!" Manly Dan grabbed Tyler as they all ran out through one of the hallways, and Asger turned to face me.

"They're going to need some form of protection once they get out. Elaine, please keep her safe for me." I nodded, and quickly hugged him as he ran to jump onto Axel, and bounded off after the others down the hall. I was no zodiac symbol. There never was a pair of angel wings. But I had every right to stand here with them, and witness this triumph.

"We just need one more person… Stanley!" __The claw symbol.__ We all looked to the window, seeing Stan look out over the town below. Despite how far he was away from me, I could see his hands in fists, surveying the destruction below him. "Stanley, get over here. You're the only one left," Ford explained hurriedly.

"You realize this is a bunch of hogwash, right? You really think some caveman graffiti is gonna stop that monster?" The Shacktron, now on its literal last leg, was barely standing as Bill fired lasers from his eye at it. I could see the dinosaur arm go limp, and I stepped back. _We're running out of time, guys!_

"Dang it, old man! Now's not the time!" Gideon yelled, as if he picked up on my realization. Wendy, Pacifica, and Asger all voiced their agreement, as Stan moved back over to them, waving his hands.

"Whoa. Hey. I'm not the enemy here, people. Don't forget who literally created the end of the world." Stan, now was not the time!

"I'm sorry, Stanley. I know. Just help me fix it. Please," Ford asked desperately, hand held out for his brother to take.

Stan stared down at the gloved appendage for a second in thought, then back to him. What was making him hesitate in a matter like this? "Fine. Just do one thing. Say thank you."

Ford's eyes widened in confusion, briefly pulling the hand back in shock. "What?" __What? Wh-why do you want that?__ _Stan crossed his arms, eyes narrowed._

"I spent thirty years trying to bring you back into this dimension and you still haven't thanked me!" Ford never thanked him? After all of that work, after everything Stan scarified for his twin, Ford... never once said he was thankful for it? "You want me to shake your hand? Say thank you!"

Ford's face twisted with disdain, and he said the words with clear distaste. "Fine. Thank you." He didn't mean it. Just from how he said it, it was clear that he didn't mean a lick of it. Stan, begrudgingly, took Ford's and Soos' hands, letting the glow consume him. Even after all of this, after all of my attempts to get them to get along... nothing. __Guess it was foolish to try and get my hopes hope after all.__ _ _Just… another thing I failed at.__

"Now, see. Between me and him, I'm not always the bad twin," he remarked to Soos, not bothering to look at his twin.

"Between him and me." _W_ _h-what?_ Ford glanced at him, as if he were correcting a child. _Ford, no!_ "Grammar, Stanley!"

"I'll 'grammar Stanley' you!" Letting go of Soos' hand, he shoved Ford in the face. "You stuck up son of a gun! I mean come on!"

Letting go of Robbie, Ford retaliated in hitting Stan back. "Don't jeopardize this, you idiot! Everything's on the line!" Not now! Not now! After everything! Everything we'd just been through, they couldn't get along for one second!?

"Guys, stop it!" Mabel shouted. Dipper and her broke off the chain too, letting the glow fade out altogether, and ran over to try and pull them apart. I followed right behind them, grabbing Ford's arm to try and pull him back from hitting Stan in the face again. __We're out of time! Why don't you two get it!?__ Their yelling was unintelligible, and fought against the three of us to try and punch each other. __We're out of ti-!__

"Oh no, it's Bill!" Freezing in place, we all looked up as the massive shadow covered our forms. The dream demon, twirling the totem poll carelessly in his fingers watched us steadily, clearly amused by the fight. The Mystery Shack… gone. J-just gone. The entire structure of the Shacktron was in ruins far below him, smoke drifting up from the wreckage. __Kat… no. N-no, please… please!__ "Right? Isn't that what you're all thinking? Hey, Gideon, why aren't you dancing? Chop chop, huh?"

Time.

We were officially out of time.

* * *

 ** **Chapter 70 has come and gone, leaving us so much further into the final moments of GFA.****

 ** **Chapter 71, though… wow. J-just wow. The next chapter marks the end of Weirdmageddon, and then we're-I just… it's almost over. I can't handle this. I'm not ready. I hope this sequel and the prequel can fill the Gravity Falls hole in my heart.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	71. We All Fall Down

****Disclaimer: Thanks for getting us over 76 000 views! And... welcome to the last chapter of Weirdmageddon! By the way, hope none of you suffered with the website being out all of yesterday. Man, did that ever suck! Only when something like that happens does one realize how much they use this place for entertainment.****

 ** **OfLifeDeathAndAllBetween: HA HA! YES!****

 ** **Guest: How is orbs a funny word? I'm just trying to figure out another word for eyes. The prequel is about Ford and Bill, and you should already have a small idea on what the sequel is gonna be about.****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: You're welcome! This was the very first story I've written, and seeing it grow into something this amazing was incredible.****

 ** **Ms. Cipher16: Why does everything suck? Also, if you think Bill's bad here, wait until you see this!****

 ** **ultima-owner: I hope so. The sequel, for obvious reasons, as it picks up where we last left off, with Elaine living with Dipper and Mabel. For the prequel, it's all about Ford's life. His entries in the journal, and the story behind each and every one of them.****

 ** **Sixer: They turned the theme song into a fight song. Fascinating!****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: You'll sort of be able to see-or at the very least hear, what's happening in Stan's mind when Bill's getting erased. Even if Bill never assaulted Elaine, she would have rebelled eventually. As she had watched Ford get turned to gold, the destruction of the town, the throne of human agony. Really, it would happen no matter what.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Yes, yes they did.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: Yeah, sprains suck big time. As for her family, that is slowly being thought up for the sequel. Her family remembers her, of course. They just don't know where she went. As far as they know, she died. However... Gail might have a small idea, going to back to one of the last conversations they had.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: You'd have to be nuts not to be terrified in her shoes at that point.****

 ** **Wolfbuff55: Thanks!****

 ** **the core of justice: Thanks, and... really?****

 ** **PeanutGallerySeth: Ye-up.****

 ** **QueenKara671: Sorry to say, but there's only a few chapters left. We're right down to the very end.****

 **Birb: She was freaking out about being in Ford's mind with Bill because of the images, fire, and blood from right before she woke up. As for him finally getting into their dimension, she never knew if it would really happen or not. She never saw that part of the show, and only had a hunch it might happen. She tried to change the events leading to where her knowledge cut off, but seeing it all happen was what broke her down. Besides, the biting thing was unexpected on her part, from what you're talking about. She didn't plan for that. Neither did she plan for the events of being trapped in the Fearamid. She's not easily swayed, but more like... having severe trust issues, and fell into the same trap as Ford with Bill's lies and flattery. She's not entirely submissive, but she grew much more of a backbone as the summer went on. Though, that tends to waver at points with emotional stress. Sorry if this was a long reply, but I like to take the time to write out when people talk about certain points and behavioral traits in my characters. Makes me think about how my work has progressed.**

 ** **Thanks for Hourglass Cipher and StoriesUnleashed for helping with this chapter! I wanted this to be one of the most intense, most emotional chapters in the story, and I believe we accomplished that. Not as dark as Welcome to Weirdmageddon, but it's up there.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 _ ** **Bill speaking****_

 ** **Edited: Oct. 22/18****

* * *

Elaine's POV

 _ _Bill Cipher.__ "Ha ha ha ho! This is just too perfect!" __Bill Cipher.__ "Didn't you brainiacs know the zodiac doesn't work if you don't all hold hands?" __Bill... n-no. No. No.__ Stan and Ford stepped back cautiously, exchanging a look of pure dread. "And what's better, you've brought every threat to my power together in one easy-to-destroy CIRCLE!" His arms swept out in front of him, unleashing a fury of flames from them. The blaze hit the floor and to our horror, burned the zodiac, catching the painted ritual on fire. O-our one way of finally ridding ourselves of him. Gone. A-all gone. Dipper screamed in alarm, and Pacifica and Robbie shrieked as their hair was caught alight. The two patted it out as fast as they could, managing to avoid burning their scalps. Th-those same red arms that I knew all too well from the Mindscape snaked around Stan and Ford, bringing them up into the air and in front of Bill. The men thrashed against the binds, but it was futile. Bill was too strong. "You guys wanna see what happens to your friends when you can't get along?"

"Hey! You give them back!" Fiddleford shouted, finally snapping the rest of us humans out of our shock.

"You've gone too far, Cipher!" Gideon added.

"Yeah! We're not scared of you!" Wendy grabbed her ax, as Fiddleford took out his banjo. Even Gideon, who had no more power or weapons to his name, held up his small fists. H-he was ready to fight that monster with his bare hands. __W-when did he have a change of heart?__

"Oh, but you should be." The demon's pupil was so small, it was barely noticeable. With a snap of fingers, everyone but me and the twins stiffened in unison, making brief choking noises. A demonic red glow covered all of them, and eyes glowed yellow as their pupils extended to that of a cat's, rolling into the upper parts of their head. Mouths drooping open, they were lifted into the air, over our heads.

"Oh no!" Dipper yelled as Mabel shrieked. I hugged the kids close to me as our friends were brought up onto either side of Bill. The demon looked down at us, glaring. "You know, this castle could really use some decorATIONS!" Tightening his fists, they all vanishing in a burst of light and reappeared behind him as he relaxed his hands. B-banners. Tapestries, of his success over the town. Everyone was staring out from their twisted cages, screaming in horror with their symbol displayed beneath them. __Pacifica! Fiddleford!__

"Looks like it's too late for your friends, Stanford." Bill pointed behind him as he turned to face Ford, and out from the ground, a pyramid blue cage rose up, snapping shut around me, Dipper, and Mabel. My hold on them tightened so much, I was certain I was going to cut of their blood circulation. Stan and Ford watched us, and I could hear Stan cry out from high above. "But you can still save your family. Last chance: tell me how to take Weirdmageddon global and I'll spare the kids!"

Dipper and Mabel broke out of my arms, rushing to the cage's walls and reaching out for their uncles. "No! Don't do it!" Dipper begged.

"Yeah! Bill makes bad deals!" Mabel added. Bill turned to face us in a flash of red, and I twitched in fright, foot moving back as my fight-or-flight response began to kick in. __N-no! Not Mabel! Not-__ _ _wait!__

"Don't you toy with me, Shooting Star." I see EVERYTH-!" As fast as I could, I flipped my knife out from my bag and clicked it open, dashed forward. Using the cage as a footstool, I leapt onto a bar, pushed myself upwards, and stabbed my knife right into Bill's eye. I stabbed. Bill freaking Cipher. In the eye. __Holy cr-I'm gonna die for this.__ With a grunt, I pulled down as fast as I could, and hit the ground with a thud. The gouge was almost a foot long, and the same inky black blood from before when the dinosaur sank its teeth int it sprayed out, staining the floor and myself. My hair was plastered to my shirt and skin, but I stood my ground, stained in the dark fluid. "OW! ANGEL!"

"That's for threatening my family!" I declared, as Stan laughed loudly overhead.

"Nice shot, sweetheart!" He yelled as the binds around him and Ford gave way. Without Bill's focus, the two crashed to the floor with a grunt. The demon's eyelids were closed, and he held it tenderly.

"I just regenerated that eye!" I snapped the knife back into its handle, shoving it into my pocket. _Not so fun when you're getting tricked, is it, Bill? Is it!?_

Dipper smiled at me, and took the flashlight out from his vest. Igniting the blue beam, he shone it onto the cage and let it grow several sizes until it was big enough for us to slip out through the holes in the walls. "Save yourselves. Run! We'll take care of Bill!"

Stan gaped at us without words, appearing to have multiple heart attacks at the command from his nephew. "What!? That's a suicide mission!" Ford shouted, thinking we were all clearly out of our minds and getting ready to run over to us. Maybe we were. But at this point, it didn't matter. We weren't going down so easily. I was ready to fight for my life. If I was going to die in this dimension, then I was going to die with my friends!

And Dipper... he seemed to sense the danger of his words too. But there he was, smiling, and ready to take on the demon one last time. "Trust us. We've beat him before..."

"... and we'll beat him again!" The three of us high fived before turning to look up at Bill. "Hey! Bill! Come and get us, you pointy jerk!" We ran underneath him, and heard the demon growl, his rage spiking to dangerous levels. Okay, okay, so now he's beyond ticked at us-scratch that. Me. Now we just had to run like heck and try not to die. Simple! Mabel paused to blow a raspberry at him before rejoining us down one of the endless corridors, and I couldn't help but throw an insult back at him.

"This way, you trigonometric reject!" __Oh, I am so gonna die!__ Taking their hands, I pulled them down a hall on the left, just as a massive bang came from behind us. As Dipper and Mabel ran, almost pulling me along due to my limp, I chose to make the grave mistake of looking back. What I saw... was about of twisted, and grotesque as what I saw in the Nightmare Realm.

It was like the monster that lived inside that husk was trying to spill out. His form was divided into three sections, revealing blackened muscles and the same slimy, slithering tongues that I saw lap up the blood of the creature he snapped in half for his next meal. While he had only the one pair of legs, he had more than enough arms, resembling a horrific version of some kind of spider. All around the edges of the bottom and middle part of him, when it stretched to meet the next piece were those same, razor sharp teeth that could rip you to bloody shreds. Only the color suited his angry form more. His limbs were glowing yellow along with his hat, his body was red, and his slit pupil was golden in a sea of darkness. P-pupils. Each side of him had an eye, s-so no matter where we were... he was going to find us.

The pillars around us were torn down as Bill barged past, strength knowing no more bounds. "When I get my hands on you kids, I'm gonna DISASSEMBLE YOUR MOLECULES!" __Holy-MOVE!__ Dipper took a sharp turn to the right, dragging me and Mabel with him. As we came to a stop below another hallway going upwards, Mabel quickly took out her grappling gun from her sweater's pocket. __Hurry, hurry, hurry!__ "You've tricked me for the last time!" I saw the yellow glow lash out towards us, but Mabel brought us up out of his grasp before he could nab us. Screaming, we flew through the air as Bill gave a loud roar. With a swing, Mabel launched us down into a vent-like hall, snapping the cable back to her as we took off running again to put some distance between us and Bill. There was no way Cipher could follow us through that without shrinking in size, and it appeared he knew that too. His massive black and yellow eyeball lit up the entrance behind us, narrowed in angry annoyance, before moving on through the Fearamid.

"H-he's gonna find another way around," I panted, shoulders shaking. What are we gonna do now? No matter where we go, he's going to keep hunting us down, one by one. _What_ _ _are... we... hmm.__ "I-I have an idea." And it... wasn't one I was proud of. I knelt down to their height, resting a hand on both of their shoulders. "Listen, Dipper, Mabel, I-I'm gonna try and divert him away from you. Get him as far away from you while you go and find the rest of the town, o-okay?"

"Elaine, are you insane?" Dipper probably would have been screaming out the question, had it not been for the fact we were trying to hide from said monster at the moment. __Monster.__ How much had our p-partnership changed to where I no longer saw him as someone I trusted. As the d-demon he really was. "Y-you can't go hunting him down! He'll kill you!"

 _ _I know... I know that very well.__ "But... but it's a risk I'm willing to make. I-I know for a fact, that the moment we started this plan that it was gonna turn into a suicide mission. W-we were all ready to give our lives for this town, a-and so am I. E-even if this wasn't my world at the start, it is now. I am ready to die, and if it means guiding the triangular devil away from you, then so be it." Mabel sniffed and launched herself at me, wrapping her arms around my torso in a death grip.

"Ellie, please. We can't do this without you," she mumbled into my collar. Dipper's face was torn. Part of him knew I had to do this, and that no amount of pleading would stop me. The other side... was the part that was my best friend, and the boy who had that massive crush on me. The boy who would stay by my side no matter what.

"I'm sorry, Mabel. I really am." I pressed my lips to her forehead, hugging her tightly before releasing her and sprinting off down the hall away from them. I heard her shouts behind me, begging for me to come back, only to be held back by Dipper. My heart beat loudly in my chest, from nerves and guilt. There was no way I could turn around, and see their faces now. I was so, so sorry. But I had put so much danger into their lives by making my deal with Bill. I had to make things right. I had to get him away from my twins... n-no matter what. The tunnel branched off again, and I darted off to the right. He was going to find me, no matter what. My brand kept burning, broiling my flesh with his magic. H-he was trying to locate me through our connection. He was trying to use me to find them. __Just keep running, Elaine! Keep running! KEEP RUNNING!__ Whatever I did now, was reliant on trying to get as far away from Dipper and Mabel as possible. I had to get as far away from them as possible, to lure him away. The ground shook for a moment, and I stumbled onto my knees for a brief second. __Don't stop, idiot!__ Springing up, I launched forward as fast as I could-

"GOTCHA!" The shriveled glowing hand lashed out, snapping around my body and yanking me into the air with sharp reflexes that I could not avoid. Shrieking at the top of my lungs as the fingers tightened around my form, pinning my arms and legs together, I was lifted high into the air and away from the safety of the floor. A tunnel, one I hadn't even noticed, was right above my head. A perfect spot for the spider to lie in wait for his prey. The eye stared at me, unblinking with such hatred and rage that I would have been dead on the spot. All of his arms were stretched out round the triangular hallway, keeping him high above the ground, with his legs dangling under him. "Angel," he voice was low, warning. His eye quickly glanced ahead of me, and narrowed when it returned. He was searching for them, and did not like it when he came up empty. "Where are they?" His hand clenched, and I gasped as the air left my lungs. The moment stars began to appear in my vision, he loosened enough for me to breathe. Barely. "Where. Are they?"

"Go... to... hell," I wheezed. "I will... never tell you... anything. Ever again." Fishing into my pocket with my hand pinned to my side, I carefully slid the knife back out. Giving my own small sadistic grin, I stabbed him in his hand and twisted the blade. The demon shrieked, dropping me in surprise. What I didn't count on was for another hand to snap out and catch me just as quickly. My knife was still in my hand, but with his tightened grip, I couldn't move it around again. The demon growled, bringing me straight up to his face as his red color deepened. __Just ke-keep him distracted. No matter what happens, don't let him leave.__

"You just don't know when to ****QUIT**** , do ya!?" His index finger traced my jawline, letting his claw draw a thin line of blood. Grimacing through the pain, I refused to let up. __For the twins. For Dipper and Mabel. Y-you got this.__ "Monster, am I? You must be an ****idiot**** to not have figured that out sooner. Well, tell me, my 'dear', is this enough of a monster for you?" His index finger traveled down to my side, shuffling the tank top and flannel under his nail before his eye gleamed.

And he stabbed the claw straight through the clothes and into my body, wiggling it to pierce it deep into my side.

"AAAHHHH!" Pain. Pain that I had never even imagined coursed through me, igniting every nerve, every feeling I ever had. My body wasn't my own at that moment, thrashing without my own thinking, going on its own work. Blood leaked from the wound, but it was his hand that still held me that kept me from possibly bleeding out right then and there. __MASON! MABEL! HELP ME! HELP!__ My thoughts were not my own. They were screeching; begging for help, as I wailed uncontrollably in his grasp.

"Those two ****brats**** aren't gonna save you this time." His arms were twitching madly, grabbing at each other as to try and contain himse-contain? __Wh-what...?__ The eyes on the sides, while the one on the back was unreachable to my blurred sight, showed the faintest, faintest form of regret. But the eye that was centered on me was the one in control, watching in twisted enjoyment. "You betrayed ****me****. And I don't let my puppets leave that easily." His nail slowly retracted from me, letting the red blood begin to fall and stain my clothes. I sagged forward, no longer having the strength to keep myself upright.

Bloody and watery tears stung, blurring my vision. "B... Bill..." a loud boom echoed from the hall I was about to dart through, and Bill's eye twisted in a sick 'smile'.

 _ _Dipper and Mabel. No. No!__ "Found them," he mockingly sang. His arms released him from the roof, and he began crawling as fast as he could towards their direction. Pillars tumbled as he pushed off of them to propel himself forward, not caring for the destruction he brought to his own castle. As he gave chase, the demon kept me close to his face, watching the energy drain from away fro me. I-I doubted it'd be the death of me at the moment, with how he was keeping the wound compressed with his hand, but the blood lose was going to make... me... _stay... awake..._

My head slumped against his hand, eyes glazing over. "You... wanted power, Bill. You tortured... my friends and fam-family, you destroyed my town, a-and what you d-did to me... eugh... you wanted absolute power, and... you go-got it." I didn't believe I was aware of my own words. I think I was rambling out of my head right now; out of it altogether. "You're j-just as bad as the c-circles from your... world. H-heartless, and soulless, j-just like y-you... wanted. Hope you're happy, yooou sick... siiick..." the insult fizzled out with the rest of my strength, leaving me a rag doll in his hand.

I was still awake, yes, but only in mind. I was trapped inside myself, watching the demon hunt down my friends. My energy had finally depleted, but my mind was still active enough to function and watch. Every few seconds, Bill's red color flickered. From the deep shade of rage he was now, to a small speckling of yellow. Conflicting 'feelings', no doubt. But... did it really matter to me? I was semi-conscious. Semi-lifeless. Bill's demonic form shifted around me as I laid in his hand, reforming with several disturbing snaps into his familiar yellow husk. The three sections snapped together, twisting to reform his two dimensional body and retract the mouths and tongues. Arms were willfully vanished, and the four eyes, on on every side of his monstrous body, rammed together to recreate the one singular. His pupil darted to me, and I felt the tip of his sharpened nail brush a trail of tears from my cheek, tears that **he** caused.

Maintaining his larger size, he walked towards a ledge that fell at his eye-level, lifting me up to see my friends stare out in horror at the ruined Shacktron far below. __Dipper. Mabel! Run, get out of there!__ "Peek-a-boo!" His eye lit up in a yellow light, and as he stepped back, my heart twisted as they were caught inside the tractor beam. His hand that held me opened enough to grab the children, and I heard Dipper scream my name as they were pressed against my bloodied body. The terrified brunettes shouted my name, but couldn't reach me in our current position. The three of us were carried back down the hall, and the twins fought against the blackened appendage, trying to us break free. __Elaine, wake up!__ I internally screamed. __You gotta snap out of it! Forget the pain! Forget what Bill's put you through! If you don't do something, Dipper and Mabel will...!__

I blinked, multiple times, and felt my heart begin to speed up. __Second wind.__ _Finally._ "Alright, Ford," Bill spoke. He ducked under the roof of the hall and stepped into the main room. Stan and Ford were trapped in a cage just like ours, staring up at us in terror. "Time's up. I've got the kids. I think I'm gonna kill one of 'em now just for the heck of it!" _Wh-_ _what_ _!?_ "EENIE..." a red light shone out of the demon's eye, glowing around us, and I finally forced myself to spin around and look up at the triangle. In the dead center of the red glow was the pine tree symbol. "MEENIE..." a shooting star. _N-no! Please, No!_ "MINEE..." the twins froze as they whirled around. The last word... ended on the shooting star. NO! __MABEL!__ "... YOU!"

"Wait!" Lifting my head off of his hand, I looked down at Ford, just as the demon was ready to snap his fingers and end the girl's life. "I surrender," he said, clear hurt in his voice. __F-Ford?__

"Good choice." Bill released his grip, sending Dipper, Mabel, and me dropping to the floor. The air rushed out of me on impact, and Dipper dragged himself over to me, seeing my wound staining my shirt rapidly. Mabel crawled over to me shaking, terror-stricken. I couldn't hear them trying to snap me out of it. All of my focus was on the Stan twins and Bill. What was Ford doing? H-he couldn't be serious, could he?

"Don't do it, Ford, it'll destroy the universe!" Stan shouted, shaking Ford's coat.

"It's the only way." Bill shrank back to his five foot height, watching eagerly with mad excitement.

"HA HA HA HA! Oh, even when you're about to die, you Pines twins just can't get along." He dropped the cage, letting it sink into the ground and let a pair of red arms loop around Stan. The man grunted, knees buckling as he was forced to kneel. Ford glanced at his brother, before turning to Bill.

"My only condition is that you let my brother and the kids go, and that no more harm will come to Elaine!" I lifted myself on weak arms, only an inch or two off the floor to stare at Ford, eyes begging him not to do this. Th-there must be another way. Th-there must be. H-he can't just give up like this. Not r-right now.

""Oh, really IQ?" Bill snarked. "What makes you think you're really worth all of them? You fools are the last threats to my eternal reign. Let them go? Who do you take me for, an idiot?"

"No, but do you really think they're a threat to you? The only reason they've beaten you is by pure luck and my journals. They're harmless," Ford snapped back.

"Oho! That's where you're wrong, Sixer. That's exactly why they're a threat. Separately, they're about as useless and weak as you fleshbags go, but together with their 'pal', they're an annoyance that needs to be taken care of. A figurative thorn in my angle. They've done too much to just let them slide. Even if I let them live now, I ****will**** murder them. I see and hear all, remember? No matter where they go, or where they hide... I will ****obliterate**** them." I flinched as his eye snapped in my direction, feeling heavy under his powerful gaze. Narrowing the optic, he turned back to Ford with a snarl. "So, let me ask you this again... what can ****you**** do to stop me?"

Ford remained silent, knowing the demon had a point. He always did. Bill was right. No matter what decision he made, Bill w-would get us all, one way or another. "Hah! You can't, can ya? Now be a good 'partner', and help me take down this wall! Quit wasting time!" Ford brought his head down to think, before allowing a small sly grin to appear.

"... I get it. You're afraid, aren't you? You're afraid of what they're capable of."

"... wow. We're really doing this, aren't we? Tell me, is this the part where I scream, 'no, I'm not!' Let them go-I'm afraid of ****no**** mortal! This banter is wearing thin here, Fordsy," he warned dangerously, crossing his arms.

"Of course you aren't," Ford calmly replied, maintaining his cool demeanor. "You are a celestial being, after all. And while I would hate to see you lose any more patience... don't you want to see them suffer?"

 _... what?_ Bill closed his eye, running over the request. "... I'm listening." __Fo-Ford, where are you going with this?__

"Defeated by two children twice, having your faithful puppet betray you," he listed off. W-was he desperate? Wh-why was he saying this to him? Was he trying to make Bill more angry than he already was!? "Why make their demise quick? What better way to get your revenge than to have them watch their entire world burn at your fingertips?" _Ford, have you lost your mind!?_

"You know I know you're playing me... but you're right. I want this traitor and the brats to suffer for what they did. Once I break down this wall and fulfill my wishes for this dimension, I want them to beg for death at my hand, and I will be there to watch them perish as the insects they are." Bill giggled insanely, and drifted down to his height. "Well, partner. You're ballsy, I'll give ya that. Finally seeing family as pointless, huh? Fine. I'll allow your pathetic plea. Now, let's tear this world asunder, right Stanford?"

"Right." Stan, Dipper, Mabel, and me watched with panicked eyes as Ford approached solemnly. The glow of Weirdmageddon hit the stain glass eye behind us, bathing the room in a red aura.

"No, Grunkle Ford! Don't trust him!" Dipper screamed by my side, reaching out desperately. Ford. H-he couldn't just give us up so easily. Th-this must have been a trick, right? Ri-right!? H-he told us that we should never to give in to the demon's wants, no matter what! Why!? Why would he give in NOW!?

A sob racked through my throat as I hung my head, hearing those three dreaded words. "It's a... ****DEAL**** **!** " His hand was held out, coated in the blue flames we all knew-I all knew-far too well. With a steady face, Ford gripped the hand, and Bill's body fell to the ground in stone. Inside my head, I could hear his insane shrieks. Maniacal, demonic howls of ecstasy. Ford though, he was the one who saw all of it. "Ah ha ha! Ha ha ha! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" The laughter vanished from my head, and Ford dropped to his knees, head tilted backwards as the demon entered his mind.

"U-ugh." The kids and I turned to Stan, who slowly pulled himself off the ground. Without Bill's focus, the red arms had vanished into thin air. Standing up, he made his way to the abandoned bags by the wall, and when he returned, we saw the memory gun was in his hands. But... why would he need the gun for... Ford...

"Stanford?" I whispered hoarsely, wiping running down my cheeks. Stan took the fez off, and when we saw the white streak in his grey hair, it felt like a punch to the stomach. Bill was inside Stan's mind. Which meant-

 _ ** **WHAT!?****_

Bill's booming shout rattled my head, earning a startled gasp from me. Mabel and Dipper flung my arms around their shoulders, dragging me closer to him as my legs could barely function. Ford looked down at the machine, and input two words into the device. Two simple words... and no doubt, I-I knew what they were. Aiming at his own flesh and blood, the bulb lit up in the charging blue light, and Ford, with shaking hands, looked away as the blast came through.

 ** _ ** _WHAT!? The deal's off!_**_** His voice rang so clearly in my head, while an intense feeling stung at my brand, like something was trying to viciously cut it off my very skin. Burn it from the inside out. My arms felt like dead weight, and I dropped from the kids onto the floor. I couldn't even hear them; their started cries. All I could hear was Bill... and Stan. "What the... no, no, no, NO!"

"Oh yeah. You're going down, Bill. You're gettin' erased. Memory gun. Pretty clever, huh?" Stan said mockingly. H-he tricked the demon at his own game. C-conned him right back. __Why... can I hear the-the bond.__ Of course. Whatever thing that Bill did that connected us together was being threatened with the memory gun. I-if he's being erased... then so was whatever was keeping me bound to him. __And I can hear everything in the__ _ _mind he's currently in__ _ _.__

"Y-you idiot! Don't you realize you're destroying your own mind, too!?" I could picture Stan shrugging, not bothered in the slightest. W-why was he so accepting of this? Of the fact he's losing himself to... to save his... family?

"Eh. It's not like I was using this space for much anyway." The feeling, the pain, was surging up through the arm I had made my deal with all those months ago, and was attacking my brain. My ****mind****. Pounding, and ripping it apart, piece by piece. Was I screaming? I couldn't even tell, but I probably was. All I could hear and see and ****feel**** , was what was happening to the monster who caused me so much regret and torture, who made these violent tears that now ran down my cheeks.

"Let me outta here! Let me OUT!" Bill's powers... they were draining. Weakening. Without a body, he was just another thought inside a head. Powerless against the memory gun's effect. "Why isn't this working!?"

"Hey, look at me. Turn around and look at me, you one-eyed demon! You're a real wise-guy, but you made one fatal mistake: you messed with my family." __S-Stanley...__

"You're making a mistake! I'll give you anything! Money! Fame! Riches! Infinite power! Your own galaxy! Please!" The buzzing spiked to such a dangerous level, I was surprised my head hadn't exploded. I felt so out of it, I wasn't sure what was going on around me. That the twins and Ford, in between watching Stan's mind being erased, were also watching me convulse on the ground at their feet, shrieking. "No! What's hAppenInG to me!?" His voice was distorted, deformed. "Nruter yam I taht rewop tneicna eht ekovni I! Nrub ot emoc sah emit ym! L-T-O-L-O-X-A!" Eyes flickering from the real world to the darkened Mindscape, Bill's shrill voice blasted through my head, full of desperation and fear, for the last time. "STAAANLLEEEEY! AAAHHHH!" The agony rived through me, and I howled as I felt myself finally go limp. I laid on the floor, with my hand laying out in front of my face; blood pooled out of my hand, and from under the patch of my eye. My eye that was free to see the outside world closed shut, seeing the twins and Ford run to my side in absolute horror.

Darkness... was... welcoming, despite that. It was... a relief. But hearing the last few words in my mind as I blacked out... _Stan... wh-why...?_

"... heh. Guess I was good for something after all."

* * *

 ** **I want to put this out there now, but I actually have an alternate take on how this could have gone. It's dark. And extremely depressing. But if enough people are interested, I might make a one shot of it and post it separate from the story.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	72. Thoughts of Home

****Disclaimer: First of all, pardon if any words come off a little different. Some words now have that random u in them because I'm using a different keyboard. But I'm pretty sure that's not that big of a deal. New laptop and all. Most of them have been fixed, but there may be a few that slipped past me.****

 ** **This chapter was originally split into three chapters, but after seeing how short each part was, I ended up combing several. The Bill part was one; the squad and Pacifica, and Dipper and Mabel was two, and the parts with Stan and Ford was three. Which... means that after this, there's only three chapters left of Gravity's Fallen Angel.****

 ** **This is certainly an interesting chapter. Because of how I combined all of the chapters, the parts spread over almost an entire week. Each day spending time with people who were important to her, checking up on how her recovery is going, and how Stan and the town is healing.****

 ** **Leah Tategami: Thank you!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Yay, speechless!****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: My sweet reader, you have no idea how depressing that alternate ending is. I shocked even myself when I came up with it.****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: You're welcome!****

 ** **OfLifeDeathAndAllBetween: Shocked?****

 ** **Sixer: The sequel will come out a few weeks after this story's done, mostly because exams will have started by that point. I would need time to recover from finishing this story first.****

 ** **TVortex: Well, a knife in the eye is much more satisfying than spraying paint, right?****

 ** **PoisonCupcake101: Their relationship isn't going to end forever. Though, it will take some time to rebuild in the sequel. Bill messed up, and it's going to take a long time for Elaine to accept him again.****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: Does he even have a soul? That's the question.****

 ** **Victoria1676: Four chapters left, including this one. Are you ready?****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: The conversation is a continuation from A Tale of Two Stans, where Bill showed Elaine a memory of her and Gail talking about different dimensions****

 ** **ultima-owner: Well, he was hit in the eye three times in the last week.****

 ** **the Stargazer: Of course Bill's returning in the sequel! It wouldn't be a story without him!****

 ** **Guest: Thanks for the note. I went back and fixed it.****

 ** **SnowsGirl: Alright!****

 ** **EntityNobody: Who said he died?****

 ** **RainbowCelin (twice): Actually, his hand didn't go through her body, he just stabbed her side with his claw. But... yeah, it was pretty horrible. You realize your second message came out the exact same. Whatever word you're trying to print is not happy with the server.****

 ** **13ForLife: Can't murder him if he's already erased.****

 ** **Lotus Princesss: Keep reading to find out then!****

 ** **Guest: You and everybody else wants to see it. And I will certainly supply the one shot in between this and the next story.****

 ** **ponystoriesandothers: They did break up, but that's not the end of them altogether.****

 ** **Picholo: Shame there's only four left then.****

 ** **GREEN0704: Sure, but you'll have to wait a while.****

 ** **By the way... WOO! That last chapter was my most reviewed chapter to date! Yes!****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 23/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

 _ _Wh... where am I? U-ugh... my head. Anyone get the number of that train that hit me...?__ Raising a hand to my head, I slowly stood up from a sitting position. It was foggy. Grey, and dark, and foggy, with no sign of life anywhere. Was this a Mindscape? It didn't seem like mine, and of course it shouldn't be mine. Mine was warm and colorful, with a golden glow from dozens upon dozens of memory ponds. My mind wasn't this... empty, and quiet. _I must be knocked out from the blood less, or... whatever happened to Bill._ Which, unfortunately, meant that everyone else was still in the other world. "Guess I should... start walking," I relented with a shrug. It wasn't like anything else in my current spot was going to help me.

I started off through the mist, wandering without any actual direction. I was aimless, but there was some sort of... calm, to this. I didn't hurt anymore, as I would have believed I'd at least feel the burning and torture of the last few seconds before going unconscious. I felt at peace, which... I guess meant I wasn't really in the physical world anymore. __Did... did I die?__ Is this purgatory? The place in between life and death itself? It was all endless, and most of what I saw was almost fuzzy. Like static on a TV set. I would have thought that there would be more people, or... anything, really. "Hmm." I looked around, trying to spot any sign. Any movement. __What the...?__ A darkened shape was off in the distance, resting on what should be the ground. Curiously, I moved towards it. My sneakers thumped against the bottom, echoing around me. The area was quiet, and the only sound that could be heard around me was a soft humming of energy. What energy, I wasn't sure of. But... it was pleasant. Peaceful, but at the same time... weak. Dying.

The object got clearer the closer I got, and once I was but a mere few feet away, it was distinct to what, and who, I had found. His yellow color was pale, and seemed more faint than its normal vibrancy. "You?" He shifted at my voice, having been staring ahead in thought, and turned to look up at me. I closed the gap between us a little more with a few more steps, and stopped short. Even sitting down, the majority of his height came from his body and not his spindly legs. He blinked. I blinked... and then I sucker punched him in the face.

"Ah!" Bill cried out, slapping his hands over his eye in reflex.

"You deserve that, and so much more, you freak," I hissed, trembling with such a variety of emotions. "But unlike you, I don't believe in killing another sentient being." That didn't mean I was above slashing a demon's eye and allowing myself to be coated in his form of blood. I dropped down beside him, keeping a divide between us for my personal space. I stared ahead, copying his previous actions. I held such distaste, such anguish, that I could start a group therapy session by myself.

"Kid, you know I wasn't thinking straight," he said with a huff. __Yes, I did know that. I knew that the moment I was brought into the Fearamid. But that was not a good enough of an excuse.__ Still refusing to look at him, he continued. "You and I both know for a fact I wouldn't go that far with ya." _Oh, so_ _clawing at my arms,_ _kissing me forcefully, and_ _constricting me in your_ _s_ _wasn't going that far?_ His eye flickered to me, no doubt sensing my angry thoughts. "At least not without your approval. I've been-Angel, when that happened, I never meant to go that far. I loved seeing you in pain, but that there was... I lost my mind."

He admitted it. Bill admitted it. My expression softened, before I huffed myself. "I know." I brushed a loose strand of hair from my face, and finally let myself look at the demon. "Where are we? And please, for my sake and yours, don't tell me I actually died in front of Dipper and Mabel." __Because if you say that's true, I__ _ ** **will****_ _ _not show mercy against your eye.__

"A place between my mind and yours. This is that mental bond I told you about. The Pines won, kid. Fez got the best of me," he grumbled bitterly. "I got erased." Seeing my mouth open to ask a question, he kept speaking. "You're only seein' me because of the influence that still resided in you. That shred of power you've still got in you is being drained as we speak, so I should only be here in your mind a little while longer before needing to rest. For a long time." The last part was said with venom, hatred for the men who did this to him. Who took away all of his hard work. __Then... this means...__ I frowned in realization. "Weirdmageddon is over," Bill answered my thoughts. His body was tense, but slightly relaxed again. We looked ahead again, listening to the thrum of the now-explained bond.

"... so then," I finally spoke. "You're dying, in a sense. Not forever, but enough for you not to be around for a while. Maybe not even in my lifetime. Is there... anything I could do to help?" I didn't know why I asked that, but it felt like I should show concern. And... for some reason... the idea of the demon being gone for the rest of my life felt... what did that feel like? There was anger. Lots of anger, of course, and shock. But... there was the slightest trace of sadness too.

"Hehe. No," Bill responded. "I'll be in that physical form of mine until my power returns, biding my time until I can return. I've waited a trillion years to get this far. What's another few hundred? It's a blink of a mortal's eye."

"It's just... I hate you, I do. After all you've done to me, I despise you. I will never heal from this, Bill. But on the other hand... some part of me is going to miss you. Because of you, I've gotten to do and see so much more, than if I stuck with the twins the whole time. Dimensional travelling, and a demon ball. Who can say they've gotten to do that?" I chuckled darkly, finding some sort of irony in my words. __I was such a fallen angel__. He waved his hand in a slow circle, it being the only sign of motion he was listening. Did he want me to add more to it? "Everything I've done with you was wrong, a-and addicting. I was blind to what I was getting into. What we had wasn't healthy, a-and you know that just as well as I do. Even... even if we helped each other a lot this summer, we did more harm than good." I was the first person he ever told his past too... and yet, that treasured moment was crushed at the very end.

Bill nodded as I ended my thoughts, before giving a grimace. Slowly, he lifted his hand to examine himself. As I narrowed my eyes to see what what he was looking at, I gasped at what met me. He was... fading. Starting from his limbs, and creeping to his geometric body. In probably just a few minutes, Cipher would cease to exist in my mind. __Just... like a thought.__ His whole form was flickering, and it was clear he was losing his link to me as the seconds ticked by ever so slowly.

I wasn't crying. All of my emotions were... drained. Exhausted. I was sad, and wanted to scream at the demon for all its worth, but all of my tears have left me. "I should feel glad that you're gone. That you're no longer here to continue harming my friends. To insult me and my species. But... I guess it's just I... don't like goodbyes." Goodbyes were never something I enjoyed. I preferred... seeing you until the next time. Two warm arms wrapped around me, pulling me closer to him. His hand guided my face to what little shoulder he had, and I took deep breathes to calm myself. I-I didn't like... this, anymore. I no longer enjoyed his embrace. His unusual scent of blood and alcohol, a-and I wanted out. There was no longer any warmth, and comfort. It was cold, and different.

"An-El... El... Elaine." __Did he-?__ H-he said my name. Bill actually said my name. __Wh-why now? Why now would he be willing to say my name?__ Bill hissed for a moment, yellow form glitching for a brief second. Small particles of the golden energy that made him up broke off, drifting behind him before vanishing completely. His shoulders raised and lowered, trying to compose himself. "I... I lo-" I shook my head disapprovingly into the shoulder, not letting him get a word in edgewise and finally pushed him away from me. Bill blinked, eye wide in surprise. Was he really expecting me to just let him say it? To let him hold me, like everything was fine?

"N-no. No, you don't, Bill. That's just... not how it works. Maybe once, a long time ago, I would have believed you. But now... after what I've seen what you're capable of if your obsession and lust for power is fed... I-I can't just ignore that. You're my... Bill, I don't even think I can call you a friend anymore." I sighed, running my fingers through my ponytail. I-I loved what sweet moments we had, but the shred of me that truly cared for the demon was buried deep, deep down under all of the abuse and hurt. He broke me. Shattered me, in just a few days. "I was... right, when I said I loved you back then, but feelings can change." __I... can change.__ I wasn't the naive, shy, and innocent girl I was when I first came here that Bill found. I was stronger, braver, and now knew how to correct my mistakes. __Starting with this one.__ "You can't just... say that, and think it makes up for everything you've ever done to me. It's not how it works, Bill. That's just... not how it works," I repeated, whispering the words to myself. Though... I wish it was that simple. If all you had to do was say 'I love you', and everything would be alright again. "Part of me did love you, and probably still does. But that was before... all of that."

"Should've guessed as much," he muttered. Bill's yellow was transparent, and I noticed my own vision was starting to fade. The demon chuckled, and extended his arm to pat the top of my head. No more hugs. No more kisses. We had gone full circle, and now, we're back to the very beginning. "See you in your nightmares, sweetheart." It was quiet now. He sounded so far away, showing how weak the bond was until I... I couldn't see him, or anything else anymore.

"Until we meet again, Cipher." I sighed, letting my breath drift out of my lungs before it all went dark. "Until the next time."

* * *

"Beep... beep... beep..."

Light was trying to peer through my eyelids, and I heard the beeping beside me speed up ever so slightly. __Wh... where am I?__ Cracking my eyes open, I grimaced at the white light of the long rows of lights in the ceiling above my head. __Ceiling?__

A hospital. I was in... a hospital. Tucked snug inside a bed, somewhat inclined to prop me up. Several needles were hooked up into my left arm and into multiple monitors and an IV drip. __I suppose... that had to do with blood loss.__ My arms themselves were bandaged with fresh, clean gauze, and I could feel another wrap around my head. My blue, cracked glasses sat on a table on my other side, which I stared at through one eye. Eye. My soaking, bloody right eye patch had been replaced with an unspoiled one. Well, at least the burning was gone from that. "H... how long have I been here?" __More importantly, where was here? I was still in Gravity Falls, right?__ Footsteps echoed from outside of the door, and a woman in white hospital clothes with teal rubber gloves and black hair in a tidy bun walked in.

"Oh, thank goodness you're awake. We've been wondering when you would come to," she smiled pleasantly. "How do you feel, Elaine?" __How do I feel?__ I felt... sore, and weak. My head was pounding like mad, but I refused to pass out again into the dream realm. The nurse seemed to see my answer on my face, and nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't blame you. We've received dozens of patients since the Pines were able to seal the rift." _Pines... seal the-it worked!?_

"Grunkle Stan? Ford? I-it worked? Everything's back to normal?" I glanced to the side of my room and saw the open window. Blue sky, and a warm summer sun greeted me, and the slightly opened window let the sound of birds chirping float through.

"It is," she nodded. "Whatever they did, it reversed almost all the damage done over the last few days. Mind you, some buildings still require a lot of work, and there's the triage that had been started up to treat everyone's wounds, but the town is healing. Your uncle, Stanley, is fine. But from what I've heard, he appears to be suffering from severe amnesia."

"Amnesi-the memory gun." Ford used it on Stan, didn't he? Then... Stan couldn't... n-no. "Please, tell me he's healing from this. T-tell me Stan remembers us!" __Remembers me!?__

"It's a slow progress, but it appears that Stanford Pines had figured out a way to correct the effects. He said something about the blast and the recovery starting so quickly," she shrugged. "He wasn't here for very long. The moment the hospital reopened hours after it closed, the handyman came barreling up in his truck to the emergency door with you in the backseat. Those kids wanted to come, but their uncle said it'd be best to stay with him first to help out." She moved over to the side of the bed, and pressed a button. The bed inclined some more, until I was siting upright. "He came here himself though, a few hours later. Once he was certain his brother wasn't going to wander off." She moved back to the front of the bed, and unhooked a board from frame. "Here. You might like to look at your medical record. I will go bring you some food. You must be starving after being asleep for three days."

 _ _Th-I'm sorry, did she just say three days!?__ The woman closed the door, and I stared in shock ahead of me where she last stood. Three days? What had happened to me to be asleep for that long? I looked around the room, finding a small calendar hanging on the wall. It was Monday? But that didn't make any sense. Weirdmageddon lasted almost an entire week. It should've been the kids' birthday soon, right?

"Unless... unless when Weirdmageddon was stopped, everything was reversed," I mused. "Even... time itself?" __If Bill destroyed Time Baby, then... oh, my brain hurts.__ "What does this say?" I examined the paper pinned on the clipboard, and as I read further down the lines, my heart dropped a little more. A severely fractured ankle and dislocated knee, all on the left leg, multiple lacerations on my arms, and high blood pressure from nightmares. Not too mention the blood loss from his nail piercing the right side of my torso, and almost letting me bleed out in front of the Pines'. Which also succeeded in breaking two ribs, to top it all off. But the thing that confused and bothered me the most, from what I read... was the brain activity. Low, almost dead-like when I was brought in, and remained that way until a few hours before I woke up. Was that from when I was with... him?

 _ _Did that really happen?__ I thought, frowning. Unlike every other time I'd been in the Mindscape, the last few... minutes? Hours? All of that was a hazy blur. I couldn't recall most of it, only that it was about the demon. "Grunkle Stan... I hope you're okay." A soft knock came from outside, and I looked back to the door. Four faces, bruised and exhausted, but once they saw me, brightened considerably. "H-hey, guys."

Kat rushed over, giving me a quick but gentle hug. "You have any idea how terrified you made everyone?" She asked, standing back up with her hands on her hips. It looked like she was holding herself back from slapping me on the head. "The kids thought you died!"

"C'mon, Kat. Elaine here's too stubborn to do that," Wendy joked, though her face showed her true emotions. Same as Asger, and same as Pacifica. All four of them were visibly worried for me. "We heard from some passing nurse that you woke up."

"Only a few minutes ago, actually," I replied. "H-have the others paid me a visit while I was out of it?"

"Yeah," Pacifica nodded. "Everyone had, including the hillbilly." Fiddleford? He was there too?

"The town sees the entire Pines family and you as heroes now," Asger continued. "You all put yourselves on the line to save us. When we heard about Stan after checking in with our family for a couple hours, we found out about how they're all working together to regain his memory." The Northwests, Kat's mom, Wendy's parents... I helped save their families. I was a... hero? I didn't feel like it. I'd done more harm than good this summer, hadn't I...? __Hmm...__

"Really don't remember much, do you?" Wendy frowned. "Honestly, for me and Pacifica, it's sort of a blur at the very end too."

"You two... the tapestries," I murmured, recalling what the demon had done to my friends. Their faces of pure horror, with their zodiac symbols displayed mockingly in front of them. "Are you two okay?"

Pacifica smiled, but it was obviously forced. Faked. "We're fine. Couldn't hear or see after he did... that, but we're okay. Whatever he did, snapping his fingers, none of us could remember anything. After getting checked out and all, all we had were some bruises and scrapes that needed to be treated."

I struggled to lean forward and stroked the top of her head. Dipper, and Mabel... they, along with me, were going to suffer the most from what happened. But it must have still affected her, seeing her try to keep a calm facade. "Don't freak over me, kid. I'm alright." She nodded reluctantly, and I turned back to Kat. "What about the others?"

"Well, besides all of us pitching in around town to help clean up, I had to convince my mom from taking off and leaving Gravity Falls. Of course... now we own a rifle that's placed right beside our front door," she muttered.

"Axel's doing fine," Asger added. "A few stitches were needed to help patch up a rip in her wing, but she'll be okay. And Soos had been staying at the Mystery Shack and helping the Pines after checking in with his grandmother."

Well, it looked like everyone's been doing pretty well then. Wendy cleared her throat, drawing our attention. "Guys, we gotta get going. We better tell the others about this. They're gonna wanna hear that you're awake." The three nodded, and headed towards the door. "And Elaine?" Wendy picked something up off a chair in the corner, and tossed it over to me.

"My bag?" What was this doing here? __Did one of the Pines bring it here after I was dropped off?__

"Figured you might want to write in that book of yours while you're stuck in here. See you in a couple days." With a wave, she followed after Kat, Asger, and Pacifica out the door. The moment it closed, I used my slightly shaky and heavily bandaged hands to undo the zipper, and slid the book out. My journal... its blue cover was torn in a bottom corner, just like journal three. There were several scratches on the silver wings and golden corners, and several of the pages along the sides were st-stained in... blood. My blood. __Deep breathes, Elaine. D-deep breathes.__ Clicking a pen that was still stuck inside, I began to write. I had a lot I needed to discuss, and get off my chest. After all, almost every experience I had gone through was written within its pages. _I suppose... trying to lighten my emotional state would be a good place to start. Heh. Time to vent then._ " ** **Hey, journal. So... a lot has happened since we last talked****."

* * *

Tuesday came, and with it more visitors. These ones though, were the ones I had wanted to see ever since waking up.

Mabel practically ran at me the moment Dipper opened the door for them, burying her face into my sheets. I told her, I think, that it was worth putting my life on the line for them. She... she didn't think I meant going this far. __Think. I... I can't recall much of what happened at the end.__ "I'm fine, Mabel. Really. Just a little banged up." That was the wrong thing to say. Dipper glared disbelievingly, and marched over to the side of the bed.

"A little? Elaine, you've seen your medical records, right? This doesn't look like a 'little'." I sighed, sinking into the pillow behind me. __Way to put me down, kid.__

"I-I know... everything that happened in the last few minutes of Weirdmageddon, I-I just can't recall. It's all misty, and hard to remember." Snapping out of my self-pity, I threw on a grin. "So, uh, h-how's Grunkle Stan?" I asked, desperate to talk about something else.

Dipper smiled at the change in subject, and sat on the edge of the bed with the rest of us. "The effects are slowly getting reversed. Being exposed to important images and people from your past helped, so we've been doing some intense scrapbook therapy. Everyone's been helping us rebuild the Mystery Shack while Ford and us spend every minute with Stan."

"His joke book and the punchline to every pun, every person in town he swindled," Mabel added. "He's almost back to normal."

"Ford's been working at it the hardest though. It was the only time we've ever seen him cry." __Ford cried?__ "When he saw his brother, who couldn't even remember his own twin... he never showed that much emotion before. That, and... E-Elaine, he really thought you weren't going to make it. None of us did. Once Stan remembered who you were, he wanted to come here as fast as he could. It took Ford and Soos to pin him down and talk him out of it until he was better." Dipper took his hat off to wipe at his forehead, sighing. "They've spent hours in the living room, watching film reels of them as kids that Ford kept all these years, and each time we woke up to them asleep together."

"They're finally making up," I summarized. And it... only took the end of the world to do it. "By the way, how did we get out of the Fearamid anyway?" Dipper and Mabel gave each other a tense look, before Dipper answered for them.

"Well, once Bill was destroyed, all of the weirdness and demons got sucked back through to the Nightmare Realm, and the rip sorta... imploded, returning everything to the way it was. Almost, you know. Some construction was still needed, and the monsters have been more active around town, helping clean up too. When we found out Stan had lost his memory after he woke up... it hurt. But Mabel, she took it the hardest out of the two of us. If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't have been able to figure out how to jog his memories back." Mabel shyly looked away, and I could see tears in her eyes. _Those... aren't from the recovery of Stan's mind, aren't they?_ "Then, when Soos finally noticed that your breathing was shallow after Mabel and me helped carry you back, tha-that set us off again. We thought at first you were just unconscious, having been worn out from what happened. But when we finally saw that you were bleeding from your side, E-Elaine, you should have died!" Dipper shouted out the ending, slamming his hands into the bed. "You almost died!"

"Ford was torn between staying with his brother and you, and chose to order Soos to get you to the hospital as fast as possible," Mabel said, eyes watery. "You needed transfusions to recover from the blood you lost, a-and stitches." She hugged herself, biting her lip. "You were the worst of everyone, Elaine. No one was hurt as badly as you were." __I... I was really that injured?__ I was running on so much adrenaline at the very end, I didn't even notice. But was I really that close to... to dying? __Bill... he did that to me. H-he stabbed me.__ Wh-why did he expect me to fully forgive him for that? F-for everything he'd done to me during the last week?

"Hey, uh... M-Mabel, c-can I speak to your brother?" I had a lot I needed to discuss with the boy Pines, and I-I didn't need Mabel hear to listen in. Dipper rose a brow, but Mabel agreeably slid off the hospital bed and went out the door. I knew both kids were upset, but right now, I wanted to discuss something I was wondering about since yesterday after my talk with the squad and Pacifica. "Dipper. I-if everything went back to normal, and a lot of what was destroyed was somehow restored. Does that mean the journals...?"

Dipper managed a much more genuine grin at my question, and reached into his vest. Journal three. Journal three was in one piece and not burnt to a crisp. "Great Uncle Ford has one and two back home. I wanted to take advantage of this though." He began to quickly through the pages, and I felt my heart stop. The pages... the ones that were torn out or burned were restored. "The same goes for the others too. I've been reading everything, learning so much that would have been a blessing to have known earlier this summer. They even smell better!"

"But... you're not going to keep them, are you?" Dipper's face faltered, and he sighed. "They belong to him, after all. It's the right thing to do."

"I know. That's why, after seeing how Ford's journal guided him, and how you were guided by your own, I chose to try and start my own. Might follow your example with the blue and silver colouring, reverse it though, and have a pine tree on the cover." He closed the book, tucking it away again. "I'm ready to start my own adventure, and write my own story." He smiled fondly, and I giggled. "What?"

"You've grown a lot, Dippin' Dots. You, and your sister. Heh. You're going to be a great man one day. Soon as you lose that squeaky puberty voice, of course." I chuckled at the faint blush on his cheeks, and pulled him closer with my good arm. The boy gave a startled cry as his head thumped against my shoulder. "Heheh. Love ya, Mason."

Dipper blinked at my words, but with a small look at my relaxed face, he smiled back. "Love you too, Elaine."

"Now... kiss!"

"Aaah!" We whirled around, finding a giddy Mabel situated between us. The previous conversation seemed to fade from her, leaving her way too excited at seeing her twin and me hugging it out. Dipper scowled, making the brunette laugh harder while holding her stomach. "Mabel!" He exclaimed. Mabel jumped back out of his reach, and sprinted off out of the room. With a growl, Dipper broke out of my hug and chased after her, leaving me in hysterical laughter. I-I missed this. J-just being able to laugh, and fool around. Stuff like that... hadn't happened since before the first reopening of the Mystery Shack. The first half of the summer was so simple, and easy. Then it... got harder, and more emotional.

I hadn't heard much of what the doctors said when they passed by my room before the twins arrived, but I heard enough to know that they believe there was a chance I had developed a case of PTSD from Weirdmageddon. With my injuries, and how I had been found by the twins out in the wasteland, led them to the revelation of a broken mental state. It... it didn't surprise me, really. I knew for a fact there would be trauma done to my mind after it was all over. When Stan finally visited me, I'd have to talk to him about having the twins' parents sign me up for therapy or get me someone I could talk to.

"For now, j-just... get some sleep." I snuggled back into my covers, pulling them up to my chin. This was a safe place to sleep, without any more fears of... of... j-just sleep. __Sleep is... good. I-it's safe... now. I'm safe.__

And so were Dipper and Mabel.

* * *

Wednesday's wake-up call wasn't as bad as yesterday's. Mostly because I had plenty of warning to make myself look at least presentable for when Ford and Stan came to visit.

Stan; with an almost fully recovered memory.

Since they started the process right away on Friday, and they'd been at it non-stop to bring our grunkle back, there shouldn't be any large gaps. So, when Grunkle Stan walked in behind Ford into the room, I couldn't help but let the happy tears fall freely. "Hey, kiddo," Stan grinned, moving over to give me a hug. He smelled like bacon and toffee peanuts. __They did say that they were doing everything to bring back his memory. Guess him eating his__ _ _favorite foods counts towards that.__ "How are you feelin'?"

"Like death got sucker punched and received a bloody nose," I responded, earning a chuckle from him. Backing off, he stood beside Ford, who seemed to give me a look that I... couldn't quite place. "The service here sucks, but the nurse is nice, so I'd say about three stars. What about you, Ford? You haven't been sticking to Stan's side this whole time, have you?"

Ford shook his head. "Dipper and Mabel had convinced me to finally pay Fiddleford a visit. He talked about how you had been assisting him in his memory recovering, and topics turned to our own tales of the past thirty years. He was very intrigued with my own adventures across the multiverse." His face turned bittersweet, and he sighed with a shake of his head. "That man is far more forgiving than I had ever been. Able to look past my mistakes that had damaged him and his family."

"That's one of the great things about him, from what I've learned. Fiddleford has a big heart, and is very willing to look past what's happened to him and to look towards the future. That's all we can do, isn't it?" Ford nodded, approving of my answer.

"You should also be aware of my insistence for him to submit blueprints of machines he had designed over the years. The finances he would earn will allow him to upgrade his living arrangements significantly." __Finally get some decent clothes too,__ I thought with a grin. "What really surprised me was a Cubic's Cube sitting completed on his desk. A gift, he had told me, from a new friend." _I was a good friend, wasn't I?_

"Lucky nut job," Stan grumbled. "Regains his memory and becomes a millionaire in the process." He turned to his brother, giving a tired smile. "I'm gonna go see when she can get out. I'll be back." Ford nodded, and Stan walked out of the room, but not before giving me another glance and a small wave before closing the door.

This left me and Ford. In the same room.

Alone.

 _ _Oh no.__ "Elaine," he began, and I immediately felt the worry start to form in my chest. He sat down, appearing calm, but I had seen how easy it was for him to change. He wasn't mad at me, but... but it must have been what Bill had done. Thing was, I didn't know if the demon told him anything. So then why was he acting like this? __Did Bill reveal anything that happened to me?__ Tired eyes, heavy with seriousness and concern, studied my face. "Do you know what happened to you to result in your brainwaves dropping?"

 _ _Yes.__ "No." I hated lying. I didn't like it, but I didn't want to tell him I already knew. Besides, it could be worthwhile hearing what he had to say.

"Whatever bond Bill created with you to maintain his control, to make that enhanced sixth sense, vanished when I erased him from Stanley's mind. However, since a small amount of his power resided within you, that part also came under attack, ravaging your psyche." He held out his hand, and without a word, I moved my right arm into his open palm. With steady fingers, he began to unwrap the bandages binding me, and as the layers got smaller, and smaller, I finally let out a soft gasp.

It was... gone. The blackened flesh that gave the shape of the dream demon was gone. All that remained was a faint white outline of Bill, but it was barely noticeable against my already pale skin. "Bill, just like me, will always be a part of you, but his power no longer has a hold of us. You're free now, Elaine." __We're both free,__ was an unspoken sentence between us.

I nodded slowly, before choosing to ask a dreaded question. "Ford? Did the doctors say anything... else? About my injuries?" I retracted my arm, cradling it like it would break at any moment.

Ford frowned, and I saw his knuckles whiten as he gripped the sheets. He took a deep breath, and I could see he was trying to keep his composure. "I had... visited you in your sleep, after I was done at Fiddleford's. After they informed me about the amount of harm done to your body, and the certain... differences, than the rest of the patients..." he knew. F-Ford, he figured it out. "I know what happened in the Fearamid, Elaine. He... assaulted you, didn't he?"

I froze, stiff as a statue. I leaned away from him, feeling my heartbeat pick up and shook my head rapidly. "Y-you don't know what you're talking about." There it was. That fight-or-flight response kicking in. And right now, I was full-on flight.

"Elaine." Ford gently but firmly grabbed my shoulders, and while I shook against his larger hands, he pulled me over to him so he could look me in the eye. It would've been eyes, but... guess who I had to blame for that? "The workers here know abuse when they see it. Biting, and clawing, and the chain burns." His gaze flickered to my neck for a second. "Even me, who had been travelling across so many dimensions, can pick up on these things easily."

Wh-what did he tell him? What did B-Bill say to him while he tried to get the equation from Ford!? "F-Ford, please! Please, don't tell the others!" My heart was pounding in my chest, and I felt muscles ache as they tensed in terror. H-he didn't know everything, right!? H-he knew about the attack, b-but did he know its purpose? What I had been doing all summer? "Dipper and Mabel, th-they couldn't handle hearing this. I've been through so m-much, and they know it's almost impossible to help me. I-I just-!"

"It's okay, Elaine." Ford still held me still, watching me take deep breathes to still myself. "I promise I won't say a word unless I have to. But when the time is right for you, I want to know what happened. I want to know why Bill did that to you." He then, while doing it clumsily, pulled me into a hug. "It's fine." __You're... fine.__ There was a silent message passed between us, that I picked up on. That I could always come back to him, to confess my internal struggles with the demon. No one else in Gravity Falls could relate to me as much as Ford could. If... if I were to ever say my true relationship with Bill Cipher, then... then Ford would be the first to know.

"Heh... hehe..." I inhaled sharply, and wrapped my arms around him, burying my face into his coat. "Th-thank you... thank you..." I lifted my head up just enough to make out Stan standing at the door, smiling widely.

"Alright, bro. Doctor said she'll be free to leave tomorrow at one." He moved into the room, watching me slowly shake in his twin's arms. C-calming down usually took a while, but th-this felt... nice. Ford; he smelled like machinery, and... smoke? __Right. He lights himself on fire instead of shaving.__ "Think you can pick her up?"

"I didn't plan on letting you drive yet in the first place," Ford replied, taking the keys out of his coat while still holding me, jingling them for emphasis. "Not yet, anyway." I grinned at the smile that they shared. Ford and Stan... I think that, despite my strong bond with Dipper and Mabel, there was something special I had with them. I could relate with them more than I could with the kids sometimes, and we all wanted them safe. Safe from Bill, and sometimes even ourselves. I loved them. I loved all of the Pines family. And to be able to go back to Piedmont with Dipper and Mabel and stay with them, I think that was the greatest birthday gift those two dorks could ever get.

* * *

"You appear to be in good spirits today, Elaine." I grinned as I limped beside Ford down the hall towards the hospital's exit. The adventurer had come after lunch to sign me out, after I was finally cleared to leave. Sure, I still had a wrap around my ankle, and a brace on my knee, but my bandages were now removed. Still sore, of course, but with my long sleeved flannel, it was hard to get them infected with dirt again. There were... a lot of scars. No wonder Ford always wore his sweater. After the last week, I now rivaled him in physical damage. I also had to go through the wonders of getting my stitches removed, which... I was thankful I had convinced them to knock me out for. I could live without being awake for that.

"I'm heading back to the Mystery Shack," I said, looking up at him. "Of course I'm happy." Stan's station wagon was parked at the pickup zone right outside the door, and I jumped into the passenger seat. Ford moved over to the driver's side, buckling himself in. "I miss hanging around the twins. The Mystery Shack is fully rebuilt now, right?"

"Everyone is as it should be, yes. Though, there's still some scaffolding on the back." We drove along in silence, and I watched the outside world pass by. The Northwest statue wasn't rebuilt, but most of the buildings were on their way to completion. Unfortunately, we didn't have the Northwest influence to help with that. Since the man apparently invested all of his savings in 'weirdness bonds', the family was essentially... broke, I guess. They had to sell their mansion to avoid bankruptcy. I didn't think Pacifica minded all that much. Her true friends weren't those rich snobs from the party at the start of the summer anyway. As long as she had Grenda, Candy, and Mabel, she'd be fine. Everyone was pitching in to restore their respective homes, and it was great. Everyone, no matter who or what they were, was willing and ready to lend a hand or paw or... some other arm related appendage. "So, what is your plan next?" Ford asked, watching the dirt road. "Dipper had informed me of his refusal in the apprenticeship."

"Which means you probably know about my choice to return to Piedmont with them," I replied. "I-I love this town, Ford, I do. But it's... after all I've been through the last couple of days, I need to recover. To heal. In order to do that..."

"I understand, Elaine," he replied, seeing me trail off. "The relationship that you and the children have is something I wish Stanley and myself can rebuild. It would be wise to also recover and heal away from the town to mend your mind." _ _No doubt that's shattered to bits at the moment.__

"Yeah? I think you and Stan are getting there too, Ford." I saw the confused look on his face, and chuckled. Stanford: a genius who could be so clueless sometimes. "Hehe. Now it's just a matter of trying to figure out how to actually live there," I grumbled at the end. "No identification to my name sort of... complicates things." Ford glanced at me out of the corner of his eye with an almost knowing look. __Did I say something?__

"Why don't you open the glove compartment? You might like what you find inside." __Okay? That's a little random.__ I released the handle, letting the door fall open and found a folder sitting neatly inside, surrounded by a bunch of other random junk that Stan had stored over the years. Cassette tapes, cigarettes, crinkled lottery tickets, a few police tickets, and a set of handcuffs. Normal Stan stuff. Sliding it out, I looked at Ford again before opening it up.

"N-no way." A passport, a US passport, complete with a picture of me that was edited from one Mabel took of me over the summer. A birth certificate, health cards, an Oregon driver's license, and general printed forms to support the other information. All for me. __What is...?__ "S-Stanford?" Confused wonder was in my voice, knowing and doubting what the answer was. He-he wasn't serious, was he? How did he-how did they pull this off?

"Fiddleford's patents helped improve him financially, and with the government on his side, my added intelligence in getting around the law across multiple dimensions, and Stan's... disturbing knowledge of making fake IDs, creating an ID for you was easy. As of this morning, you are now an official American citizen of this dimension." __H-how illegal was this? They broke the system!__ I stared at the papers in stunned wonder, trying to find the words to express my feelings. I wanted to thank him, to show how ecstatic I was, but I think... my face right now showed enough. Large sparkling eyes, and the stupidest grin I could possibly make. __I think I broke again.__

The car slowed down, and came to a halt in front of the Mystery Shack. The already mentioned scaffolding was still set up, and a tarp was halfway spread out over the roof, but the old building was back to normal. Stan, Dipper, and Mabel were all sitting out on the couch on the deck, waiting for us. For... me. "Welcome home, Elaine."

With barely any hesitation, I popped open the door and hobbled out and around the car to his side. The moment he stepped out, I launched myself at him with a laugh. "It's good to be home, Grunkle Ford." Three months of living there, with the Pines family. Three months of dreams, nightmares, and stuff that no other teen could ever imagine experiencing. I had gained and broken trust, lost one family and gained another. I-I was so, so sad right now. But I was extremely happy too. A combination of the both, creating tears in the corners of my eyes.

I released Ford, and as fast as one could with a messed up leg, ran towards Dipper and Mabel as they came down the stairs and tackled them in a hug. The three of us fell to the ground in a heap, laughing as the uncles looked on. "I-I'm home, dorks. I'm home."

* * *

 ** **This is an interesting chapter. A lot of what was talked about here was stuff taken from the journal, filling in some of the points missed in the show. Plus, it seemed... weird, to have several chapters of her hospital stay. So, you get a decently long chapter with a bunch of characters involved! Small snippets of that time skip from the actual show!****

 ** **Everything is coming to an end, so expect me to get pretty emotional these last few chapters. Also, I have zero clue how next week's chapter will go. After all, it's Easter weekend, so I won't be around that much to write. We'll just have to see how it goes.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	73. Tying Up Loose Ends

****Disclaimer: Happy Easter! Give me your chocolate eggs and ham! ALL OF IT!****

 ** **Wolfbuff55: That's what I was aiming for.****

 ** **GREEN0704: And such, Bill Cipher is laid to rest.****

 ** **RainbowCelin: Funny how you joke about that. I've visited the world for that meme on VRChat, and twice now I've been called the queen. Every time, I had to transport out of there.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Just this and two more chapters left, sadly.****

 ** **QueenKara671: I hope you liked it!****

 ** **Sixer: I think I've made a fair amount of readers cry, and I'm okay with that. Happy Easter!****

 ** **DannyPhantom619: It. Will. Never. END!****

 ** **Victoria1676: Technically, including this one, it's only 3.****

 ** **ponystoriesandothers: Thanks! It was supposed to be three chapters, but adding them all together seemed like the proper thing to do.****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: Bill's part of the chapter was my second favourite to write. The ending with Ford was number one.****

 ** **13ForLife: ... maybe.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: No spoilers! As for Bill, his feelings are... complicated, to say the least.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Thanks!****

 ** **Jeptwin: Chapters 1 and 2 were the first things I've ever written for a story. The plot at the beginning was shaky, there were errors, and the character wasn't as developed as she could have been. That's why I'm taking the time now to go back and edit all of my old work. Most of season one is being fixed. Yeah, my writing wasn't perfect back then, but I'm glad of how this story turned out in the end.****

 ** **Cynder: Thanks!****

 ** **Nina EverBlade: Yeah. But even still, Bill doesn't know the true meaning of those words.****

 ** **FanOfVariks: That was my goal. I love Bill, but I hate it when the story changes his personality way too much. I think I did a good job of sticking with his true character. The Cipher Hunt won't be included, but since the sequel won't be started until May/June, there's a good chance that the graphic novel will appear in it.****

 ** **the stargazer: It's not goodbye, it's just... see you until next time. I still have many stories still out there that will be going on until the sequel comes out. I'm aiming for June for when I finally want to start working on it. I love Gravity Falls, but after working on something for almost 2 years, you get a little tired.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 23/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

" ** **Tomorrow. Tomorrow marks the end of our time in Gravity Falls. Wow, has time passed by. Seems like only yesterday when I woke up in the living room of the Mystery Shack**** ** **with**** ** **Grunkle Stan**** ** **leading a tour in the background**** ** **. Things have been... odd, since returning from the hospital. Either from the reminder that it's all coming to an end, or that everyone's been acting like they're walking on eggshells around me; I'm not so sure.****

 ** **It's not like I'm a mental and emotional wreck. Almost every night since I've woken up, I've been having n... nightmares. And it's not just me either. Mabel had one episode at two in the morning, and I crawled into bed with her to calm her down. Dipper was having a fit in his bed the following day too, after I woke up from a terror. All of us: suffering. Traumatized in one way or another from Bill. From Weirdmageddon****."

But that's to be expected, wasn't it? Stan and Ford didn't seem as off about it as we were, but they were probably having restless sleeps as well. The kids' parents might not notice it all right away, but they would know that there's something wrong with me. After all, Stan had already called them.

They didn't know anything. They remained ignorant of the truth of the town, and of their family due to the twins never saying the exact truth about what had been happening over the summer. Even though Mabel had been sending letters, her parents thought it was all her imagination. Even then, her writings to home were vague on the more intense details. Mr. Pines, Stan's nephew, was the one he talked to. He was more than welcoming to the new addition under their roof, and seemed to like the idea of an older sister figure for his children. What really knocked me through a loop, was when Stan told me his name.

Alexander Pines. Dipper and Mabel's father was named Alexander; Alex for short. And their mother... was named Dana.

" ** **There was some laughter to be expected once I found that out about their names. Mrs. Pines had already gone through the papers to**** ** **enrol**** ** **me into the junior-senior high school in Piedmont, so I'd still be with the kids. Thanks to being already halfway through my grade 11 in my world, Stan managed to convince their dad to put me into grade 12. I guess that's not too much of a bad thing. I'd be one of the youngest kids, but I was just as smart as they were****." Which meant I'd be off trying to find a university by next year. Seeing how I had zero idea about which ones were around the California area, I would have to do some research.

Dipper and Mabel were upstairs, packing up their gear into the book bags and suitcases they arrived with. Sticky notes of Dipper's search for the author, googly eyes, and shreds of yarn scattered the floor, soon to be the only reminder that they were ever there. It would be a bit of a shock to poor Stan, being alone in the Shack once again without us being around for laughs, fun, and vandalism. My stuff was easily packed up too. Soos was kind enough to go out of his way to purchase a small red suitcase for me, since my initial collection of items from the start of the summer had grown. My Summerween costume supplies, my pocket knife, and my dress from the Blood Moon Ball were all neatly packed away. In the morning, our beds would be stripped of their sheets, and we would be walking out to the bus stop after the party.

Summer was ending. And... "and I think after all of this, I'm finally ready. I-I'm ready to see this world. I'm no longer afraid." Ford gave a smile, approving of my revelation. The two of us were down in the lab, as he was writing down an entry in journal three. Journal three... it was almost full. There weren't many pages left to fill. This journey was almost over. __Symbolic, in a way. Huh.__

"That is a wise thing to think of, Elaine." His hand stopped over the parchment, and he sighed wistfully. "I, myself, hope for the same ideal. Weirdmageddon had been contained, but I've been detecting readings that there are anomalies forming in the Arctic. I've been avoiding family for so long, perhaps it is time to fix that. To go back and fulfill that promise I made all those thirty years ago."

"Mystery Twin." I brushed a strand of hair that fell in front of my glasses. "You want Stan to go with you. To go across the sea and fight monsters, find treasure. Stuff like that. Heh. There's no need to worry over that, Ford. No doubt he's going to say yes."

"I am hoping for that." He closed the journal, just as a set of footsteps walked across the floor. "Hello, Dipper." __Didn't even hear the elevator come down. I must have been really into that conversation.__

"Hey, Great Uncle Ford. There you are, Elaine." Dipper smiled, pulling over a chair to join us. To my insistence, we finally brought down several seats so everyone sans Ford wouldn't have to keep standing or sitting on the floor. "Mabel was wondering where you went."

"Everything's alright, Dippin' Dots. I just needed to vent a little." I raised a brow at him, finally wondering why he had come down to begin with. "Something up with you? There's clearly a reason why you dragged yourself down here, when there's only a few hours of daylight left. It's, heh, a big day tomorrow." Big day indeed. It wasn't every day you became a teenager. When I turned 13, I had invited a few friends to go swimming at a pool for the afternoon. Nothing overly huge, but it was nice and the cake was pretty sweet.

"I know, I know. I just wanted to ask something to Ford." Dipper turned to his uncle, rubbing his arm. His injured one. I-I felt... weird, when I found out. Guilty. The scar and bruise that came from Dipper getting blasted by Cipher, sending him flying in the tower... it hurt. It hurt to look at, and every time I caught a glimpse of him trying to ease the pain, it hurt. __Because, while I was not as much at fault as Ford, I still had a role to play.__

"Of course, Dipper. What is it?" Ford asked, setting the maroon book onto the desk beside him. Dipper took a shaky breath, seeming to try and steady himself.

"What... what are we going to do with the journals?" __Wh-huh?__ "I-we've read these books. A lot. And-and I'm not sure why, but these things have somehow still stuck around after all the heck they've been through. Burning, explosions; frankly, I think they're cursed from how much dark knowledge they contain. But... I think for our sake, and the sake of the town, it's time to get rid of them."

Ford stared at the boy, obviously stunned at his words. So was I. Dipper, h-he wanted to get rid of the journals? __Yet... he makes a valid point.__ These books... they shouldn't have been able to survive Weirdmageddon. They've done their job, documenting the Falls. It was time for them all to write their own stories, so... what would they do with them? "I agree, Dipper," Ford finally said. "But I think there's more to just the journals to destroy. It would be wise to erase all memory of Weirdmageddon and Bill Cipher, but sadly, that would be impossible. However, I suppose we could do the next best thing."

(Time Skip)

The next best thing, without a doubt, was something that every single one of us absolutely loved. Well... part of me had slightly mixed feelings, but seeing Bill's image dozens of times burn in a blaze of orange glory was very therapeutic. __I should consider trying something like this when I get to Piedmont.__ With a full jug of gasoline, a cart of logs, and a lighter, the Pines family, Soos, Wendy, and I all trekked out into the forest. True, I could have invited the others, but it seemed... right, to have the closest people to the Pines be there. I took the lead, bringing them all to a perfect place to set fire to all of the items Ford had gathered over the years of the triangular demon.

The clearing that overlooked the lake, at the top of the grassy hill. __Why is it that I always came back here?__ I thought, before giving a small shrug. __It's probably just a safe and familiar location.__ The camping trip with Kat and Asger were I started getting closer to Bill, where I hinted at the truth of Gravity Falls to Dipper when he thought I was in danger, and... when Bill revealed to me the truth of his past. The reason why he was who he was.

Dragging over several large logs for seating, we dumped everything into a pile in the middle, not caring if anything got damaged. The triangular windows with his eye in the middle, the tapestries, the rug, the statues. Everything. Everything that bore Bill's image was in front of us, and as Stan began to douse it all in the fuel with a maniacal laugh, we all sat around watching. Mabel and Stan were smiling eagerly, but Mabel might have been more excited for the supplies for s'mores Soos brought along. Dipper and Ford had slightly more collected expressions, but they seemed to look forward to it just as much.

I was... me. Bordering the line of happy, and... sad. Pity, more like it. It was hard to describe, but... words couldn't really explain it. It was just... that. A feeling. Whatever it was, I suppose it didn't need a definition.

Hours flew past, with the fire burning the items of worship. Time seemed to almost not exist. We swapped stories; talking about our lives, certain views over what happened during the summer. Somehow, not sure when, the topic once again turned to me. This time, however, I was more than willing to speak about myself. Simple things at first, like favorite food, any trips I'd ever done that involved the United States, and my sister. What sort of stuff we got up to together back in my old dimension.

That question... that was the one I answered with the most emotion.

Stan and Ford seemed to really enjoy listening to me talking about our little exploits we got into. Our house was right in front of a large forest, with no houses anywhere behind us and a fair distance from the main road. We would go out into the woods, with small coil-bound notebooks to record anything we found. We would explore everything; climbing trees, finding animal nests. We found the remains of an old tree house up in an old oak tree. Its thick branches, that you couldn't even wrap your arms around, spread out from the trunk at the bottom several feet up. It wasn't really a house, but it was more of a platform with a rope ladder hanging loosely in the wind. Perhaps once used for hunting, in order to get a better view. With multiple trips to the house for nails and a hammer, we patched up the rotting floor, and strung logs and a tarp across the top for a makeshift roof.

True, it sometimes leaked a little, but no animals ever got up there. Rough sketches of the flora and fauna that we did occasionally were pinned up with thumb tacks on the thick branches, placed in such a way they avoided the rain. Of course, they were brought inside when storms and snow came, and were placed in scrapbooks back in my room. It was a childish activity two years in the making, but it was the greatest thing we'd ever done. It wasn't pretty, but it was ours.

There were those... few times, where my interest in Gravity Falls started to drift into our daily adventures. Mushroom circles were now fairy rings, waiting for an unexpected human to step into them. Any missing items in the tree house were a brownie's fault. The Spiderwick Chronicles was something we used to help explain what was happening around us, and in turn, it grew the small interest I had in Gravity Falls.

"There was so much about the book series I loved. The family dynamic, the magical creatures. I loved reading them as a child, that it sort of ended up leading me to this dimension. I-I never ended up seeing the whole show this world mimicked, as I took my time in watching everything instead of binge-watching, but I think that right now, that wasn't such a bad thing after all." I popped a toasted marshmallow into my mouth at the end, looking around at the group.

"Seeing that you aren't thinking like this wasn't real like you were at the start of the summer," Dipper spoke up, "I'd say so. Though, if I knew the truth about what was going to happen at the end, I'd probably lose my mind."

"Too late for that," Mabel added, making us all laugh. I chuckled awkwardly as the mirth died down, and stood up. Everyone turned to me, and I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling their eyes all on me.

"I, uh, need to go use the washroom. I-I'll be right back." Lies, of course. I just... I had something that needed to be done, and they didn't need to be there to see it. With curious eyes on my back, I headed off away from the clearing and into the woods. The trail one I knew very well, as it was the one I ended up following the day the demon paid me a visit one night.

Things so... simple, could create the most interesting memories. Bill though, was nowhere near simple. He was complex. Difficult. Hard to predict. Yet somehow, to my amazement, Stan and Ford managed to out-trick the monster. They beat him at his own game. Bill Cipher: dream demon. The bane of this dimension, and now...

Now there he remained.

Bill's form was nestled between several tall pine trees, half-buried in mossy grass so his legs were no longer in view. Several rocks and acorns were scattered around his base, and his arm... it was still stretched out. Waiting. His cold stone body had several cracks in it, but otherwise, was in decent shape. __Though, it won't be long until nature takes over and he's covered in moss.__ "H-hey, Cipher" I finally said, breaking the eerie silence. There were no birds around, and at this distance from the campfire, I could no longer here the others laughing and chatting. I slowly and cautiously walked closer, before sitting down in front of him. It seemed even the wildlife knew to avoid the demon's remains. __Almost liked cursed ground, I suppose.__

"It's... you hurt me, you know. A lot. Everyone-doctors, Asger and Kat, the twins... I-I keep hearing how it's a miracle I'm still alive. I-I was almost dead because of your bond. You... you almost killed me when you had the twisted idea of stabbing your nail into my side. You wore away my energy. I lost s-so much blood, and I-I still have a limp from getting blown up in the clock tower." I drew my knees to my chest, resting my chin on them and looking away from the unblinking eye. "Dipper and Mabel are traumatized. They won't say it out loud, but... we're all hurting. But I-I suppose it's not all bad. We're alive. We're all here together, in the end, ready to go home." I had no idea why I was speaking to the statue, but I guess it seemed... right, in a weird way, to try and put all of what happened behind me. I was an idiot to make the deal, but there were those few, few things that I did enjoy. Still. Weirdmageddon destroyed any chance I would ever forgive him completely. I would have been screaming in those last few moments I spoke to him. Screaming, and furiously attacking him. But, I-I was so tired, I no longer had the energy to fight. I was tired and, like Cipher, it was time for me to rest and recover.

I glanced back to Bill, and reached behind my neck. With slightly twitching fingers, I unclasped the necklace, letting the stainless steal chain to slide into my open hand. "Things are best left forgotten. This necklace remains a mystery to me, but the permanent name that is stuck with it is... mocking, to say the least. An angel that had fallen for the demon. Not that I dislike the wings symbol stuck with me, but... but I figured if you're going to be, well, wherever you are for who knows how long, you might appreciate the thought." Snapping the clips together, I inched forward on the wet grass. The smell of dew and the earth mixed with the smell of smoke seemed to stick to the statue. I didn't know if he could hear me, or even sense his surroundings, but once I started talking, it was kind of hard to stop. __Besides, it's not like he's going to snap back at me, flames-a-blazing.__ With care, I began to wrap the necklace around Bill's hand.

"There we go." I gave a half-smile, and pulled myself to my feet. "It's been... weird." I patted the triangle on the top of his hat, before spinning around and walking back the way I came. "Heh... better luck next time, Billy." The words came out quietly; barely a whisper, and more like I was just mouthing them. He'd been so ticked if he knew the last thing I ever said in his presence was that stupid nickname. I walked on back down the trail, and as the sparkling warmth of the pit grew near, I could make out Dipper's form sitting back down on the log. To be honest, I expected him to see where I went. But it didn't really matter. There was nothing to hide anymore. "And I'm back," I declared, dropping onto my seat beside Wendy and Mabel. "So! Enlighten me. Does anyone have a plan for the journals?"

"I don't think burning them would be a wise idea," Ford pondered. "Seeing how that turned out the last time."

"... I got it!" Mabel shouted, making all of us turn towards her. __You do? Mabel, what could you possibly have thought of to get rid of these cursed books?__ "What's the perfect way to get rid of something, not an actual person, forever?"

Okay, well... the Bottomless Pit was... heh, not exactly the solution I was thinking of for the journals, but I had to agree with Mabel. Tossing them in there had a highly good chance of never coming back out, or at least, showing up somewhere else. Either somewhere else in the world, perhaps the centre of the earth. Maybe even a different dimension. Did it really matter? __Because in the end, our adventure, Ford's adventure, is over. Or, you know, the one detailing Gravity Falls for the last__ _ _thirty__ _ _years.__

Ford was jotting down the final thoughts, the final words of wisdom onto the page. A drawing of the pit decorated the top, with an image of everyone surrounding the fire on the opposite page. We all circled the hole, spaced out enough to wrap around its circumference. On one side of Ford was Dipper, holding journal one in his hands. I stood on his left, holding journal two. With a few final touches of invisible ink, drawn out in something that Dipper and me were unable to make clear of, he tucked the writing utensils away, and closed the book for the last time.

"May I?" I tugged on his sleeve, and Ford passed journal three to me. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a small envelope, complete with a Mystery Shack themed stamp and address. Opening it to the middle, where his entries ended and Dipper's began, I put the paper inside. "Hehe. Now we're ready."

Ford took the journal back, and the three of us all took one step closer towards the edge. __This is it. To the end of one journey, and to the start of a new one. Three... two... one.__ We tossed the books, Ford's treasured work, up into the air into the middle of the black hole. Their pages ruffled in the breeze as they went up, and then fell down. Down, down, down, into the pit under them. The dark red-brown covers bounced off each other as they fell, the rising sun hitting the golden hands. Until... they were gone. Out of our sight, and out of our hands. For good.

"Well, that takes care of that." We all looked at Stan, who grinned tiredly at us. "Don't know about you all, but I'd like to get some sleep before the party this afternoon."

"I am 100 percent in agreement," Wendy agreed. "Soos, drive me back?" Soos nodded, and the two walked off towards the truck. I giggled, and looked over to Dipper and Mabel, who stood on his other side.

"Hey, dorks? Happy birthday." Their faces brightened so much at that, the idea having almost slipped their mind. The two looked at each other before beaming at me, earning a small laugh. I moved behind them, and wrapped my arms around their shoulders, pulling them close. The first time I met these two, I was so antisocial. I tried so hard to avoid them, and keep out of their adventures. __Gee, what the heck was I thinking back then!?__ I really was no longer that weak and cautious girl Bill first made that deal. "Now! Let's try and get some sleep before the entire town gets here and the party begins."

"Yeah, yeah," Dipper chuckled. "Hey, uh, Elaine? What exactly did you put inside the journal anyway?" _Figured he'd ask that._ A small and secretive smile graced my face, and I booped him on the nose.

"That's a secret, dear Dippin' Dots. A secret I'm taking to the grave."

* * *

3rd POV

Why she decided to purchase a book priced at 150 dollars was beyond her, but... it seemed like something she would have liked.

Gail walked down the hall towards her bedroom, and hesitated at the doorknob. Her room remained untouched since... and her mom and dad chose to leave it as it was. Occasionally, they would go in to dust and vacuum, but other than that, Elaine Milton's room remained the same as it was when she vanished three months ago.

Turning thirteen without her older sister there, missing the March Break trip that they family had initially planned to head to Toronto. Gail didn't know what happened. It was like every normal day, and then... when she went to wake her up for school in the morning... nothing. No struggle, and no destroyed room. It was like Elaine had just... vanished. __She... she always mused over a multiverse.__ It was a comforting thought, albeit a silly one. That perhaps her older sister didn't die, but ended up somewhere else. Somewhere safe, and where she might have someone out there looking after her.

The door creaked open, and Gail walked in. Nothing was out of place. The silver comforter and dark blue pillows remained neatly made. Her bookshelf was all in order, containing many supernatural, horror, manga, and school books and binders. A desk was situated under a bright window, showing the backyard and forest ahead. Small knickknacks like ceramic dragon figurines, sticky notes covered in ideas, thoughts, and sketches were all stuck to the wall above and below the window, and a hat.

A pine tree hat.

It was her seventeenth birthday present.

This was also a gift too, but it took forever to finally come in. "She would have loved this," Gail murmured, dropping onto the twin bed and began carefully sliding off the Gravity Falls packaging. Inside was a cardboard box, and after undoing the folds to open it, she smiled. The Gravity Falls limited edition journal. She had insisted to her parents to help her buy this for Elaine once she got into the fandom, as it would be a great addition to her supernatural collection.

Real parchment, the cover wasn't just some printed mess, and it had a tassel and monocle to boot. Best thing of all was the black light and signature from Alex Hirsch himself. "Really... really would have loved this." She took a small UV flashlight out from her jeans pocket, dropping it beside her as she began to flip through the book.

 _ _Gnomes, the plans for the portal; predictable stu-what?__ Almost halfway through Ford's journal, a piece of paper fell free. It didn't appear to be one of the documents or photographs, but some sort of... "letter?" Gail picked it up from her lap, giving it a once-over. "I don't remember that in the unboxing videos."

A stamp in the corner of the Mystery Shack, and an address that she didn't recognize. However, the town's location definitely rang some bells. _Gravity Falls._ This letter clearly looked like it came from the Oregon town itself. __Odd. The Shack really looks realistic.__ "And it's... addressed to... me?"

Gail's full name was written on the envelope, with the name " ** **Gail**** " in brackets after Abigail. The young teen looked around anxiously, before ripping the top off and sliding the letter out. Unfolding the paper, she felt the room suddenly become quite cool. She wasn't sure if it was because it was still March outside, or it might be because of what the letter read.

" ** **Hello, Gail.****

 ** **You might be wondering, well... if this is real or not. But... you remember one of the last conversations we had? About the idea of the multiverse being a real thing?****

 ** **It's real. It's all**** ** **real**** ** **, Gail. If this letter came to you inside Ford's journal, and you probably should have seen how this letter was written up, I'm living in the United States with the twins. Well, I won't be staying in the town. Thanks to some forged ID from some friends, I'm heading to Piedmont with them.****

 ** **You wouldn't believe it if you saw it. Being thrown into those situations; psycho psychics with giant robots, a succubus who is more practical than most people in this town, underground cults bent on controlling the minds of the town. The weirdness was real, and it was... dangerous.****

 ** **If it wasn't for**** ** **the Pines family**** ** **, I'd never have been able to cope with it all. I still have panic attacks from**** ** **certain events**** ** **, and thanks to Weirdmageddon, PTSD. I've made friends, enemies, and... trust me when I say that Bill Cipher is a lot more intimidating in person. Seeing him not as a cartoon, but some twisted realistic triangle with deformed human limbs is really disturbing. And don't even get me started on the eye.**** " There seemed to be more written, but the sentences were hurriedly scratched out, leaving a mess of black ink.

" ** **But... that's not really the main reason why I'm writing this. With the portal destroyed, and Bill defeated, I've essentially... made my grave here. I love the Pines family, and they love me. I'm... I wish I was there with you. To see you grow up. To have a family. To become an aunt to your silly spawn. But... life gets a little strange sometimes.****

 ** **I don't know how I got here, and I probably never will. Even though... that we're apart, you know I'm never going to forget you, right? You're my best friend. My sister.**** " Was she crying now? Probably. She could feel warm tears dripping down her rosy cheeks, threatening to land on the letter. " ** **Thank you, Abigail. Please, don't tell mom and dad about this. I don't want them thinking we're insane, more so than we already are, or try to find a way to bring me back, okay?****

 ** **I love you, sis.****

 ** **Elaine****."

Stuck at the bottom of the letter was a slightly ripped picture. Elaine grinned back at the camera, with her arms wrapped around two kids that looked about Gail's age. The girl's thick, long brown hair fell to her waist, with a beaming smile full of metal. The boy on the other side had the same matching hair and eyes, with a pine tree hat casually placed on top of his head. "Elaine... Dipper... and Mabel," she whispered. And, if she looked close enough, she could see Stan Pines in the background, smiling at the three taking the picture.

"You... she looks happy." They didn't look like hand-drawn characters at all. Not some well-crafted computer image. This-they weren't cartoons. They were... real. __You... you really aren't in this world anymore.__ A sob got caught in her throat, and she lowered the letter onto the journal. "Th... thank you, Ellie." __Thank you so much.__

Elaine's room remained the same, just as it was when she left. Except for the newfound gift on her desk as a weeping girl left it. A book and a letter, snug inside its envelope.

* * *

Elaine's POV

"Eugh." I shivered in my bed, rolling over onto my side as the twins snoozing continued. __What... was someone talking about me?__ I glanced around in my blanket cocoon, from Mabel cuddling Waddles in her sleep, to Dipper drooling slightly onto his pillow. __This is what we're supposed to do. Be able to sleep peacefully without too much fear, and able to have comfort in those who care for us. But right now, just keep on resting, stupid. It's probably Ford or Stan talking. Or... could it have been...?__ A pleasant smile graced me, and I drifted off again. __You're... hehe, welcome, sis.__

* * *

 ** **So, I'm thinking of different and new creatures that could be added to the sequel. A phoenix is certain, and the story behind that is one I'm keeping quiet about. I just want to list a couple of ideas, and see what you think?****

 ** **Neck/nicor/nixie (a water spirit, almost like a river mermaid), will-o-the-wisp, perhaps something to do with an adder stone. What do you think of these, and do you have any other ideas?****

 ** **Also, I feel the need to mention this. I'm relatively okay when it comes to different types of reviews, but certain ones that are just plain mean and are written to put me down are another matter. I had to remove such an anonymous review earlier this week. It's... odd. I've gotten reviews that show different opinions, and I'm fine with that. But it's different when you have someone who decides to boo your story without a proper reason. If I am ending GFA in two more updates, then I'm ending on a high note. I'm not letting any negative reviewer get to me.****

 ** **Until next time!****

 ** **Angel****


	74. Goodbye Gravity Falls

****Disclaimer: This is it. This is it, everyone. After this is the last chapter. The ending, which brings us back to where the introduction brought us in terms of Elaine writing her online journal. So, in a way, this is the last proper chapter of the story.****

 ** **GREEN0704: Unfortunately, I already discussed Bill's past, and it's already clear that he doesn't have a brother.****

 ** **PoisonCupcake101: To be honest, there was an alternate idea where Elaine goes with Stan and Ford and goes around the world searching for treasure and fighting monsters. But I figured that that would be the last thing she would want to do after barely surviving Weirdmageddon. Though, she had considered it.****

 ** **EntityNobody: I don't ban and flip out. That's unprofessional.****

 ** **Guest: Thank you.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Sadly no, but I think Ford and Spiderwick would have gotten along really well.****

 ** **Undertaker: I've actually been watching that anime in my anime club at university. That's where some of my ideas for the sequel are coming from.****

 ** **That One Cute Kitty: Everyone wanted to know what happened to Gail and her parents, so this was a perfect way to wrap that mystery up.****

 ** **RainbowCelin (thrice): I don't listen to bad comments, but if I have to take action, then so be it.****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: You're welcome.****

 ** **Crazypuzzle: Monster Falls is another AU that doesn't really interest me. Same as Reverse Falls. As for the other thing, thanks. Simple bad comments like that don't really have a place here, and unless it's criticism, that what is it for?****

 ** **OutL0ud: Foundation? Do you mean the prequel?****

 ** **MickeyMouseTW: Trust me, if I could, I would. But it's a little hard to write an actual book when Gravity Falls isn't even my own property.****

 ** **Victoria1676: FEEL FEELS!****

 ** **ponystoriesandothers: Thanks. I'll keep that in mind.****

 ** **Sixer: I've been planning my cosplay for my own con in a few months. I'm planning on going as a humanized King Dice because I don't think I can make the dice head.****

 ** **TheGoldenDragwolf: Well, sadly, there's only this and one more left. I might not use your creature idea though. Since we already have Axel, I think we're good for dragon-related beasts.****

 ** **Cynder Terror of Skies: Hehe. Just like me. Made this account years ago, and forgot it existed until days before I started this story. I'm surprised you saw it too. Didn't think many people checked out the reviews. Happy Easter!****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: That's the thing. Elaine didn't know. She had no idea if the letter would end up with Gail or not. It was all on a whim that it did, as the letter itself was written as a... final goodbye, if you will. A way to properly say bye to her dimension, and the rough and ugly start she's making with her new friends and family. Thanks for the review on Analyzing. I'm impressed that I summed up almost 75 chapters in roughly 10 000 words.****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: You probably could have gone on forever with that, couldn't you? Thanks. It's not like it was mean and they were telling me to do something awful to myself, but the fact they did something so childish and without reason kinda... hurt? I know I have a good story. If I didn't, I wouldn't have kept this going for as long as I have. I've committed close to a year and a half to this thing, and with the prequel and sequel I have in store, I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Also, thanks for the review on Analyzing!****

 ** **QueenKara671: Sadly, Gail won't be making another appearance. That ending of the last chapter wrapped up hers and Elaine's story. However, we still have yet to figure out how Elaine ended up in Gravity Falls in the first place.****

 ** **13ForLife: Don't really know that saying, sorry.****

 ** **If anyone's aware, Analyzing Gravity Falls, the short story set in between this and the sequel is finally done. For anybody who's interested in finally seeing Bill's chapter, it's out now.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

" ** **Reading**** "

 **Edited: Oct. 23/18**

* * *

Elaine's POV

A birthday party was something I always loved to help prepare for. Whether it'd be streamers and wrapping the kids up like mummies-from... personal experience-balloons, or just making a huge mess while baking a cake. I might have gone... a little overboard when making their cake. It was marble with two layers and covered in magenta frosting, with ribbon edges. Around the sides were Mabel's shooting star, with a blue pine tree right on the front between all of the stars. In neat frosted writing on top was their names, and two candles on top for 13.

Soos had come in to help out... we were covered in pink at the end of it.

But, ignoring the party in general, I was-well, me, Dipper, and Mabel were all focused more on how we're all leaving in a few hours. Our beds were cleaned up, our bags were in the living room all packed, and Stan made waffles for breakfast. How weird. Having people all come together just for them. For us, to say a proper goodbye.

Kat and her mom had brought over a barbecue for hot dogs and burgers, which certain people-Manly Dan-loved. The large man watched over her shoulder, continuing to advise on how to cook the meat to his standards. She seemed a little annoyed, but let him stay. Unlike her daughter's blue hair, hers was a darkened blonde, shoulder length with bangs pinned to the side in a black clip. A dark grey jacket was worn over a white shirt, with brown dress pants and black dress shoes to top it off. Professional, and definitely a contrast to the strange girl I had befriended. Still, from the brief introduction we had, I could see a lot of Kat in her.

Mayor Tyler, Gideon and his family, Blubs and Durland, the teens, Fiddleford, and Pacifica, Axel, and Asger were all there too, most at the front of the deck. Streamers, pink and blue, were hung up around the roof of the porch, with Grunkle Stan, Soos, Wendy, Ford, me, and the birthday dorks standing underneath. Now, we weren't great singers, but watching everyone come together and sing Happy Birthday was... it made me feel all warm inside. Even if a fair amount of them couldn't sing well. So many people there were old rivals, enemies, and now we've all surpassed that hatred. __Heck, even Gideon's mother is smiling!__

"... to you!" The town cheered loudly as Waddles gave a squeal beside Soos. Kat and Asger, along with Pacifica, Grenda, and Candy stood off by the bottom of the stairs, clapping. The dragon was resting behind them, watching intently. A banner reading " ** **Happy 13th**** " was displayed over the top of the door, above our heads.

"I can't believe you all got together just to throw a party for us," Mabel tearfully said, touched with the gesture.

"After all the Pines family has done for the town," Mayor Tyler said, "it's the least we could do. You've helped everyone here."

"Thanks to y'all savin' us, I'm gonna learn to open my heart to kindness," Gideon informed her. "No more evil-doin'. From now on, I'm gonna try to be Li'l Gideon, regular ol' kid." __Yeah, like that's going to happen. Still, at least he's finally had a... somewhat change of heart.__

"Dude! Make a wish, dawg," Soos told the twins, leaning in.

"You know, on my first day here, if you had asked me what I wanted, I would have said, 'adventure, mystery, true friends'. But looking here at all of you today," Dipper trailed off, eyes traveled up to mine and his smile widening. "I realize that every wish came true. Hehe. I have everything I wanted." I playfully shuffled his hat on his head, carefully not damaging the party hat he somehow got on over top the pine tree one.

"If I had only one wish it would be to shrink all of you with the shrink ray and bring you home with us in my pocket," Mabel said. "But since that's impossible... i-is that impossible?" Ford made a face, shrugging while making a so-so gesture with his hand. Mabel glanced at me, but I just gave her a sly grin and a wink. Technically, she could go hunting down for one of those crystals again, but I'd had enough size-altering for one summer. "Since that's probably impossible, my only wish is for everyone to sign my scrapbook. I'll never forget you guys."

"Wait." I reached into my book bag, sitting behind me against the Mystery Shack's wall, and pulled out the memory gun. Sitting it down in front of Mabel, I nodded in confirmation. The girl grinned, bringing her foot down hard on top and smashing it to pieces. " ** **Now**** she'll never forget you guys."

Dipper and Mabel moved closer to the cake, smiling at each other before leaning in. Timing it in their heads, they blew out the two candles in sync, letting the faint trail of smoke to float upwards. Wendy, from out of nowhere, sprinted towards them and hugged them tightly. Their faces were pressed against hers as she declared, "I now officially declare you technically teenagers. Welcome to angst and acne forever." Their party hats came flying off at the tackle, sending them over the edge of the deck behind Soos and Stan. The teens, Wendy's and my friends, all jumped onto the stage as they began to chant, "one of us! One of us!"

Durland and Blubs fired a cannon from the back of the crowd, sending the heavy metal ball flying over the crowd's heads and into the trees in the distance. "So how do you feel?" Soos asked as they all got back off the stage.

"Same-y, but different-y," Mabel replied after a moment of thought.

"Hey, you two. When are you gonna open your presents already? I broke a nail wrapping them." Pacifica passed up two wrapped gifts, showing several pieces of tape sticking to her hands. The kids laughed at the comment, and began to undo the paper. Wendy hopped off the stage to go over with the teens, while I remained up there with Soos. As soon as Mabel pulled out the set of golf clubs, and Dipper pulled out a box set of that weird ghost hunting show he loved, I clapped my hands loudly to draw their attention.

"Alright, dorks. My turn." Moving back to my bag, I pulled out two items and quickly hid them behind my back. I didn't have time to wrap anything, since these were such last minute. But it seemed right to get some form of present for them. "I've been-you two never cease to amaze me, you know that? At the start of the summer, I never planned to get close to anyone. To keep my distance, and to focus on trying to leave the town. But, ha ha, what the heck was I thinking?" The townsfolk had started tuning into my words, turning towards my direction. Honestly, I didn't mind. It's no surprise that everyone knew the truth about me now. After all, how else would we explain Ford? However, no one knew about the cartoon part. That was a right to only the Pines family, and the people closest to us. "I've had more fun, and more danger thrown at me than I ever did back in my little part of Canada. You two are crazy, but you're my crazy." I leaned down, and brought out my left arm first. "Mabel? This one's for you."

Mabel took the bundle from me, and grinned as she peered into the plastic grocery bag. I had to run into town to get baking supplies for the cake, and I paid a quick stop at a local crafts store to get six balls of different colored yarn for her. All of them containing sparkles mixed into the wool. She hugged it tightly, and watched as I turned to Dipper. "It's not perfect, but after our little chat in the hospital, I did the best I could. Ford helped a little with the logo." A journal. A white journal, with the same golden metal pieces on the corner and binding just like Ford's. On the front was a deep, navy blue pine tree. Ford had to help me cut it out, since I didn't trust myself with a utility knife for precise cuts. Dipper's mouth fell open, as he slowly took the book from me.

"E-Elaine, i-it's-" I pressed a hand to his mouth, nodding slightly in an amused manner.

"I know. You're welcome, Dippin' Dots." I reached forward, and pulled them into a hug. "Happy birthday." The crowd applauded at my sappy display of affection, but quieted down as Ford and Stan returned to the stage. "Something wrong, Grunkle Stan?"

Stan shook his head, trying his best to smother the ear-splitting smile on his face. "Everyone, I have an announcement to make. Me and my... heh... nerdy bro over here have some catchin' up to do." He swung an arm around Ford, pulling the other smiling man closer. "We're gonna be away for a while. That's why I'm shutting down the Mystery Shack for good."

 _ _What!?__ Dipper and Mabel gaped at Stan, and I probably would've fallen over if I wasn't still kneeling down to hug them. Close the Myst-he couldn't be serious! This building was so important! Even if it was a cover to get Ford back, the guy loved this place to pieces! __Heck, even the others can't believe it!__ The crowd gasped and murmured at the news, equally stunned.

"You shut down your mouth for good!" Soos pushed past the three of us, pointing at Stan. "I'm sorry, Mr. Pines. It's just that this shack is the most magical place on earth. Sure, the attractions are all fake, but dreams aren't fake!" __Well, the attractions might be illegal depending on where he got the taxidermy done.__ Soos held up a monkey's dead body glued to a fish butt as I pulled myself back to my feet with a grimace. __That's... gonna get stuck in my head for a while.__ "Like, this mermaid. It's not just a dead fish butt sewn to a money carcass. It's a marvelous creature that makes us believe that anything is possible. You shut down this shack, and you shut down our dreams! At least... my dreams." Soos dropped the animal, and sadly took his cap off his head, eyes lowered.

The crowd awed at the touching words, while the kids and I looked to Stan hopefully. H-he wouldn't, right? Not after all we've been through? "I'm sorry, Soos," Stan sighed. "It's just, there's no one around to run it. At least... there wouldn't be if I hadn't just found the perfect replacement." __You don't mean...?__ Stan plucked his iconic fez off his head, and lowered it onto Soos. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Mystery Shack is under new management."

"Yes!" I whooped loudly as the townsfolk erupted into cheers, I wrapped my arms around Dipper and Mabel, hugging them tightly and lifting them partially off the ground. Stan rested a hand on Soos' shoulder, as the younger man gave him a surprised look.

"You... you mean it, Mr. Mystery?" He asked.

"You're Mr. Mystery now, Soos. Try not to burn the place down." Stan whacked the hat on his head, tilting it over Soos' eyes. Immediately, he reached up to fix it, and smiled back. Releasing the twins, I slid up beside Soos, patting him on the shoulder.

"Congrats, Soos! Ha ha-but seriously, don't burn down the place." I cast a look to Stan, and narrowed my eyes playfully. "You have any idea how close I was to whacking you on the head? That wasn't funny."

"You knew I was plannin' something though, didn't you?" He replied back. My frown loosened, and I giggled despite myself wanting to go ahead and hit him anyway. The kids moved back over to us, and all six of us looked down at the cheering town. Stan laughed for a moment, making us all look at him as he began to shout, "Pines! Pines! Pines! Pines!"

Ford blinked in surprise, but Dipper, Mabel, and me were quick to pick up with him. Soos just smiled at the four of us, shouting the family's name over the roar of the crowd. Ford shook his head, but with a nudge from his twin, shyly joined in in making a fool of himself. I smiled at the action, and glanced down at Mabel. "Pines! Pines! Ha ha ha! Aw man, I love this family!" And that, was the absolute truth. No lies about it.

(Time Skip)

Life was... weird. Always had been, and always would be. Thing is, I'd come to learn that no matter where you go, who you end up with, and what sort of events you're put through, there was always gonna be someone there beside you. Ready to help, to listen, and to be there when you need it. Sometimes, you had many of those people. And even if they're far, far away, the bond you've made will stretch those distances.

Leaving the Mystery Shack for the final time... it was also weird. The room: empty. Every item we'd been gifted with; every book, craft, note, or otherwise was put into our bags. As I walked out the door from our bedroom for the last time, I took a final look around. Mabel's side of the floor was covered in bits of yarn and sparkles, with an empty feeding dish for Waddles. Dipper's had chewed up pens and a can of Pitt Cola in a garbage can, with a random cardboard piece lying next to it. " ** **Who is the author****?"

Now, there we stood. There we were, waiting at the bus stop at the edge of town, with everyone we held dear to us over the summer. Somehow, and I was pretty sure it was because Mabel was leaving, she had convinced Stan to wear a pink sweater with " ** **Goodbye Stan**** " stitched onto it. Grenda, Candy, and Pacifica were busy talking to Mabel, but my attention was more centered on my friends. My squad.

"You sure you don't wanna stay here?" Kat asked, looking away sadly. "I'm sure my mom can get a mattress for you. We can bunk together."

"I'm sure, Kat. Summer is... over. While there's so much more I would've loved to have done with you guys, it's time for me to go h... home." Gravity Falls... it was my home though. Yet I knew that I couldn't stay there. Dipper and Mabel were more home than this town, and besides that... recovery was going to take a while. _For all three of us._

"Aw, man," Wendy muttered, Asger's arm over her shoulder. "Don't make me cry, dude." Chuckling weakly, the four of us went in for the hug. __Still the shortest one in the group.__ Letting go, I held onto their hands, forcing a grin to hide my sadness.

"Thanks for being my squad, guys. And thanks, you two," I directed the part at Kat and Asger, "for believing me. Wendy, keep an eye out for this dork, will you?" Wendy smirked, casting a look at her boyfriend who squirmed under her watch.

"I'll try, but that will be hard with him leaving tomorrow. Now, if you'll excuse me, there's another short friend of mine I have to say goodbye to.

"Can it, Soos!" We looked over to see Stan and Ford shout at Soos, making the younger kids laugh. Breaking off for the last time from my friends, I moved on to the other person that I had to say goodbye to. "Elaine," Ford looked down at me, while I sighed loudly, knowing exactly what he was about to say. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," I confirmed. _Yep. Just like I thought._ "While part of me wouldn't mind being able to come with you, and possibly have your help in healing my damaged psyche, I can't just let Dipper and Mabel go back to Piedmont. They're gonna need someone to help them." Before I knew it, Stanford pulled me into a hug, and I felt my face get pressed against his chest. "Um..." Ford never really was a hugger, but... why did he feel the need to show so much emotion around me? In the hospital, when I suffered that panic attack when Bill visited his mind... why me? _The emotions in them though... why can't I figure them out?_

"You know, if this never happened, if he never forced me to play that game of his and I had remained in this dimension... if I ever had the chance to have a kid of my own, I'd want them to be just like you."

"..." my arms dropped, eyes widening in stunned silence. Sniffling, I shakily began to raise them back up, and returned the embrace. "F-Ford..." I stood there, letting the tears finally fall and dampen his sweater. He... he thought of me as the child he never had. Was it because of how similar we were, or was it due to him helping me through all of my tough times? __Wait... aren't we still in public?__ I lifted my head back, and Ford seemed to finally sense the audience we had. Stan just gave a sly smile, Soos was beaming with stars in his eyes, the teens were grinning at my reaction, and Dipper and Mabel... they seemed almost as confused and as amazed as I was. __They... they didn't hear what he said. He said it so quietly, I might have just imagined it.__

The hissing of brakes came from behind us, and we all looked to see the Speedy Beaver bus pull up. The door slid open, and the bus driver looked down at us. "Last bus leaving Gravity Falls. All aboard." Giving the elderly man a final look, I broke off and picked up my black book bag beside Dipper and Mabel's gear. __Did-huh. Well, what do you know?__ Dipper and Wendy had swapped hats. The redhead's lumberjack hat now sat atop the boy's head, more than likely a parting gift. __That's sweet... and if he still had a crush on Wendy, it'd be even sweeter.__ But, hey! That's in the past. That's not the truth anymore. None of what I originally thought was. The three of us stood at the bottom of the stairwell, bags in hand before setting them down and turning around to face everyone one last time.

"Guess we've said goodbye to everyone except... Waddles," Mabel said sadly, watching the pig walk out from behind Soos to see her. Dipper and I looked away as the girl moved over to her pet, petting him on the side and top of his head for the last time. "I... I don't know how to explain this but... mom and dad won't let me bring a pig home to California so... you have to stay here!" She shouted the end, and pivoted around to walk back to the bus. Waddles gave an oink, and was quick to latch onto her skirt to try and pull her back. Mabel gasped, seeing the pig's actions and began trying to push him off. "Come on. Come on. I have to go." She sniffed, looking away to avoid tears from springing forth. "I'm... I'm sorry, Waddles."

"... agh! You know what? Forget it!" Stan marched forward, grabbing Waddles and tucking him under his arm. "I lived with this pig all summer, now your parents are gonna have to." He sat the big down on the floor of the bus, and glared up at the driver. "Hey, bus guy! This pig is comin' with the kids."

"Now, hold on a second. Bringing animals aboard a moving vehicle is strictly prohibited by-" Stan pulled out his brass knuckles from a pocket, having them glint in the setting sun as Ford moved his coat open enough to reveal his laser gun. I grinned, inwardly cheering the two on. __I wonder if Sam and Dean are this cool when they get to be that age? Heh. Almost like Supernatural: the Retirement Years.__ The driver's face paled, and he moved his arm to show the row of seats. "Wah... w-w-welcome aboard. You can sit in the front row, pig." Satisfied, Ford backed off to let me and the twins move back to the front, and Stan in between us and the others.

This whole journey all started with Stan finding me outside the Mystery Shack unconscious, bloodied, and lost. Now, it ended with him again. "Kids, you knuckleheads were nothin' but a nuisance and I'm glad to be rid of ya." He knelt down, resting both hands on Dipper and Mabel's shoulders. Mabel sniffed before she and her brother launched themselves at him, tears dripping down their faces.

"We'll miss you too, Grunkle Stan," Mabel murmured, stroking the fez's tassel. The three let go, with Stan still kneeling on the dirt. __My turn...__ I moved forward, and got down to hug the man. __D-don't cry, Elaine. Don't cry. D-don't-!__ A quiet sob came out of me as I gripped him, and felt his hands pat me comfortingly on the back.

"Kid, I'm glad whatever thing that brought you here dropped you on my doorstep." __S-same here, Grunkle Stan. S-same here...__

"...e-even though, I'm probably never gonna figure out why I was dragged here, I'm glad it was you who found me too, Grunkle Stan. M-my family will miss me, but... but I'm glad to have made a family here too. A-and really, it's mostly th-thanks to you." I looked up at everyone, letting my teary hazel eyes travel from face to face, before finally landing on Dipper and Mabel behind me. "You're all my family." I looked back at Stan, who had relaxed his hug enough for me to see him head on. "I love you." Standing up, I swiped at the dirt on my jeans. "Hehe, I love all of you."

That... that was the final word of the matter. Turning around, I slung my bag onto my shoulder. Dipper and Mabel followed my lead, taking theirs in hand. "Ready to head into the unknown?" Dipper asked as the three of us stood at the foot of the bus.

"Nope... let's do it," Mabel replied, and the two looked up at me.

"Ready when you are." The moment my foot left the ground, the bus hissed again as the door closed. Making our way to the back seat after flashing the three tickets, we dropped our bags underneath and sat down. There was no one else on the bus but us three, giving us the freedom not to look odd for bringing Waddles on board. Looking out the window as Mabel hoisted said pig onto her lap, we all began waving at our friends. Mabel held Waddles' arm, having him wave for her. As the bus slowly began to pull away, the group began to run after us, shouting their farewells with large tearful smiles.

"Bye! Bye, everyone! I'll miss you guys, too! We'll miss you. Thanks for everything!" We shouted out the window, until finally... we were over the hill, leaving them behind us. Relaxing back into our seat, I glanced over at Dipper.

"You know... the series initially started with you doing some weird narration over the gnome chase." He raised a brow. "Any wise words to send us off, oh, young adventurer?"

Dipper shrugged, leaning against the leather seat. _Oh my-is he actually considering doing it?_ "Hmm... if you've ever taken a road trip through the Pacific Northwest, you've probably seen a bumper sticker for a place called Gravity Falls." We paused to smile, and all looked out the window at the Northwest mansion atop the hill, and a power poll with two gnomes clinging to it to see us go by. "It's not on any maps, and most people have never heard of it." The multi-bear, several more gnomes, a manotaur, and the petting zoo cow with multiple legs on her body waved to us from the edge of the forest. "Some people think it's a myth. But if you're curious, don't wait."

"Take a trip," I joined in. "Find it. It's out there somewhere in the woods... waiting." __He'll be waiting. For the day to rise up again, and... I'll be waiting. We'll be waiting, and ready.__ Mabel's head slumped against my shoulder as Waddles curled up in her lap, and Dipper pulled out an envelope with " ** **to: Dipper**** " written on the front from his vest. Opening it up and sliding the letter out, we all started down at the dozens of signatures from Stan, Ford, Grenda, Candy, Pacifica, Asger, Wendy, Kat, Soos, all of the teens, Gideon... everyone. Everyone we'd met. __Thanks, everybody... thanks for everything.__

" ** **See you next summer****."

* * *

 ** **I... I cried. I actually teared up so much when I wrote this. This chapter... means so much to me. Having spent so much time, seeing my character grow like this, and having it end after a year and a half... I love it.****

 ** **Thanks everyone for those reviews in regards to that comment I made the last chapter. I didn't know if I should have mentioned it or not, but it means the world to see your support.****

 ** **Now... now we wait for the last chapter of Gravity's Fallen Angel to come out the same day of a final.****

 ** **Thank you, everyone.****

 ** **Angel****


	75. Sweet Nightmares

****Disclaimer: ... do I really have to say anything more?****

 ** **RainbowCelin: I cried. I teared up so much writing the ending.****

 ** **ponystoriesandothers: Just the epilogue left, and then we're done... until the sequel, of course!****

 ** **Victoria1676: FEELING THE FEELS YET!?****

 ** **That One Cute Kitty: The next chapter helps set the scene for when I'll drop everyone into the sequel. After all... we aren't done with our favorite demon just yet.****

 ** **StoriesUnleashed: Some people seem to avoid it, as most don't really like the idea of throwing an OC into their favorite show, but I wanted to do something different. I wanted to make it real, and to give more depth to the characters that wasn't shown on TV. Her relationships with the Pines, her friends, and Bill especially were all something I loved to develop. Thanks for helping me with season 2, reading over my chapters before I posted them, and helping come up with ideas that I never would have thought of.****

 ** **DannyPhantom618: Whether or not this mimics the series too much depends on how you looked at it, and honestly, I'm fine with your opinion. It's just the way I happened to write it, and I'm happy with it. As for the sequel... I'll say there's flaming birds, if that means anything. Flaming birds, and Mabel may or may not be an acting mother for stolen eggs.****

 ** **Sixer: Actually, StoriesUnleashed topped you in the longest review for the chapter. You're number 2. Elaine (Angel is just Bill's nickname for her) and Dipper will have more growth in the sequel, but how is yet to be figured out. I've fallen for the Cuphead franchise, which is why I have the number one story in its fandom right now. I've gotten so attached to it, just like Bendy, and wanted to do something big. Now... I just need to figure out where to buy purple dress pants and shoes for the tie and jacket I already bought. No tail coat though. Can't find a suitable one around here.****

 ** **ultima-owner: Thank you! It's been a joy to write it!****

 ** **Guest: Thanks!****

 ** **Hourglass Cipher: I cried. I went to bed last night in tears having finished this. I've finished... so many stories already, but this one... it's special. Because it was the first one I ever wrote, because of how dedicated I was to finishing it... and because of the readers, While it was at first just for me, to test my writing skills, I love how each and every one of you grew to love this story I had built.****

 ** **13ForLife: Thanks. I cried too.****

 ** **KingOfWhispers: Thank you!****

 ** **Luckygurrl12: Well, it's an epilogue. It's not going to be huge. Like the prologue for this was less than 1000 words. This just picks up where that left off. The sequel will be a joy to write, since this story took place through almost 2 years of schooling, the next might almost carry me through a good chunk of university.****

 ** **OfLifeDeathAndAllBetween: Do you need a tissue for your issue?****

 ** **AshuriIncarnate: It was emotional, that's for sure. I cried, not only because it's the last main chapter (the epilogue didn't invoke as many tears as that did), but because of how important that final moment was. I cried when I first watched the episode, and I cried writing the farewell too.****

 ** **Cynder Terror of Skies: I wouldn't say it's**** _ _ ** **so****__ ** **well written. I've been going back again and again fixing season one. Heck, even once this story's all over, I'll continue editing it until the sequel starts. Hope you don't me asking, but what's your story idea? GFA will pick up again in May/June, giving me enough time to do other things before picking up where we left off.****

 ** **PorousBubbles: I'm editing most of season one, editing several stories before I start their sequels, and redoing an entire story altogether since I saw that there was much room for improvement. It helps me work on my skills as a writer to be able to pick up on these things. I'm not looking to be an expert, but I do/want to take the time to correct mistakes. There's still a lot I need to learn. That's why I'm doing the revising myself once school ends next week unless I can find a beta to give me a hand.****

 ** **Frankly, I blame my growing love for writing for you guys that has lead to my idea of going for a minor in English on top of my major. I've got Tolkien next year!****

 **And for anyone who comes back to read this story, or had taken part in the brief ask-me-anything thing years ago, you might notice those two chapters are no longer posted. I only want to have the author's notes up in case they really are important. Like announcements or something.**

 ** **Remember, the first part of the chapter is just like the prologue. It's all Elaine's thoughts on a laptop since Mabel hid her pens... repeatedly. So in this case, like the prologue, it's a mix of present and past tense because it's her thoughts. Her reflections.****

"Speaking"

 _ _Thinking__

 **Edited: Oct. 23/18**

* * *

Life always seemed to surprise me. Whether that came from a bad mark when you know for a fact you studied your hear out, going out to all of the different regional parks in the area where your best friend insists a werewolf lives out there and brings along his mom's silver jewelry, or just trying to get by after the traumatizing events of the summer, it always seemed to get the best of me.

Dipper and Mabel had gotten into a semi-normal sleeping habit, and while Mabel had to visit my therapist once to deal with the guilt she felt about giving the rift to Bill, the two were almost back to normal. Same went with Stan and Ford.

A few weeks after we arrived back in Piedmont, Ford had Stan send us a package that held a walkie-talkie that he reprogrammed to reach their location. The signal was amplified to reach them all the way in the Arctic, and anywhere else in the world they could end up. I've lost count of the times where the three of us would bunker down in my room and just chat endlessly with them, about how we were doing in school, and how they were doing in their monster hunt. Sea Grunks, I called them. Stan just started laughing at that, while Ford just seemed confused.

Alex and Dana Pines were very friendly, although they certainly were shocked when we arrived with Waddles in tow. Alex seemed to love the pig on sight, while his wife was more hesitant. Alex was, not shockingly, a mirror image of Alex Hirsch. Dana, unlike the rest of the Pines with their brown hair and brown eyes, had red hair and blue eyes. Exactly like Hirsch's girlfriend. Though, those silly strands of hair that Mabel had sticking up on top of her head obviously came from Dana. Dipper got the logical and calm traits from her, while Mabel took after their father.

They were an odd bunch, but I've felt so welcoming into their house. Dana had hugged her children the moment we got off the bus, and once she saw me, shy and limping in the back, she went to hug me too. They never questioned why Stan insisted on therapy for me. From what the elder Pines' had said, all he told them was that I was an orphan that he took under his care for the summer, and that I had went through something that had haunted me during the last week.

He didn't say what, and I respected him for that. Besides, it was for the best. They didn't know anything about the supernatural of the town, or the fact Ford (or Stanley, in this case) was even still alive.

Shermy Pines I ended up meeting a month into my stay, and I was quick to listen to the stories he had about his distant brother, and the few memories he had of Ford before Stan took over his life. His hair wasn't as graying as the twins, but he had a few streaks in there. A set of thin-framed black glasses, and a facial structure that reminded me of an older Dipper. I mean, there was no way Dipper and Mabel got their looks from Stan or Ford. I don't even know much about Dana's side of the family, but if I am to find out, I won't pressure her or anything. Shermy was, from what I've learned, the only other Pines family member they really spoke to outside themselves.

When Shermy spoke of Stan, who he and everyone else thought perished in a car crash, he didn't seem to hold any hate towards him. He was more rational than his older brothers, and understood how brash his parents acted when they kicked him out that night. Perhaps it might have had to do with the fact he was only a baby, a toddler at most when it happened.

I had also refused to allow the Pines to adopt me, despite their insistence. I loved Dipper and Mabel, I did. But... it felt... weird, to let these two strangers become my parents. Plus... there was still the reminder of Dipper's crush on me.

Yeah... no.

Then, there was the matter of the therapy I had spoken about in my previous entries.

Mrs. Bolivar, a tall, beautiful woman with tanned skin and dark mocha colored hair, was a very kind and patient woman. Always wearing a flowered patterned blouse and a long pencil skirt, she would sit across from me with her notepad to document everything we would discuss. At first, our talks were about getting to know each other, and slowly descended into what I had gone through. I-I couldn't say exactly what, but... I did eventually speak about the assault. How times were pleasant and memorable, and then... what happened at the end, when he lost his mind for such a brief moment to attack me. She showed concern, and she should. I was young, and no one should have had to have gone through what I went through. As I mentioned at the start of my tale, she was the one to suggest using my laptop to write. To avoid using my journal, as it held far too many emotions. Though many of them were good, the few ones at the end before I stopped writing... those I would rather leave forgotten.

She even suggested... that at the end of the school year... maybe I should return to Gravity Falls. Not just to see my friends again, but for... closure. To heal my wounds, and to, as she called it, 'to lay my demons to rest'.

How ironic, huh?

But... that's that. My time documenting everything I've been through all summer is over, and now I can finally rest. As much as this was good for my health, it was also good for theirs too. Dipper and Mabel loved seeing how much emotion, thought, and care I put into this just as much as I would in my normal journal.

I-it felt... nice, to finally write it out. I had cried, screamed, and expressed so many emotions while doing it. Every feeling that I had towards the demon just spilled out as I reflected on what he had done to me, and it felt... like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I might have just been numbing myself to the pain, but... but this was a huge start to recovery. To fixing what had happened to me; to fixing my wrongs.

Thanks, online journal. Hope this twisted, random, and emotional spiel wasn't too horrible to hold.

And, to you, dear imaginary reader. While I highly doubt I'll ever do anything more with this mash of disturbing events documenting my downward spiral into madness and forgiveness, I hope this may encourage you to have your own journey. Not make the same mistakes as myself, but forge your own memories. Your own adventure. After all, it's out there, somewhere waiting for you. All you need to do is go and find it.

And if anybody gets in your way... go try and find Ford's third journal. He had an entire section on curses. Go nuts.

This is Elaine Milton, Gravity Falls' fallen angel, signing off for the last time.

* * *

Gravity's Fallen Angel; the story, **my** story of my time in the weird and abnormal town of Gravity Falls... had finally reached its end. __And... that's that.__ Closing the laptop with a sigh, I picked it up and began to walk back to my room from the living room. Everyone had gone to bed by now, but I felt more comfortable to wrap it up on the couch, with a glass of chocolate milk and a bag of marshmallows. With the black machine tucked under my arms, I paused in front of the twins' shared bedroom.

"Heh..." carefully juggling the laptop, I cracked open their door to look inside. Dipper on the left, and Mabel on the right. Just like the Shack. Dipper had an open mystery novel over his chest, half-under his covers and drooling onto his pillow. Mabel was hugging Waddles, the pig occasionally letting out a small sleepy oink. "Night, dorks." Quietly closing it, I continued down the darkened hallway.

I'd never know why I was brought there. I'd never return home. I was... okay with that. Every now and then, part of me yearned for the warm and comforting hold of my parents, and Gail's smiling and teasing face. But then... Mabel's face comes to mind, braces flashing in the light. Dipper's logic and being able to be there to listen to my problems. Stan and Ford ready to help me, and able to relate to my situation in a way that my friends never could.

I wouldn't leave either set of twins for anything.

 _ _Time for bed.__ Stopping in front of the final door in the hall of the one story house, I opened it up... and blanched. My window above my desk, covered in school work and sheets of paper filled with materials I would later add to my journal, was open, letting moonlight stream in past the billowing curtains in the breeze.

Though, if that was the only thing I saw, I probably would've been okay. The fact my necklace, the angel wings necklace I remember vividly leaving on Bill's statue back in Gravity Falls lying in the middle of my room was not okay. I had wrapped the chain around his stone cold hand, making sure that nothing would let it slide off, at least, nothing in regards to nature. But who would have been stupid enough to shake his hand?

I drifted across the floor, eyes not leaving the jewelry as I deposited my laptop on my bed. That stupid nickname that the demon had given to me was all because of that small item, and the symbol was carried on with me wherever I brought my journal. Memories, both good and bad, resided inside it. __Almost... like it's as cursed as the journals themselves.__ Kneeling down, I cautiously reached out to pick it up. __It's... warm,__ I noted. "Wh-what? Why is it... warm...?" I looked up to the window, still holding the stainless steel chain. He was still asleep. I might have not much knowledge of how demons worked, but there was no way he should have been able to wake up so soon. Heck, he shouldn't have even been able to leave Gravity Falls in the first place.

"So... how did this get here?" I paused, before getting to my feet and setting the necklace on my desk. Moving my laptop and resting it beside the new item, I reached into one of the drawers and pulled out a small glass shaker.

Salt. "Just... to be safe." __Though, I highly doubt a dream demon would be affected by such an attempt.__ I closed the window, letting the fluttering curtains settle just as I began to sprinkle the shaker along the edge. Satisfied, I then moved to my bed and outlined around it. I may just be paranoid, but still... better safe than sorry. Putting the shaker on the bedside table, I finally crawled into bed and put my glasses away. __Might wanna invest in a few dream catchers... but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that all those do is tickle him.__

Alex had also asked why I didn't get them fixed; my glasses, I mean. After having spotted the large crack in the glass, he asked me the question during breakfast one day. I only responded with it reminded me of someone close to me. Dipper and Mabel smiled knowingly at my vague answer, but while it appeared Alex still wanted to know more, he left it be.

"This... doesn't make sense though," I murmured, nuzzling the side of my head into the pillow. "If Bill's still stuck in Gravity Falls, at least... his physical form, then... how did that get here?" My adventure... it wasn't over, was it? __Not by a long shot,__ _ _Elaine__ _ _,__ I mentally answered myself, finally closing my eyes. __This world's not done with you yet... dang it.__

* * *

3rd POV

He watched, arms crossed behind his back as she finally fell asleep with her mind clouded with concern. Though, he supposed that was a given. Having something that should have remained with his physical form in that hick town appear without warning would've scared her no matter what. Just the fact she had it bound around his hand made him... more than a little happy.

The swirling void of pink clouds in a sparkling cyan sky filled with stars was peaceful, and quiet. Nothing like his home for the past trillion years. This place had only enough rules to keep it from collapsing like the Nightmare Realm, yet shifted and changed just as much. Its ruler enjoyed change, that was a fact.

Grumbling, he sat in the yellow beanbag chair that was summoned for him, eye downcast. This void was connected to all dimensions, just like his was. A space in between all worlds, but nearly impossible to access unlike the crawlspace home to gruesome and malevolent beasts and demons.

"Hmmm." A dreamy voice broke the silence with a hum, and the triangle lifted his eye to meet the towering salamander moving through space above him. Its fins, three on each side of its head, moved as it breathed in the cosmic air, watching him with beady black eyes. The long tail curled in and out, feeling all around it to sense for anything else that was coming close. But what else would there be? In this never-ending void, it was just them. Just the demon who was beaten at his own game, and ****him****.

"Well, what're you waiting for?" Bill snapped, glowering up at him. "Got something else you need to say, big frilly?" He was the slightest bit thankful that the frilly moved the gift back to her, per his request. It's not like he had any need for it. It was Angel's, and he was gonna keep it with her, no matter what. Angel... she didn't like that name for her anymore. By his calling, anyways.

The Axolotl quietly laughed, shaking his head as he moved closer. "You know what, Cipher. You invoked my name." The frills spread out, and orange-yellow energy crackled around them. "You know why." If the big amphibian thought he was impressing him with the light show, or trying to intimidate him, it wasn't working. Bill was never scared of the big frilly, but the few times he had met him were... less than memorable.

The Axolotl had begun to circle around the demon, eyes not leaving the triangle. "Sixty degrees that come in threes. Watches from within birch trees." __Ah, that verse. As if I haven't heard__ ** _ ** _that_**_** _ _a million times before.__ "Saw his own dimension burn. Misses home and can't return. Says he's happy... he's a liar." He didn't lie. He just danced around the truth. Sixer and Pine Tree were recent examples of that method. The only being that had known the truth, or at least part of it was... Angel. And even then, that was because she somehow finally got him to confess. Why though? Why did he just... spill everything, and... cry?

The Axolotl watched as the yellow of the demon flashed orange in warning, daring him to test his patience again, but he didn't let it bother him. There, the demon was powerless. No one could beat the Axolotl because he was the Axolotl. He was everything, and saw everything, and would be everything. __How I'd love to rip that high-and-mighty look off his slimy face and shove it down his throat.__

"Blame the arson for the fire. If he wants to shirk the blame. He'll have to invoke my name. One way to absolve his crime. A different form, a different time. That is what I had said to you the last time we had crossed paths, was it not?" __Yeah, and every. Single. Time before that.__

"So you know my life story. Big whoop." He rubbed his eyelid tiredly, before finally letting himself meet the lizard's eyes. "Alright, fine. Let's start this deal of ours." __Just you wait, kid. This is just a minor setback in my plans.__ _ _Next time, I'll handle that power better, and I will prove that to you.__ _ _Those__ _ _kids__ _ _won't keep you safe forever.__ _ _And when that time comes__ _ _when I get my strength__ _ _back__ _ _...__ "I won't let you get hurt again."

* * *

 ** **I have so many people I'd like to thank. StoriesUnleashed for helping proof-read most of season 2 and generating ideas that I haven't thought of, the core of justice for letting me use Axel and Asger, RillFipher for letting me use Kat... and you.****

 ** **All of you. I wouldn't have made it this far without you guys. I've thanked you all before, back at the special 50th chapter, but it seems right to do it again here, now that we're at the end. Our journey together isn't over though. Far from it, actually. In a few months, the sequel will begin. And not long after that I will start the Star vs the Forces of Evil story, which Elaine will make her appearance in the Blood Moon Ball chapter. What can I say, I like the multiverse idea.****

 ** **I started this back in the end of 2016 because I was bored, and just started writing for the heck of it. Still find it hard to believe all of the fans I've gotten, and how many people love seeing that another new chapter had come out. Even with that brief hiatus last summer when I was away at the halfway point, you guys didn't drop your interest one bit.****

 ** **Even if it was a rough start, and most of my chapters aren't as great as you might have liked at the start and I may make mistakes that slip past me sometimes, you guys still liked this. And... I thank you. For everything. Keep in mind, when I start writing that next story, I'll have summer employment too, so chapters will be coming out at odd times. Hope everyone's okay with that.****

 ** **I'll see you all in a few months, and thanks for reading Gravity's Fallen Angel.****

 ** **AngelPines****


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